The CSS Backface-Visibility Property

What does backface visibility mean?

The CSS backface-visibility property is used to define if the backface of the element should be visible to the user when it's not facing the screen:

.nobackface {
    -webkit-backface-visibility: hidden; /* Opera, Chrome, Safari */
    backface-visibility: hidden;
}

You should use this property when you need to be able to rotate an element, but you want its back to stay invisible. As 2D elements have no perspective and thus cannot be rotated, CSS backface-visibility only works on 3D elements.

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Syntax for backface-visibility

The syntax for the CSS backface-visibility property is simple:

backface-visibility: value;

There are two options you can use with this property:

• visible will provide the element in CSS backface visibility, i.e. the back will be visible
• hidden will not provide the element in CSS backface visibility, i.e. the back will be hidden

Browser support

Chrome

36+

Edge

12+

Firefox

16+

IE

10+

Opera

23+

Safari

5.1+

Mobile browser support

Chrome

36+

Firefox

16+

Opera

24+

Safari

5+