How to take a passport photo with your iPhone
Shoot once with the rear camera, then crop to the size your form actually needs. This guide covers iPhone settings, distances, and colour pitfalls first—then shows how to use our free cropper for US 2×2, UK or Australian 35×45 mm, and other templates.
What you need (and what comes later)
You need a recent iPhone, a plain light wall, soft front light, and a few minutes. You do not need a studio.
Leave the outer size for the crop step. Whether your form wants a square US photo or a taller UK/AU frame, the shooting setup is almost the same.
- Rear camera + timer (or a helper)
- Plain light background for your destination
- JPEG export (see settings below)
- Free crop to the matching template on this site
Pick your size early: US vs UK vs Australia
Glance at your form before you shoot so you know background tone and whether you need a digital file, prints, or both.
In our tool you select the template after upload. One good iPhone capture can become different crops; never stretch a finished 2×2 into 35×45.
- US passport: usually 2×2 in square; white/off-white background; digital renewal often 600–1200 px JPEG
- UK passport: 35×45 mm; cream or light grey common for prints; online paths need enough pixels (often 600×750+)
- Australia: APO size band around 35×45 mm; plain light background; confirm on passports.gov.au
- Always recheck the official page—rules and file limits change
iPhone Camera settings before you shoot
Open Settings → Camera → Formats and choose Most Compatible. That saves JPEG and typically avoids Display P3 colour surprises that can fail automated checkers.
In Settings → Camera, turn Grid and Level on. They help keep the phone upright and your eyes centred.
- Formats → Most Compatible (JPEG / safer colour for portals)
- Grid + Level on
- Portrait mode off; filters Original; no Photographic Styles that change skin
- No beauty apps and no AI face edits—many authorities reject altered photos
Distances and lighting (0.5 m / 1.5 m)
Stand about 0.5 metres (1.5 ft) from the background. Place the iPhone about 1.5 metres (5 ft) away at eye level—GOV.UK-style home guidance uses the same idea.
Face a window or use two soft lights at face height. Overhead-only light creates eye sockets and a wall shadow.
- 0.5 m from wall → fewer background shadows
- 1.5 m from rear camera → less wide-angle distortion
- Soft front light; avoid flash-only
Shoot with the rear camera and timer
Use the rear lens on a tripod or stack. Front selfies widen the face and tilt the angle.
Start a 3- or 10-second timer. Neutral expression, mouth closed (or a small closed-mouth natural look if allowed), both eyes open. Take several frames.
- Rear camera only
- Eyes level with the lens
- Leave a little space above the head for cropping
HEIC, Display P3, and sRGB
If you already shot in HEIC, convert once to JPEG before cropping. Most Compatible going forward saves that step.
Wide Display P3 colour can look fine on an iPhone but fail a government checker. Most Compatible / sRGB-oriented exports are safer for US online renewal and UK digital uploads.
- Prefer JPEG before our cropper and before portal upload
- Avoid chat-app sends that recompress colour and quality
- Keep the original as backup
Crop any country size in our free tool
Open our free passport photo maker on iPhone Safari or a Mac after AirDrop. Upload the JPEG and select the template for your form.
Align the head guides for that template. Download a single JPEG for upload, or a print sheet (4×6, Letter, A4, and more) if you need paper copies.
Related size charts: UK 35×45 and Australian APO sizes are available as separate templates—do not reuse a finished US square for those applications.
- Choose country / document template first
- Match head height to on-screen guides
- Export digital file or multi-photo sheet
After-crop checklist (digital or print)
AirDrop the master file to a computer or kiosk. Messaging apps often damage quality.
- Correct template (US / UK / AU / other)
- JPEG; pixels and KB–MB within the form’s range
- No filters, beauty, or AI face edits
- Prints: photo paper at 100% scale; measure with a ruler
Common iPhone failures (with examples)
If the portal rejects the file, read the reason, fix lighting or settings, reshoot if needed, then crop again—do not “enhance” the failed JPEG.
- Portrait blur or filters
- Front-camera selfie angle
- HEIC / wrong colour profile on upload
- Wrong country template after an otherwise good shot
Quick checklist
Work top to bottom while the tripod is still set up. One careful session beats three drugstore visits.
- Most Compatible + Grid/Level; Portrait off
- 0.5 m from wall; 1.5 m from rear camera; eye level
- Soft front light; several sharp frames
- JPEG / safer colour; crop correct template here
- Verify official rules before submit
Ready to crop your photo?
Free online tool—pick your country template (US 2×2 or UK 35×45), align your head, and download. No account needed.