Can I Take a Passport Photo with My iPhone?

Yes — any modern iPhone works perfectly for a U.S. passport photo. The State Department requires a minimum of 600×600 pixels, and even the iPhone 6s shoots at 4032×3024. You don't need a professional camera, a photo studio, or a special app.

Here's exactly how to do it in under a minute, plus the mistakes that cause rejections.

What You Need

Your iPhone, a plain light-colored wall (white or off-white), and natural daylight from a window. That's it. If your wall isn't perfectly white, Kindro's AI will remove the background automatically.

Camera Settings

Open the built-in Camera app. Use the rear camera at 1× zoom — don't use 0.5× ultrawide or 2×/3× telephoto, as these can distort facial proportions. Turn off Portrait mode. The depth-of-field blur looks nice for social media but can flag your photo for rejection because the background isn't uniformly solid.

Make sure HDR is on (it's automatic on newer iPhones). This helps balance skin tones and prevents harsh shadows.

How to Position

Stand about 4 feet (1.2 m) from the camera. Face directly toward it — both ears should be visible. Keep your expression neutral with your mouth closed. Remove glasses, hats, and headphones. If you wear a head covering for religious reasons, that's fine — just make sure your full face from hairline to chin is visible.

The best approach: prop your iPhone on a shelf or table at face height, set a 3-second timer (swipe up in the Camera app), and step into position. This avoids the arm-length distortion that selfies cause.

Lighting Tips

Face a window so natural light falls evenly on your face. Avoid standing directly under a ceiling light — it creates shadows under your eyes and nose that can cause rejection. If one side of your face is darker than the other, turn slightly toward the light source until both sides are evenly lit.

After Taking the Photo

Upload your photo to Kindro.me. The AI will remove the background, center your face, crop to exactly 2×2 inches at 300 DPI, and check compliance with State Department requirements. The whole process takes about 30 seconds and is completely free.

You'll get a digital file ready for online passport applications, plus a 4×6 print layout with four 2×2 photos for printing at CVS, Walgreens, or Walmart for under $1.

Common iPhone Mistakes That Cause Rejections

Portrait mode blur — the artificial bokeh makes the background non-uniform. Use standard Photo mode instead.

Selfie arm distortion — holding the phone at arm's length makes your nose appear larger and ears smaller. Use a timer and step back.

Front camera on older iPhones — the front camera on iPhone 8 and earlier is only 7 MP. Use the rear camera for better resolution.

Flash — the flash creates harsh light, red-eye, and uneven shadows. Turn it off and use natural window light instead.

Live Photo — Live Photos can sometimes select a slightly blurry frame. Turn it off (tap the concentric circles icon) for a sharper shot.

Bottom Line

Your iPhone is all you need. Take the photo against a light wall with window light, upload to Kindro, and you'll have a compliant passport photo in under a minute — for free.