TL;DR
Use the standard photo mode, the main camera when possible, a clean lens, a stable support and a timer. Keep the lens at eye level, avoid a close selfie, turn off beauty and portrait effects, and review the unedited original before cropping.
Choose the lens before chasing resolution
A high-megapixel camera cannot repair a face photographed from too close or at an angle. Close front cameras often exaggerate the centre of the face. Use the main camera when it gives a natural perspective, place the phone farther away and crop later.
Keep the lens at eye level and parallel to the face.
Disable appearance-changing modes
Use the ordinary Photo mode. Turn off portrait blur, beauty or face-smoothing controls, filters and any setting that changes skin texture or facial shape. Check the preview after reopening the camera because some phones restore these options.
A document image should begin as a neutral, unedited capture.
Stabilise the phone and use a timer
A tripod, shelf or helper keeps the camera level and leaves the subject free to face the lens. Clean the lens, remove anything blocking the camera and take a test image before the final set.
Do not mirror the finished image: flipping changes the likeness and asymmetrical details.
Treat iPhone and Android differences conservatively
On an iPhone, stay in Photo mode and avoid Portrait, filters and appearance controls. On Android, look for Beauty, Face Retouching, Portrait, Scene Optimiser or similar controls and disable them.
If the phone saves HEIF, keep the original and convert only for a channel that requires JPEG. Avoid repeated messaging-app compression.
Review the original before using a tool
Inspect focus, eye visibility, natural colour, head angle, background shadows and unwanted objects. A tool can crop and prepare a document-specific output, but it cannot make an altered likeness acceptable.
Keep the phone original separate from the prepared copy.
Key data at a glance
| Setting | iPhone | Android |
|---|---|---|
| Camera mode | Photo (not Portrait) | Photo (not Portrait/Beauty) |
| Turn off | Portrait, Live Photo, Filters | Beauty, Scene Optimizer, Night Mode |
| Flash | Off | Off |
| Zoom | 1x (main lens) | 1x (main lens) |
| Timer | 3 seconds | 3 seconds |
| Resolution | 12–48 MP (all sufficient) | 12–200 MP (all sufficient) |
| File format | HEIF → convert to JPEG | JPEG (default) |
Frequently asked questions
Which phone camera should I use?
Use the main camera when possible because it usually gives more room to step back and less close-range distortion. Keep the lens clean, place it at eye level and crop only after capturing the natural portrait.
Which camera modes should I avoid?
Use the ordinary photo mode and turn off portrait blur, beauty retouching, filters and any effect that changes facial features or skin texture. The goal is a clear, natural likeness rather than a stylised portrait.
How do I avoid a distorted face?
Move the phone farther away, keep the lens level with the eyes and use a timer or helper instead of holding the phone close to the face. Do not stretch the image during cropping or export.
Can I submit the phone's original file directly?
Only if the receiving portal accepts that format and file profile. Check the authority's current upload rules, then convert or export a separate JPEG when required while preserving the original for comparison.
Example scenario
A sharp selfie that still fails visual review
The image is technically large enough, but the phone was held close and Beauty mode softened the skin. The applicant switches to a stable main-camera setup, keeps the lens at eye level and reviews the untouched file before preparing a new output.
Sources & References
Public change history
Rewritten around lens distance, phone angle, disabled effects and original-file handling.
Replaced device-specific claims with a conservative iPhone and Android checklist.