Help · Photo booth

Using an iPad as your photo booth

Everything you need to set up an iPad, light it well, and fix the usual snags. Setup takes about 5 minutes, and a minute more on the day of your event.

What you need

An iPad

A recent iPad with a front camera. Use Safari to set it up. An iPhone also works for roaming photos.

Good Wi-Fi

The booth uploads every photo, and AI looks need the internet. The test photo should upload in a few seconds. If the venue's Wi-Fi is weak, bring a phone hotspot.

Power

Keep the iPad plugged in all day. Our recommended ring light has USB ports you can try for the iPad, so one outlet could power both. Keep the iPad's own charger handy in case they charge it slowly.

An event with an iPad

Every package includes at least one iPad: Essentials and Plus have 1, Premier has 2. A preview event can try one.

Photos still work without internet. Classic photos are taken and saved on the iPad, then upload once it's back online. AI looks need a connection.

Set it up

Do this a few days early, not at the party.

Add the booth to the Home Screen. Open the booth link in Safari on the iPad, tap Share, then Add to Home Screen. It then fills the whole screen.
Connect your event. Open Photo booth from the Home Screen, point your phone's camera at the code on the iPad, and pick your event. No event yet? Your phone walks you through making one. Can't scan? The iPad also shows a short code under the QR code: on your phone, open the menu (your initial, top right), then Devices → Pair a device and type it.
Always allow the camera. The first time the booth asks to use the camera, tap Allow. Then set it to always allow, so it doesn't keep asking (see "Always allow the camera" below).
Check it and lock it. The iPad tests the camera and Wi-Fi. Then turn on Guided Access so guests can't leave the booth: Settings → Accessibility → Guided Access, then triple-click the top button while the booth is open.

On the day: when you get to the venue, open Photo booth and tap I'm at the venue. It checks the venue's Wi-Fi, because it is not the Wi-Fi at your home.

Always allow the camera

We recommend setting the camera to Allow for our site, so the booth asks for camera permission as little as possible. A permission box in the middle of a party is easy to tap wrong, and a guest who taps Don't Allow leaves the booth with no camera.

In Safari

Open Settings, then Apps → Safari → Camera, and choose Allow. This covers every website.
Or for our site only: open the booth in the Safari browser (not the Home Screen icon), tap the aA icon in the address bar, choose Website Settings, set Camera to Allow, and tap Done.

In Bluefy

Tap Allow when Bluefy asks. Then open Settings, go to Apps → Bluefy and make sure Camera is on. If you tapped Don't Allow by mistake, that is where to fix it.

Do this at home, when you run the check, not at the venue. If the booth still asks after you open it from the Home Screen, tap Allow again and let us know through Help.

Stands

The stand matters more than most hosts expect. Guests lean on it, kids bump it, and the iPad sits where everyone can see it.

Height

Put the camera at about chest to eye level for an adult, so people see themselves and their faces fill the frame. An adjustable stand lets you set it for the crowd.

Stability

Look for a wide, steady base, and set the stand against a wall or table. If yours ever wobbles, a sandbag on the base is an easy fix.

A secure holder

Pick a holder that grips the iPad on all sides. For a big or unsupervised event, consider a locking enclosure that holds the iPad securely. Guided Access keeps guests inside the booth, but it doesn't stop anyone from taking the iPad.

Place it against a wall or table

Set the stand with its back to a wall, or tuck it against a table. Guests can't knock it from behind, the cable stays out of the walkway, and the wall gives you a clean background.

Cables and charging

Route the cable down the stand and tape it to the floor so nobody trips. Keep the charger in reach of an outlet.

Floor stand or tabletop? A floor stand suits a crowd. A tabletop stand suits a small party. Mount the iPad with the front camera on top. The camera is a small dot on one edge of the screen, and which edge it's on depends on the iPad. Put that edge on top, whether that means upright or sideways. Our pick is a ring light that comes with its own tripod, described under Lighting. It works as the stand and the light in one. On a tighter budget, there's a lighter stand under Lighting too.

Lighting

Good light does more for a photo than a better camera. These rules cover nearly every room.

Light the faces, not the background. The brightest light should hit guests from the front, near the iPad.
Keep bright windows and lamps behind the iPad, not behind guests. Backlight turns faces into silhouettes.
Soft, slightly above, a little to one side. A ring light or a small LED panel next to the iPad works well. Avoid a bare overhead spotlight, which casts shadows under the eyes.
Don't mix warm and cool lights. Pick one kind near the booth.
Dark ballroom? Add light at the booth. Dim room light makes photos grainy and AI looks less accurate.
Outdoors: choose open shade, not direct sun.
Test with the check. Take a photo at the booth before guests arrive and move the light until faces look clear.

Our pick: a plug-in ring light with a stand

We recommend a large ring light that plugs into the wall, so lighting and power are both taken care of. The one we suggest is the MACTREM 22-inch ring light with a 75-inch tripod.

Plugs into the wall with a power cord, so there are no batteries to think about.
Two USB ports on the light you can try for the iPad. Keep its own charger handy in case they charge it slowly.
A tablet holder that fits iPads of every size, from 4 to 12.9 inches.
Dimmable, from warm to white light, with a remote.
The tripod adjusts from 27 to 75 inches, holds up to 18 pounds, and the kit comes with a carry bag.

It's made for indoor use. Set it to a soft, even brightness, and take a test photo before guests arrive.

A budget option for daytime events

If you don't need extra light, the SAMHOUSING iPad tripod stand costs much less. It has no light and no charging, so it works best for daytime events in a bright room, with a window beside or behind the iPad.

Adjusts from about 17 to 65 inches, in four steps.
A rotating holder for tablets from 4.5 to 12.9 inches, with a Bluetooth remote.
Made of aluminum, so it's light and folds down to about 17 inches long.

Because it's light, set it against a wall or table. If it ever feels unsteady, a sandbag on the base helps, but most hosts don't need one. Run the iPad's charging cable to an outlet and tape it down.

Can a friend help?

Yes, and you don't need to share your password. The easiest way is to set everything up yourself a few days early, then hand your friend a few simple instructions.

Set it up yourself, then hand it off

Pair the iPad and run the home check ahead of time. Once it's paired, it stays paired, so your friend never needs a pairing code. On the day, they only need to:

Put the iPad on its stand and plug it in
Join the venue's Wi-Fi
Open Photo booth and tap I'm at the venue
Start Guided Access (show them the steps)

Give them your booth PIN too. It doesn't expire, and they'll need it to pause the booth or skip the on-site check. You can send all of this in a message days ahead.

Or a friend sets up the iPad from scratch

Your friend can do all the iPad parts: the Home Screen, Wi-Fi, stand, lighting and Guided Access. The only part that needs you is connecting it to your event, and you can do that from anywhere. Your friend reads you the code the iPad shows under its QR code. On your phone, open the menu (your initial, top right), then Devices → Pair a device, pick the event and type the code. The code on the iPad has no time limit, but it changes each time the iPad goes back to its pairing screen, so read out the current one. There is a second way: on your event's Photo booth → Devices page, tap Show a pairing code and read it to your friend, who taps Can't scan? Type a code on the iPad. That code works for 10 minutes.

A friend minds the booth at the event

Share the helper link and your booth PIN ahead of time. Your friend can pause and reopen the booth, switch live options, see the iPads' status and hide a photo. They can't change your settings or see your account. The PIN doesn't expire. The helper link works from 12:01 AM on the first day of your event until 6:00 AM the morning after the last day, which covers a late night. Before then, it tells your friend when it opens. Making a new helper link, or turning it off, signs everyone out.

Questions and fixes

The camera is blocked.

Open the iPad's Settings, go to Apps → Safari → Camera, and choose Allow. Or open the booth in Safari, tap aA, then Website Settings, and set Camera to Allow. In Bluefy or Chrome, look under Apps → Bluefy → Camera or Apps → Chrome → Camera instead. Then tap Test again.

It says it can't reach the internet at the venue.

Venue Wi-Fi often needs a sign-in page. Open Safari on the iPad, finish signing in, then come back and tap Test again. If it's connected but slow, move the iPad closer to the router or switch to your phone's hotspot.

Photos are waiting to upload.

Nothing is lost. They upload as soon as the connection is back. Your Devices page (in the menu) shows how many are waiting.

I scanned the code and my event isn't there.

You probably signed in with a different email than the one you made your event with. Tap "Not you?" and sign in with the right one.

My pairing code stopped working.

A code you made with Show a pairing code lasts 10 minutes: tap it again for a new one. The code under the iPad's QR code changes each time the iPad goes back to its pairing screen, so type the one it shows now. After several wrong codes typed on your phone you have to wait 15 minutes.

How do I move an iPad to another event, or pause the booth from my phone?

Open the menu, then Devices. Each device has a Remote: open or pause the booth, switch Booth or Roaming, run the check, reload its page, or move it to another event. A device you unpair from here stays in your list, so you can put it on another event without scanning again. It keeps its name.

I opened the link from an email and can't add it to the Home Screen.

Links opened inside Mail, Messages or Instagram can't be added. Tap the compass or ⋯ icon and choose Open in Safari, or copy the link and paste it into Safari.

The screen went to sleep.

Keep the iPad plugged in. In Settings → Display & Brightness → Auto-Lock, choose Never. Guided Access also keeps the booth in front.

A guest left the booth screen.

Turn on Guided Access before guests arrive. To end it, triple-click and enter your Guided Access passcode.

Does my booth PIN expire?

No. It stays the same until you change it on your event's Photo booth → Devices page. After several wrong tries it locks for 15 minutes. Only a code made with Show a pairing code has a time limit, and you don't need one once the iPad is paired.

Where should I put the booth?

Against a wall or a table, out of the walkway, near an outlet, with a plain background behind your guests. Put the light in front of guests, not behind them.

People look off to the side in their photos.

The camera is probably on the side or the bottom. Rotate the iPad so the small camera dot is at the top. Ask guests to look at the camera dot, not the screen, for the best photo.

The booth shows old settings.

Open the menu, then Devices, open the device and tap Reload its page. The iPad picks up changes on its start screen, never in the middle of a photo.

I forgot the booth PIN.

It's on your event's Photo booth → Devices page. You can change it there.

Can I use more than one iPad?

Essentials and Plus have 1, Premier has 2. Need more iPads than your package includes? Contact support and we'll help.

Does it work on Android tablets or laptops?

Not yet. We've only tested iPads, and iPhones for roaming photos.

Does the on-site check use AI photo credits?

No. It only tests the upload. A full check with an AI look, from the host menu, uses 1 credit.

Packing list

The iPad, charged, with a long cable and an outlet nearby
The stand (optional: a sandbag, if it wobbles)
The ring light, its power cord and an extension cord
Tape for the cable
Your phone, for the hotspot and for your pairing code
Your booth PIN and Guided Access passcode, written down

Questions about your Welcomed booth? We're here to help.

Still stuck? Contact support and tell us what you see. Related: The photo booth on guests' phones.