Free iPad photo booth: set one up in 5 minutes

Updated November 8, 2026 · 5 min read

What do I need for an iPad photo booth?

An iPad, a way to hold it upright and a bit of light. Everything else is optional.

• An iPad (or any tablet or laptop with a front camera), charged, with its charger nearby.
• A stand, a tripod with a tablet clamp, or even a stack of books to hold it upright.
• Light on faces: a bright room, or a ring light or lamp placed behind the iPad.
• A plain wall, curtain or doorway as a backdrop.
• Optional: a basket of props such as hats, sunglasses and signs.

The booth itself is stripmem. It runs in the browser, so guests do not install anything either.

How do I set up a photo booth on an iPad?

Open the booth page, allow the camera and prop the iPad up. It takes about five minutes.

1. Open stripmem.com/booth in the iPad's browser and start the booth.
2. Allow camera access when the browser asks. If you tapped Don't Allow by accident, tap the aA (or Page Menu) button in Safari's address bar, choose Website Settings, set Camera to Allow, and reload.
3. Pick a frame and a filter. Original, Mono, Warm and Pop are available, along with several ready-made frames.
4. Prop the iPad upright at about eye height and check the preview. The screen should face the spot where guests will stand.
5. Take a test strip yourself, then let the first guest try it.

What do guests do at the booth?

They start the booth, strike three poses and scan a QR code to take the strip home on their phone.

Each pose gets a big countdown and a short prompt, like "Big smiles!" or "Best surprised face!". After the third pose the booth builds a strip with your chosen frame and filter. The guest reviews it, can retake it, and taps "Keep it" when happy. Nothing is uploaded until then. The booth screen then shows a QR code for about a minute. The guest points their own phone camera at it and the strip opens on their phone, where they can tap "Save to my phone" or "Share with the crew". That works on any network, so you do not need to share your Wi-Fi password. More detail in QR code photo booth: guests keep photos on their phone.

How do I get better photos from an iPad?

Light the faces, raise the iPad to eye level and keep the backdrop simple.

Light the faces, not the background

Dim rooms are the most common problem with tablet cameras. Put your light in front of or beside the guests, not behind them. A window works by day if guests face it. At night, a ring light or two lamps with warm bulbs at about face height make a big difference.

Mind the height and distance

A tablet that sits too low gives everyone a chin-heavy angle. Raise it so the camera is roughly at eye level for an average adult, then put a piece of tape on the floor so people stand at a sensible distance. Groups of three or four fit comfortably a few feet away.

Choose a simple backdrop

A solid wall, a hung sheet or some streamers keeps attention on the faces. Avoid busy shelves or bright windows directly behind people.

What happens to the photos?

They are short-lived on purpose. The download link works for a short time (15 minutes by default), and the photo is deleted within 48 hours.

• Tell guests to save their strip right away.
• stripmem does not use face recognition.
• The iPad needs a working internet connection so the strip can reach the guest's phone.
• Test everything before the event. Two minutes with a friend will reveal lighting, stand height and camera permission problems.