A selfie in. A regulation photo out.

The app crops and formats to the specification published by the issuing authority and checks head size, eye line, resolution and background. Acceptance is always the authority's decision, so verify the current requirements before you submit. Requirements change without notice, which is why every specification page here carries the official source and the date we last checked it.

No. The app separates you from whatever is behind you and replaces the background with the colour your specification requires — white for most passports, light grey for Germany, light blue or grey for France. Even lighting helps the edge quality around hair, so face a window rather than standing with your back to one.

Making and previewing a photo is free. You pay once when you export a full-resolution file without a watermark, or subscribe if you need several. Watching a short video advert also unlocks a single export, which matters in regions where card payment is awkward.

You can, but a home inkjet on plain paper is rejected by most authorities — they require photographic paper. The more useful option is the print sheet: the app lays your photo out eight times on a standard 4×6 inch sheet with cut marks, and any print shop or supermarket kiosk prints that as a single photo for around $0.30.

It depends entirely on the country, which is why the rules are printed on each specification page. The United States no longer accepts glasses in passport or visa photos without a signed medical statement; Canada and China allow them if the eyes are clearly visible and there is no glare. Head coverings are almost universally allowed for religious reasons provided the face is visible from chin to forehead.

Fifteen specifications at launch: passports for the United States, United Kingdom, India, Canada, Australia, Japan, South Korea, Brazil, Germany, France and Mexico, plus US visa, Schengen visa, China visa and the Indian OCI card. More are added as we can confirm them against an official source.

Not on the normal path. Face detection, cropping and background replacement all run on your phone, and no account is needed. The one exception is the optional Pro cleanup, which sends a single image to a processing service only after you approve a dialog that says exactly what is being sent; that image is deleted immediately after processing.