You can get a headshot from a selfie in one step with an AI tool that works from a single photo, such as Portrait Pro in Toybox AI, the Gemini app, or HeadshotPro's free tool. Each needs a clear, well-lit selfie to start from. Here is how to shoot that selfie, four ways to turn it into a professional headshot with their costs, how to check the result against your real face, and fixes when it comes out wrong.
4 ways to make a headshot from a selfie
Prices as of September 2026.
| Method | Photos you need | Cost | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Edit the selfie in your phone's photo app | 1 | Free | Keeping your real photo, with a blurred background and a square crop |
| Gemini app with a written prompt | 1 | No paid plan needed (1K downloads); photo editing is for users 18 and older | Trying an AI headshot before paying anyone |
| A batch headshot service | 1 to about 8, depending on the service | HeadshotPro from $29, Aragon from $35 on sale, BetterPic from $35 | Dozens of outfits and backdrops to choose from |
| Toybox Portrait Pro | 1 | Currently 85 credits for HD, 100 for 4K | One AI headshot at a time, in a set business look |
The best AI headshot generators compared goes deeper on the paid services, their refund rules and what they do with your photos.
Headshot selfie tips: how to take the photo you upload
A professional headshot from a selfie starts with a selfie that already looks like a good photo of you. Before you upload anything:
- Use the rear camera if anyone can press the button. LinkedIn's Talent Blog says a phone's selfie camera usually takes a weaker picture than the one on the back. On your own, prop the phone up and use the timer; the guide to taking a professional headshot at home has the full setup.
- Face a window. Soft daylight on your face, and no bright window behind you.
- Keep the phone at eye level and at arm's length or farther. Held close, the lens enlarges your nose. On an iPhone's front camera, you can tap the button that widens the field of view instead of holding the phone closer.
- Frame from mid-chest up. Leave space above your head and include your shoulders and neckline.
- Look the way you do at work. Your usual hair, glasses and facial hair, which LinkedIn's Talent Blog says your profile photo should show.
- Skip filters, beauty modes, sunglasses and hats. On a Pixel, set Face retouching to Subtle rather than Smooth.
- Leave the mirror setting off. On an iPhone, Mirror Front Camera saves the selfie the way the preview shows it, which is mirrored; on a Pixel, the matching setting is Save selfie as previewed. With it off, your hair part and any lettering face the way other people see them.
- Save it as a JPG or PNG up to 10 MB. Toybox's upload box takes only those two formats, and LinkedIn takes the same two. On an iPhone, Settings, Camera, Formats, Most Compatible saves new photos as JPEG instead of HEIF.
- Take ten and keep the sharpest. Zoom in on the eyes, and drop any frame where they're soft or half closed.
How to edit a selfie into a headshot without AI
Your real selfie, edited well, avoids any question about likeness. On an iPhone, Apple's Photos app does most of the work:
- Open the selfie in Photos and tap the edit button.
- If you took it in Portrait mode, or in Photo mode on a supported model, turn on Portrait and pick Studio Light for bright, even light on your face.
- Drag the Depth Control slider to blur the room behind you.
- Tap the crop tool, pick the Square preset, and drag the edges in until the frame ends just over your hair and at your shoulders.
- Tap Done. To undo later, open the photo, tap edit, then Revert and Revert to Original.
That gives you a square, softly lit profile photo from any decent selfie. What it can't do is change your shirt or replace a cluttered room, which is where AI tools come in.
How to make an AI headshot from a selfie in Gemini
Google's Gemini app changes a photo you attach based on the request you type, so you can create a headshot from a selfie without a paid Google AI plan if you're 18 or older and signed in. Following Gemini Apps Help:
- Open the Gemini app or website and sign in.
- Upload your selfie from your device, or open it from Library and click Chat under the image.
- Type a request such as "Turn this selfie into a professional headshot: navy blazer, plain light gray backdrop, soft light from the front, head and shoulders. Keep my face, hair and glasses exactly the same."
- Submit, then ask for changes in the same chat if something is off.
- Download the result. Without a Google AI plan, downloads are 1K; with one, 2K.
Gemini Apps Help lists keeping a person's look consistent across images as a feature, but check the face against your selfie anyway, and crop the result square if it comes back another shape. Ready-to-paste LinkedIn headshot prompts cover corporate, creative, healthcare and real estate looks.
Batch services that make many headshots from a few selfies
Batch services turn a few photos into a set of dozens and let you keep the ones that look like you, which helps when your selfie is decent but not great. Check the upload count before you pay, because it decides whether one selfie is enough. As of September 2026, HeadshotPro's cheapest package is $29 for 30 headshots from 1 to 3 selfies, and Aragon's is $35 on sale for 40 from a few photos. BetterPic's is $35 for 20 in 4K, but it asks for around 8 casual phone photos, so one selfie won't do. The HeadshotPro alternatives comparison sets their refund and deletion terms side by side.
How to check an AI headshot against your selfie
An AI headshot from a selfie is only usable if it still looks like you, which is also the core of LinkedIn's photo rule, as the guide to whether AI headshots are acceptable explains. Compare each feature at full size:
| Feature | What to compare | Line to add if it changed |
|---|---|---|
| Eyes | Shape, color, spacing | "Keep my eye shape and eye color" |
| Nose and jaw | Width, length, angle | "Keep my exact nose and jawline" |
| Teeth | Shape, gaps, color | "Keep my natural teeth" |
| Hair | Hairline, color, part side | "Keep my hairline, hair color and part" |
| Glasses | Frame shape and color | "Keep my glasses with the same frames" |
| Skin | Freckles, moles, scars, texture | "Keep my freckles and natural skin texture" |
| Age | Lines around eyes and mouth | "Keep my real age" |
If two or more features changed, start over with a sharper selfie rather than patching the result.
Try glasses or facial hair before you decide
If you're unsure whether to wear your glasses or keep a beard for the headshot, Glow Up Studio in Toybox can preview it on your selfie. It adds accessories such as Round Glasses, Aviators, Stubble or a Full Beard to a portrait, and its "How bold?" setting starts on Natural ("Photorealistic and subtle"). It currently costs 75 credits on the Free plan. Use it as a preview only: LinkedIn's Talent Blog says your photo should match how you look day to day, so make the final headshot in the look you actually wear.
Troubleshooting
| Problem | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| The upload is rejected | The photo is HEIF, or over 10 MB | Switch the iPhone's camera Formats to Most Compatible, or save a JPG copy before uploading |
| The headshot doesn't look like you | The selfie was blurry, angled or filtered | Retake it facing a window, straight on, without filters |
| Your hair part is on the wrong side | The selfie was saved mirrored | Turn off the mirror setting, or use Flip in the Photos crop tool before uploading |
| Glasses changed or vanished | The prompt didn't mention them | Add "Keep my glasses with the same frames" |
| Skin looks airbrushed | A beauty filter or face retouching was on | Turn filters off, set Pixel's Face retouching to Subtle, and add "natural skin texture" |
| The suit or collar looks odd | The selfie was cropped at the chin | Retake it from mid-chest up |
| One side of your face is very dark | Light came only from one side | Turn more toward the window, or add a white board on the dark side |
| You look years younger | The tool smoothed age lines | Add "Keep my real age" and run it again |
Make a headshot from your selfie in Portrait Pro
Portrait Pro makes a professional-style headshot from one selfie. It aims to keep your face recognizable, so the feature check above still applies.
- Open Portrait Pro and sign in. You need a free account, and you verify your email the first time.
- Under "Your photo", upload the selfie, or on a phone take one with the selfie camera ("A clear shot of your face works best").
- Choose a Look: Corporate, LinkedIn, Creative, Casual or Studio.
- Open "More options" to pick a Shape (Portrait 3:4, "Headshot", is the default; Square 1:1 suits profile pictures), HD or 4K Quality, and "Details", up to 500 characters, for a keep line such as "Keep my glasses with the same frames".
- Tap "Create portrait". It's usually ready in about 30 seconds.
- Check every feature against your selfie. On a Pro plan, type a fix into "Want to change something?" (currently 85 credits); on the Free plan, add the fix to "Details" and run it again.
- Download the PNG or save it to your gallery. Unsaved results stay available for 24 hours.
Free plan accounts can use Portrait Pro. An HD headshot currently costs 85 credits, about 85 cents at top-up prices, and a 4K one costs 100. The 20 free credits new accounts get don't cover one, and top-ups start at $4.99 for 500 credits (see prices). For more ways to put yourself in AI images beyond headshots, read how to make AI images of yourself.