Taking a consistent selfie: six small things that change the result

If you have ever uploaded two selfies and got two different results, the cause is almost always the photo, not the face. These are the practical things that change a picture.

Angle: camera at eye level

Hold the phone at eye level and keep it straight, not tilted. Shooting from below makes the jaw look heavy and the nostrils prominent; shooting from above shrinks the lower face and enlarges the forehead. Turn your head so both ears are roughly equally visible, and look at the lens rather than the screen.

Nothing in the way

Glasses glare, a fringe over the eyes, a hand on the chin and a scarf over the jaw all hide parts of the face that a photo is supposed to show. Clear them if you can. A plain wall behind you is plenty.

Pick soft, even light

Think of light as the biggest dial you control. Daylight bounced off a pale wall is flattering and neutral. Mixed lighting, such as a warm lamp on one side and a cool window on the other, tints the skin unevenly and can confuse any tool that reads the picture.

Expression: relaxed and natural

A calm, neutral face or a soft natural smile both work. What matters is consistency: a wide grin changes the shape of the eyes and cheeks, and a raised eyebrow changes the eye area. Take a breath, relax the forehead and jaw, and take a few frames to pick the most natural one.

Why scores move between photos

If you test several pictures and the numbers differ, that is expected. Light, angle, distance and expression each nudge the result. The useful habit is to hold those four things steady and change only one at a time.

Trying it with a tool

Free Attractiveness Test is a free browser-based photo check that gives a score from 60 to 99 for one front-facing photo, and the same photo always gets the same score. The photo is processed on your own device rather than uploaded; You can check that yourself by following the steps on the privacy page. It is intended for adults 18+, and the score describes one photo, not a person.

Quick recap

Window light in front, level camera, a bit of distance, a calm face, a clear frame, no filters. Three frames, one pick.

Disclosure: written by the team behind Free Attractiveness Test.