How to set up a photo booth with an iPad

How to set up photo booth with iPad: the order of steps

The steps are the same whichever app you use. This is general setup guidance plus vendor documentation. The site has not built or tested a booth itself.

• Pick the app, based on whether you need prints, effects or contact capture.
• Install it and sign in while you still have good internet.
• Mount the iPad on a stand with the camera at about eye level.
• Light the guests from the front and plug the iPad into power.
• Build the event: template or overlay, capture mode, sharing options.
• Connect a printer if the app supports one.
• Run several complete test sessions and receive the photo on your own phone.

Step 1: choose the app by what guests take away

This choice is hard to undo on the day. If guests should get a printed strip, pick an app whose vendor lists printing, such as Simple Booth, LumaBooth or Breeze Booth. If you want a green screen, LumaBooth lists one. If the goal is a contact list from a business event, MoveBooth's Plus plan collects name, email and phone.

The shortlist of iPad booth software compares the options and their prices.

Steps 2 to 4: install, mount, light and power

Install and log in at home or in the office, not at the venue. Accept the camera permission prompt on first launch. MoveBooth's help center notes that the app cannot function if the startup prompts are declined, and the same logic applies to any camera app.

For mounting, any stable stand works. MoveBooth says its app works on any iPad with any stand or mount. Its own kiosk is a one-time $2,499 purchase, as read on 3 October 2026 and subject to change, with a dimmable LED ring and faceplates for 10.2 to 12.9 inch iPads. The iPad is not included. A cheaper stand and a separate light do the same basic job. See the photo booth equipment list for the rest of the kit.

Step 5: build the event and the sharing options

Most booth apps have you create an event, add a frame or overlay, pick the capture mode and choose how guests receive the photo. Do this before the day and keep the design simple enough to read on a phone screen.

File rules differ by app. As one example, MoveBooth's help center says its overlay files must be PNG and exactly 960 by 1280 pixels. Check your app's template size before you design anything.

How setup works in MoveBooth specifically

MoveBooth's documented path has a few steps that differ from App Store apps.

• Request an install link. The app is distributed through Apple's TestFlight, and an active license is required.
• Log in to the online dashboard and click New Channel to create the event.
• Choose the capture mode and image style in the channel's photo settings. Each channel has one capture mode.
• Log in on the iPad with email and password or a one-time QR login code. The account email must be verified first.
• If you bought the kiosk, the vendor says assembly takes 5 minutes: assemble the stand, mount the head, place the iPad, connect power and launch the app.

Step 7: test, and know the limits before the doors open

Run a test session from start to finish. MoveBooth's FAQ says a test session can be run on any compatible iPad to preview the guest experience. Open the app the day before as well, since TestFlight builds can expire and then need a manual update over Wi-Fi.

One limitation to plan for: MoveBooth has no printing, so step 6 does not apply to it. The guide to using MoveBooth continues from here.