- Categories:
- Special Interest
- Tags:
- ActivitiesFun
- Where:
- United States
- Date change rule:
- Every June 21
- Holiday emoji:
- 🤳
National Selfie Day invites everyone to celebrate self-expression and creativity with a camera phone every June 21. Find your best angle, experiment with filters, and share your unique perspective across social media. It’s the perfect occasion to document your day, showcase your style, or simply have fun with friends online.
Want to sponsor National Selfie Day? Learn how
Expected National Selfie Day Deals
While we await official 2027 promotions, history shows National Selfie Day often inspires brands to launch engaging campaigns. Expect phone manufacturers like Apple and Samsung to highlight camera features, while beauty brands such as Sephora and Ulta Beauty might offer discounts on selfie-ready makeup. Social media apps like Instagram and TikTok could introduce new filters or challenges. Retailers like Target and Walmart may feature deals on selfie sticks, ring lights, and phone accessories. Even fashion brands like ASOS might encourage users to share outfit-of-the-day selfies for a chance to win. We will update this page with confirmed live deals as June 21 approaches.
Platform Guide for National Selfie Day
Tag @nationaltoday_ and use #NationalSelfieDay. Share your most creative self-portraits and engage with trending filters.
TikTok
Tag @www.nationaltoday.com and use #NationalSelfieDay. Create short videos showcasing your selfie-taking process or a fun photo dump.
X/Twitter
Mention @NatlToday and use #NationalSelfieDay. Post your favorite selfies and join conversations about the latest photo trends.
National Selfie Day Hero
Robert Cornelius
History of National Selfie Day
Self portraiture is as timeless as art itself. Since the invention of the film camera in 1885, humans have been drawn to the allure of their own image in tangible form. The introduction of digital photography into the mainstream boosted the trend of self portrait work from the 1990s well into the early 2000s, as the instantaneous nature of picture development made it a more affordable and accessible way to photograph than earlier film photography. By the time the camera phone, digital cameras, and social media converged around 2005, “selfie” wasn’t just a new word in our lexicon, but a full blown world phenomenon.
The first selfie is widely credited to Robert Cornelius, an American chemist and founding father of photography. Cornelius had to sit still for 10-15 minutes to create the first intentional self portrait using the daguerreotype method of photography in 1839. The selfie game has evolved as quickly as the technology of photography itself, with many artists establishing and redefining the genre of self portraiture over the last 181 years. From lesser known, yet wildly talented artists like Vivian Maier to pop culture icons like Andy Warhol, following the roots of the modern day selfie is to go on an epic journey of world history.
But it wasn’t until the early 2000s that photography, and consequently, the selfie was available en masse to the public with the introduction of the first cell phone camera. Since then, the selfie has changed rapidly becoming both a casual means of communication and a perfected art form. Selfies have helped launch people’s careers in every field from entertainment and art to marketing and business.
National Selfie Day timeline
The first selfie is taken by Robert Cornelius using the daguerreotype method, the earliest form of photography utilizing natural light and silver transfers.
The PLATO system introduces technologies that will become the basis of future social media platforms and the first digital camera was invented in 1979.
The first global social media websites, like MySpace and Facebook, debut.
The first camera phones on devices like Nokia 7650 and the Sanyo SCP-5300, debut.
“Selfie” song and video by Chainsmokers is released.
How Businesses Can Celebrate National Selfie Day
Local businesses can tap into National Selfie Day by creating visually appealing backdrops or ‘selfie stations’ in their establishments. Restaurants could offer a small discount to customers who post a selfie with their meal, tagging the business. Retailers might encourage customers to try on outfits and share their looks using a specific hashtag, like #MyStoreSelfie, for a chance to win a gift card. Beauty salons could run promotions on makeup or hair styling services designed to make clients feel camera-ready.
National Selfie Day FAQs
When is National Selfie Day?
In 2026, National Selfie Day falls on Sunday, June 21, providing a perfect weekend opportunity to capture and share your best self-portraits with friends and followers.
How many selfies are taken each day?
While exact daily figures vary, estimates suggest that millions of selfies are taken globally every day, with younger demographics leading the trend. Social media platforms are flooded with these self-portraits, reflecting a widespread cultural phenomenon.
Who invented the selfie stick?
While various patents for extendable camera holders date back to the 1980s, the modern selfie stick gained widespread popularity in the early 2010s. Canadian inventor Wayne Fromm is often credited with popularizing his ‘Quik Pod’ in 2005, which closely resembles contemporary designs.
What defines a 'selfie'?
A selfie is a self-portrait photograph, typically taken with a digital camera or smartphone held at arm’s length or pointed at a mirror, and often intended for sharing on social media. It emphasizes the subject’s face and immediate surroundings.
National Selfie Day Activities
Take a selfie!
Whether for personal use or for your many followers, taking selfies are fun and a great way to experiment with self expression. So find your light, remember to lift your chin a little, and snap away.
Have a photoshoot
You can do a photoshoot solo or with friends and family. Search online for some DIY backdrop ideas, pull out some of your favorite clothing pieces, put on some music and strike a pose.
Discover new locales
Break out of your routine and find one, or a few, new places that are selfie ready. A lot of public places from libraries to hotels and restaurants have updated their interiors with selfie culture in mind, offering clever and sometimes breathtaking backdrops for your photos. Get out there and see what your neighborhood has to offer.
5 FACTS ABOUT SELFIES THAT WILL BLOW YOUR MIND
Let someone else take your “selfie”.
“Posies”, a picture taken by someone else, are viewed as more likeable than selfies by most people on social media.
Taking time to get the shot
The first selfie took roughly 10 minutes to make during the pioneering years of photography.
Selfies aren’t popular...
The majority of photos on social media aren’t selfies, but are instead pictures of things like monuments, food, and social gatherings.
...But they do win awards
“Selfie” was 2013’s word of the year.
Forbidden Photo ops
Selfies, specifically selfie sticks, have been banned in many popular tourist destinations including Disneyland parks, certain music festivals and museums.
Why We Love National Selfie Day
New Accessories!
Ring lights, selfie sticks, camera phone attachments, and filters. There are numerous products to help you level up your selfie game. Whether it’s a high quality lighting kit or a free app we love technology that makes taking selfies an art form.
Stroke of Confidence
A study conducted by computer scientists at The University of California, Irvine found that taking selfies may actually boost your confidence. Some of us are more comfortable putting ourselves out there than others, but you don’t have to post a selfie to get the potential mood boosting benefits that may come from taking one.
A New Skill
We love checking out videos and articles from our favorite YouTubers on how we can elevate our selfie game. Model Tess Holiday’s quick selfie cheat sheet gave us all the pro tips for our new profile pics!
Social Media Tips for National Selfie Day
Individuals
Creators
Brands