Instagram Captions for Selfies: Creative Ideas for Your Instagram-Worthy Pose

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Karen Lin

Instagram Tips | Feb 02, 2023

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The lighting is perfect, you strike a pose, and you capture a beautiful and Instagram-worthy selfie! The harder part is usually writing a good Instagram caption for your selfies. A picture speaks a thousand words, as the saying goes. But coming up with a catchy caption definitely elevates your Insta-selfie game higher. 


If you regularly post selfies on your Instagram, writing a unique caption for each one may be a challenge more times than you’d like. You want a caption that highlights your mood or best feature. You may want a caption that’s cute, funny, or inspiring. But there may be days when you run out of creative ideas for Instagram captions. So we have created a list of cute selfie captions, funny captions, and captions for different moods and settings — collected from all over the interweb! 

Selfie of a beautiful young woman on the street ready to post on Instagram

What Is an Instagram Caption?

An Instagram caption is a written description that helps create the proper context for an image or video you post. It can highlight the key message you want to communicate with your image/video. You can use the caption feature to boost the visibility and engagement of your post. Your caption can include a mix of text, hashtags, emojis, and/or tags.

Take note that Instagram has a character limit for captions. Ideally, your caption should be short and sweet. You can use a maximum number of 2,200 characters, or more or less 300 words. But also remember that only the first 125 characters will appear when you post your caption. If your caption is longer than 125 characters, the caption is truncated and your viewers will have to click “More…” to read the rest. So it’s important that those first 125 characters are catchy! For long captions, use line breaks to make your text easy to read and digest. You can even use symbols, such as arrows, stars, or hearts per line or section to make a text-heavy caption look more interesting.

If you’re using hashtags, you should also know that Instagram’s limit is 30 hashtags per caption or comment. Avoid crowding your Instagram selfie caption with too many hashtags, however. Select hashtags that are most relevant to your post if you want to optimize it for discoverability.

What Are Good Captions for Instagram Selfies

The definition of a good caption for an Instagram selfie varies depending on your objective. If you have a personal account, for example, and you’re only sharing your selfies with family and friends, funny, mood-based, or inspiring captions would be most suitable. If you’re an influencer, selfie quotes, selfie puns, and trending and relevant hashtags may be your preferred caption styles.


A good caption with the right combination of hashtags can help land your post on Instagram’s Explore page. So if you’re looking to boost your content strategy to gain more followers and engagement, then you should put more effort into optimizing your caption to get a high ranking on people’s feeds and to score a spot on the Explore page. 

How to Write an Instagram Caption for Selfies

You don’t have to be an experienced writer to create captivating Instagram captions for your selfies. If inspiration eludes you, ask yourself these questions to get your juices flowing. 

  • Do you want to make your followers laugh or trigger another emotional response?
  • Do you want to put a smile on their faces or make their day brighter?
  • Do you want to connect on a deeper level with your followers?
  • Do you want your caption to encourage your followers to take a certain action? 
  • Are you posting a selfie to create awareness about a product, brand, or a topic that’s important to you?
  • Who is your target audience? What would appeal most to them?
  • Are there specific hashtags you want to use?

Alternatively, you can capture a selfie that would perfectly complement a caption you want to publish. Composing a caption first and then coming up with the most suitable self-portrait to accompany it may be the preferable way to go if you want to share an important message. 

Here are some creative ideas you can use for your next Instagram selfies.

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Smile Captions for Instagram Selfies

Make your smile infectious with these smile captions for your Instagram selfies!

  1. Some days you just have to create your own sunshine.
  2. Life is better when you’re laughing.
  3. Self love is the best love.
  4. Smile, it confuses people.
  5. Being happy never goes out of style.
  6. Life is way too short for bad vibes.
  7. Whatever is good for your soul, do that.
  8. Smile a little more, regret a little less.
  9. Less perfection, more authenticity.
  10. Be happy, it drives people crazy.
Woman wearing white tank top and dark sunglasses and standing on top of a hill taking an Instagram selfie

Mirror Selfie Caption for Instagram

Mirror selfies are usually for OOTDs. Make sure to also spruce up your post with any of these mirror selfie captions for Instagram. 

  1. Life imitates art.
  2. Life isn’t perfect but your outfit can be.
  3. Caring doesn’t really go with my outfit.
  4. People will stare. Make it worth their while.
  5. Too glam to give a damn.
  6. My fave part of this outfit is the invisible crown.
  7. Keep your heels, head, and standards high.
  8. Sending my selfie to NASA, because I’m a star.
  9. Be yourself, there’s no one better.
  10. “I am beautiful, no matter what they say. Words can’t bring me down.” – Christina Aguilera
Black and white photo of young woman taking a mirror selfie

Sassy Captions for Instagram Selfies

Write a sassy caption for your Instagram selfie to impress and entertain your followers with your wit and charm. 

  1. Single as a dollar and not looking for change.
  2. I’ve got my sassy pants on. Watch out world!
  3. Make them stop and stare.
  4. 50% Savage, 50% Sweetheart
  5. Throw sass around like confetti.
  6. I’m everything you want, but can’t have.
  7. People say I act like I don’t care but it’s not an act.
  8. Be a stiletto in a room full of flats.
  9. A little contour and tons of confidence.
  10. Why chase you when I’m the catch.
Woman sitting in front of a laptop, taking a selfie, and writing an Instagram caption for the selfie

Instagram Captions for Early Morning Selfies

There are few things online as authentic as woke-up-like-this selfies! If your brain’s still asleep and you need a witty Instagram caption for your early morning selfie, you can choose from the following! Oh, and don’t forget to have a cup of coffee in your hand! 

  1. Hocus pocus I need coffee to focus. 
  2. This is me in all my morning glory.
  3. Morning glam. 
  4. Today’s goals: coffee and self-care. 
  5. Today is a good day to have a good day!
  6. If you are going to rise, you might as well shine, too!
  7. Set a goal that makes you want to jump out of bed in the morning.
  8. Every day may not be good, but there is something good in every day. Good Morning!
  9. Get up, dress up and go own the world.
  10. Morning comes whether you set the alarm or not.
Young man taking a selfie outside with his dog

Car Selfie Captions for Instagram

It’s never a good idea to take selfies while driving, of course. But if you must take a car selfie and write a caption for your Instagram post, make sure to do it while parked! Here are some great caption ideas. 

  1. Everything in life is somewhere else, and you get there in a car.
  2. Let’s travel where the wifi is weak.
  3. Roads were made for journeys, not destinations.
  4. When nothing goes right, go left instead!
  5. In the end, we only regret the chances we didn’t take.
  6. It doesn’t matter where you’re going, it’s who you have beside you.
  7. Just grab a friend and take a ride together upon the open road.
  8. It’s not about the car you drive, It’s about the manner in which you drive it.
  9. Oh darling, let’s be adventurers.
  10. Here today, gone tomorrow.

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Holiday Captions for Selfies

The holidays are just around the corner and, of course, you need to post those obligatory Christmas selfies. Here are great Instagram captions for your holiday selfies to help make your holiday feed merrier and brighter!

  1. Totally sleighed it.
  2. Silent night… Oh, well we tried.
  3. Dear Santa, is it too late now to say sorry?
  4. Dear Santa, I’ve been good all year.  Most of the time. Once in a while. Nevermind, I’ll buy my own stuff.
  5. I’m dreaming of a white Christmas. But if the white runs out, pour me some red.
  6. *Puts a selfie on top of the Christmas tree because I’m a star*
  7. Hanging out under the mistletoe.
  8. Drink up Grinches, it’s Christmas
  9. ‘Tis the season to sparkle.
  10. Sweet but twisted.  Does that make me a candy cane?
Father and daughter taking a selfie in front of Christmas tree

Instagram Captions for New Year Selfies

Usher in the New Year with a hopeful, delightful, and happy Instagram caption for your New Year selfie! 

  1. New Year, new me, new goals!
  2. “Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right.” – Oprah Winfrey
  3. I’m ready for you, 2022.
  4. Trust the magic of new beginnings.
  5. I would lose weight for my New Year’s resolution, but I hate losing.
  6. The best way to predict the future is to create it.
  7. This year, my resolution is to be more optimistic, so my glass will remain half-full (with either rum, vodka or whiskey).
  8. The best time for new beginnings is now.
  9. Celebrate what you want to see more of.
  10. “She leaves a little sparkle wherever she goes.” – Kate Spade
Instagram caption for selfie of two female friends wearing gold cone hats

Final Thoughts: Captioning Like a Pro

Slay your Instagram selfies and make sure to whip up great captions to go with them. When writing captions for Instagram selfies, don’t just do it as an afterthought. What you have to say about your photo can mean the difference between tons of reacts and comments and a confidence-busting brush-off from your followers. 

Especially if your goal is to increase your followers and engagement, you need to put some time and effort into writing a good caption. With plenty of practice, creating captions will eventually be easy peasy for you. On days when inspiration refuses to strike, you can always go with quotes or song lyrics. And remember that sometimes, a one-word caption can make a stronger statement than a lengthy one. Last and just as importantly, add a strong call-to-action to your Instagram selfie caption. Something as simple as “Double tap if you agree!” or posing a direct question and asking people to give their answers in the comments is a good way to encourage engagement.  


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