The quickest way to change your profile picture
Open Facebook on your computer or phone and click your profile picture in the top left corner (on a phone, tap the menu icon first, then your name). Click the profile picture itself — the large circular photo at the top of your profile. A menu will appear with the option to upload a new photo. Choose a photo from your device, crop it if you want, and click Save.
The whole process takes about 30 seconds. Your new picture appears when ready across Facebook, and anyone who visits your profile will see it right away. You can change it as often as you like — there's no limit to how many times you update it.
If you're using the Facebook app on your phone, the steps are the same: tap your profile picture, then tap the picture again to open the menu, and select "Upload Photo" or "Take Photo".
Key Takeaways
- You can change your profile picture by clicking it from your profile page and selecting upload from the menu that appears.
- Facebook accepts JPG, PNG, and GIF files, and automatically crops square photos to fit the circular profile frame.
- Your old profile pictures stay in a folder called "Profile Pictures" that only you can see unless you change the privacy settings.
- You can set a profile picture as temporary by using the "Frame" feature, which removes it after a set number of days.
- If you upload a photo by mistake, you can delete it from your Profile Pictures folder within a few minutes.
What file types and sizes work best
Facebook accepts JPG, PNG, and GIF files. Most phones and cameras save photos as JPG by default, so you probably won't need to convert anything. The image should be at least 400 pixels wide and 400 pixels tall — smaller photos will look blurry when Facebook stretches them to fit your profile.
Facebook automatically crops your photo into a circle, so the center of the image is what matters most. If you're uploading a photo of your face, make sure your face is in the middle of the frame. If you upload a landscape photo (wider than it is tall), Facebook will crop out the sides.
There's no file size limit that will stop you from uploading, but very large files (over 10 MB) may take longer to process. Most photos from a phone or camera are well under this size.
Finding and managing your old profile pictures
Every profile picture you've ever uploaded stays on Facebook in a folder called "Profile Pictures". To find them, go to your profile, click the three dots next to your cover photo, and select "View profile pictures". You'll see all your old pictures in order from newest to oldest.
Only you can see this folder unless you change the privacy settings. If you want to make an old profile picture visible to your friends or the public, you can change its privacy from this folder. You can also delete old pictures here if you don't want them stored on Facebook anymore — deletion is permanent and can't be undone.
If you upload a photo by mistake, you have a few minutes to delete it before it becomes permanent. Click the three dots on the photo itself and select "Delete Photo".
Using frames and temporary profile pictures
Facebook offers "frames" — decorative borders you can add to your profile picture for a set amount of time. These are useful if you want to show support for a cause, celebrate a holiday, or just change your look without uploading a new photo. To add a frame, click your profile picture, then click the smiley face icon in the bottom right corner. Browse the available frames and select one.
When you explore a frame, it covers part of your actual photo with a graphic overlay. The frame disappears after the time period you select — usually a few days to a few weeks, depending on the frame. After it expires, your regular profile picture shows again.
Frames are different from uploading a new picture. Your actual profile photo doesn't change; the frame is just a temporary decoration on top of it. You can remove a frame at any time by clicking your profile picture and selecting "Remove Frame".
Privacy settings for your profile picture
Your profile picture is visible to everyone by default — even people who aren't your friends can see it. This is because Facebook uses your profile picture to identify you in comments, posts, and messages, and it needs to be visible for the platform to work properly.
You can't make your profile picture private, but you can control who sees your profile itself. Go to your profile, click the three dots next to your cover photo, select "Settings and privacy", then "Settings". Under "Privacy", you can choose whether your profile is visible to friends only, friends of friends, or everyone. Your profile picture will follow these same rules.
If you're concerned about your image being used elsewhere, avoid uploading photos that contain identifying information like your address or phone number. Facebook's terms of service prohibit others from downloading and reusing your photos without permission, but the platform can't monitor every use.
Troubleshooting common profile picture problems
If your new profile picture doesn't appear after you upload it, try refreshing the page or closing and reopening the Facebook app. Sometimes the change takes a minute or two to show up across all of Facebook's servers. If it still doesn't appear after 5 minutes, try uploading a different photo to see if the problem is with that specific image.
If you see an error message saying the file is too large or the format isn't supported, make sure you're uploading a JPG, PNG, or GIF file. If you're uploading from your phone and the file won't go through, try taking a new photo with your phone's camera instead of using an old one from your gallery — sometimes older files have compatibility issues.
If your profile picture looks blurry or distorted, the original image may be too small. Facebook needs at least 400 by 400 pixels to display a clear photo. Try uploading a larger version of the same image, or choose a different photo that's higher resolution.
Uploading a profile picture from your phone versus your computer
The process is nearly identical on both devices, but phones have one advantage: you can take a new photo directly from the camera instead of choosing an old one from your gallery. On a computer, you have to select a file that's already saved on your device.
On a phone, tap your profile picture, then tap it again and select "Take Photo" to use your camera, or "Upload Photo" to choose from your gallery. On a computer, click your profile picture, then click the camera icon and select "Upload Photo".
One thing to watch on phones: make sure you're using the Facebook app, not the mobile website in your browser. The app is faster and has fewer glitches when uploading photos. If you're using the browser version and the upload fails, switch to the app and try again.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use a photo that isn't of my face as my profile picture?
Yes. Facebook doesn't require your profile picture to be a photo of you — you can use a pet, a landscape, a logo, or anything else. However, using your actual face helps friends recognize you and makes it easier for people to find your account.
What happens to my old profile picture when I upload a new one?
Your old picture moves to your Profile Pictures folder, where it stays permanently unless you delete it. Only you can see this folder unless you change the privacy settings. You can make an old picture your profile picture again at any time by clicking it and selecting "Set as profile picture".
Can someone else change my profile picture?
No. Only you can change your profile picture, even if someone else has access to your account. If you think someone changed it without permission, change your password when ready and check your login activity in Settings to see if someone accessed your account.
Does changing my profile picture notify my friends?
Facebook doesn't send a notification when you change your profile picture, but the change appears in your friends' feeds as a small activity post. Friends can see that you updated your picture, but they won't get a notification about it.
Can I schedule a profile picture change for a specific date?
No. Facebook doesn't have a scheduling feature for profile pictures. You have to upload a new picture manually whenever you want to change it. Some third-party apps claim to offer scheduling, but Facebook doesn't recommend using them because they require access to your account.