What you need to do to change your Instagram cover photo
Your Instagram cover photo — the image that appears at the top of your profile — is the first thing people see when they visit. You can change it whenever you want by opening your profile, tapping the camera icon over your current photo, and selecting a new image from your phone or taking one on the spot. The whole process takes less than a minute.
Instagram stores your cover photo on their servers, not on your phone, so once you upload it, it stays there even if you delete the original file. You can swap it out as many times as you like without losing anything.
Key Takeaways
- Open Instagram, go to your profile, and tap the camera icon that appears over your current cover photo to start the change.
- You can upload a photo from your phone's camera roll, take a new photo in the moment, or use a photo you have already posted.
- Instagram compresses and crops cover photos to fit the profile layout, so test how your image looks before confirming.
- Only you can see the option to change your cover photo — your followers cannot accidentally change it or see the editing screen.
Step-by-step: changing your cover photo on the Instagram app
Open the Instagram app and tap your profile icon in the bottom right corner. This takes you to your profile page, where your cover photo appears at the top as a square or rectangular image.
Look for a small camera icon that appears in the center or corner of your current cover photo when you tap on it. Tap that camera icon. Instagram will open a menu with three options: take a new photo, choose from your camera roll, or select a photo you have already posted to Instagram.
Select whichever option fits what you want. If you choose a photo from your camera roll, Instagram will show you a preview of how it will look as your cover photo — you can zoom, pan, and rotate it to frame it the way you want. Once you are happy with how it looks, tap the checkmark or "Done" button to save it.
Your new cover photo appears on your profile when ready. Anyone who visits your profile will see the new image right away.
How to change your cover photo on Instagram's website
If you are using Instagram on a computer or tablet through a web browser, the process is slightly different. Go to instagram.com, log in, and click your profile icon in the top right corner, then click "Profile."
Hover your mouse over your current cover photo until a camera icon appears. Click that icon. Instagram will open a file browser on your computer where you can select an image from your files. Choose the photo you want, and Instagram will show you a preview. Adjust the framing if needed, then click "Save" or "Done."
The website version does not let you take a photo in the moment the way the app does — you have to upload a file that already exists on your computer.
What happens to your old cover photo
When you change your cover photo, Instagram deletes the old one from your profile. It does not stay in your camera roll or anywhere else on your phone — it only existed on Instagram's servers. If you want to keep a copy, take a screenshot of your profile before you change it, or save the original file somewhere on your computer.
You cannot revert to a previous cover photo by asking Instagram to restore it. If you change your mind and want the old one back, you will need to upload it again as a new cover photo.
Why Instagram crops and compresses your cover photo
Instagram automatically resizes and compresses every cover photo to fit the space at the top of your profile. The exact dimensions depend on whether someone is viewing your profile on a phone, tablet, or computer — the image gets cropped differently on each device.
This is why the preview matters: a photo that looks good in full size might lose important details or get cut off at the edges when Instagram crops it for your profile. Before you confirm, check that the part of the image you care about — a face, a logo, a landscape — is still visible in the preview. If it is not, adjust the zoom or pan until it is, then save.
Privacy and security considerations for your cover photo
Your cover photo is public by default — anyone on Instagram or the internet can see it, whether they follow you or not. Do not use a cover photo that contains sensitive information like your home address, phone number, ID card, or financial documents.
Be cautious about using photos that reveal your location, daily routine, or when you are away from home. If your profile is public, a cover photo of your front door or a recognizable landmark could help someone find you in the physical world. If you want to keep your location private, choose a generic image, a photo taken indoors, or an image that does not show identifying details.
Instagram does not let you make your cover photo visible only to certain followers — it is either public or it is not. If you want to share a photo with only close friends, use Instagram Stories or send it through Direct Messages instead.
Troubleshooting: what to do if the camera icon does not appear
If you tap your cover photo and no camera icon shows up, you might not be logged into your own account. Make sure you are viewing your own profile, not someone else's. You can only change your own cover photo — you cannot change anyone else's, and no one can change yours.
If you are on your own profile and the camera icon still does not appear, try closing the Instagram app completely and opening it again. Sometimes the app needs to refresh. If that does not work, make sure your Instagram app is up to date by checking your phone's app store for updates.
On the website, if the camera icon does not appear when you hover over your cover photo, try a different web browser. Some older browsers do not support Instagram's full editing features. Chrome, Safari, Firefox, and Edge all work reliably.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use a video as my cover photo instead of a still image?
No. Instagram only accepts still images for cover photos. If you want to use video on your profile, post it to your feed or use Instagram Reels, which appear below your cover photo and bio.
What image size works best for a cover photo?
Instagram accepts images of any size, but square images (1080 x 1080 pixels) or slightly wider rectangles work best because they fit the profile layout without getting cropped too much. If you are unsure, take a screenshot of the preview before you save — that tells you exactly what people will see.
If I change my cover photo, will my followers get a notification?
No. Instagram does not notify your followers when you change your cover photo. They will only see the new one if they visit your profile after you change it.
Can I set different cover photos for different followers?
No. Everyone who views your profile sees the same cover photo. If you want to share different images with different people, use Instagram Stories, which you can share with close friends only, or send photos through Direct Messages.
What if I accidentally deleted my cover photo?
If you removed your cover photo and now your profile shows a blank space, just upload a new one using the same camera icon. There is no "undo" button, but you can replace it when ready with any image you choose.