The basic steps to upload a new profile picture
Open Facebook and go to your profile by clicking your name or the profile icon in the top right corner. Once you're on your profile page, look for your current profile picture — it appears as a circular image in the upper left area. Click directly on that image, and a menu will pop up with options including "Upload Photo" and "Choose from Photos".
If you want to use a photo already on your computer, select "Upload Photo" and your device's file browser will open. Find the image you want and click to select it. Facebook will then let you crop and position the photo before you confirm the change. If you want to use a photo you've already posted to Facebook, choose "Choose from Photos" instead, and you can browse your existing uploads.
After you've selected and positioned your image, click "Save" or "Confirm" (the exact button name varies slightly depending on whether you're on a phone or computer). Your new profile picture will appear when ready on your profile and in your posts and comments across Facebook.
Key Takeaways
- You can change your profile picture by clicking on your current profile image and selecting either "Upload Photo" or "Choose from Photos".
- Facebook lets you crop and reposition any image before you save it as your profile picture.
- Your new profile picture appears when ready across your profile, posts, and comments.
- You can change your profile picture as often as you want, and Facebook keeps a history of your previous pictures that only you can see.
- Profile pictures are visible to the audience you've set in your privacy settings, so check those if you want to limit who sees your image.
Where to find your profile picture on different devices
On a computer, your profile picture sits in the top left of your profile page, just below your cover photo. On a phone or tablet using the Facebook app, tap the menu icon (three horizontal lines) at the bottom right, then tap your name to go to your profile. Your profile picture appears at the top of the screen as a circular image.
The steps to change it are the same on both devices — tap or click the image itself, and the upload menu appears. Facebook's mobile app and website work nearly identically for this task, so you can use whichever is most convenient.
Choosing a photo that works well as a profile picture
A good profile picture is one where your face is clearly visible and takes up most of the frame. Facebook will crop your image into a circle, so avoid putting important details at the very edges of the photo — they may get cut off. A straightforward background works better than a busy one, because it keeps attention on your face.
Think about what you want people to see when they visit your profile or see your comments. A professional headshot works for a business account or if you want a formal appearance. A casual photo of you smiling works for a personal account. You can change this whenever you want, so there's no permanent choice here.
Privacy settings for your profile picture
By default, your profile picture is visible to everyone on Facebook, including people who aren't your friends. If you want to limit who sees it, go to your profile, click the three dots next to your cover photo, and select "Edit Profile". Scroll down to find your profile picture settings and click the audience icon next to it.
From there, you can choose to show your profile picture to "Public" (everyone), "Friends" (only people you've added), "Friends except..." (friends minus specific people), or "Only me" (nobody else). These settings don't affect whether people can see your picture in search results or when you comment — Facebook has separate rules for those. Your profile picture privacy setting only controls who can see it when they visit your actual profile page.
What happens to your old profile pictures
Facebook saves every profile picture you've ever uploaded in a folder called "Profile Pictures" on your profile. Only you can see this history — your friends and the public cannot access it. To view your old pictures, go to your profile, click "Photos" in the left menu, and look for the "Profile Pictures" album.
If you want to make an old picture your current profile picture again, you can do that without re-uploading it. Just go to the Profile Pictures album, click on the photo you want, and select "Make Profile Picture" from the menu. You can also delete old profile pictures from this album if you don't want them saved, though Facebook keeps them for a short time even after deletion.
Troubleshooting common profile picture problems
If your new profile picture isn't showing up, try refreshing the page or closing and reopening the Facebook app. Sometimes the change takes a few minutes to appear everywhere on Facebook, especially if you're viewing from multiple devices. If it's been more than an hour and the picture still hasn't changed, try uploading a different image to see if the problem is with that specific file.
If you get an error message when uploading, the image file might be too large or in a format Facebook doesn't support. Facebook accepts JPG, PNG, and GIF files. If your file is very large (over 4 MB), try compressing it using a free tool like TinyPNG or Squoosh before uploading. If you're on a phone and the upload keeps failing, make sure you have a stable internet connection and try switching from WiFi to mobile data or vice versa.
How profile pictures affect your account security
Your profile picture is part of your public identity on Facebook, so think about what you're sharing. A clear photo of your face makes it easier for people to recognize you, which is useful if you want to connect with people you know. It also makes it easier for someone to impersonate you if they find a photo of you elsewhere online and create a fake account.
If you're concerned about privacy, you can use a profile picture that shows your face but isn't a close-up of your actual appearance — some people use illustrations, cartoon versions of themselves, or photos taken from a distance. You can also limit who sees your profile picture through the privacy settings described above. The choice depends on how much you want to balance being recognizable to people you know against limiting how much of your appearance is visible on the internet.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use a photo that isn't of me as my profile picture?
Yes, you can use any image you want — a pet, a landscape, a cartoon character, or anything else. Facebook doesn't require your profile picture to be a photo of you. However, if you're trying to connect with people you know, a photo of your face makes it easier for them to recognize you and find your account.
What size should my profile picture be?
Facebook automatically crops your image into a circle, so the exact size doesn't matter as much as the composition. The image should be at least 180 pixels wide and tall, though larger images (400 pixels or more) look sharper on high-resolution screens. Facebook will handle the resizing for you, so you don't need to crop it to a specific dimension beforehand.
Can I change my profile picture if I don't have a smartphone?
Yes, you can change your profile picture on any computer with a web browser. Go to Facebook.com, log in, click your name or profile icon, and follow the same steps as on a phone. You don't need a smartphone or the Facebook app to manage your profile picture.
Will my friends get notified when I change my profile picture?
Facebook doesn't send a notification to your friends when you change your profile picture, but the change may appear in their news feed if they follow your activity. Your new picture will be visible to anyone who visits your profile or sees your comments and posts, depending on your privacy settings.
Can I temporarily hide my profile picture without deleting it?
You can't hide your profile picture while keeping your account active, but you can change your privacy settings so only you can see it. Go to your profile, click the three dots next to your cover photo, select "Edit Profile", and change your profile picture audience to "Only me". You can change it back to a wider audience whenever you want.