You can delete your Facebook cover photo in two taps from your phone or three clicks from a computer
Your Facebook cover photo is the large banner image at the top of your profile. Removing it leaves a blank gray space where the image was. You cannot truly delete a cover photo from Facebook's servers — the image stays in your account's photo library — but you can remove it from public view on your profile when ready.
The process differs slightly depending on whether you use the mobile app, mobile browser, or desktop. All three methods take less than a minute.
Key Takeaways
- Removing your cover photo leaves a blank space on your profile but does not delete the image from your Facebook account entirely.
- On the Facebook mobile app, tap the camera icon on your cover photo, then select "Remove" from the menu.
- On a computer, hover over your cover photo, click the pencil icon, and choose "Delete" from the dropdown.
- Your cover photo removal is visible to anyone who visits your profile, so consider whether you want a blank space or a replacement image instead.
- If you want to hide the image but keep it on your profile, you can replace it with a new photo rather than removing it entirely.
Removing your cover photo on the Facebook mobile app
Open the Facebook app and navigate to your profile by tapping your name or the profile icon at the bottom right. Scroll to the top of your profile where your cover photo appears. Tap the camera icon that overlays the cover photo — it usually sits in the bottom right corner of the image.
A menu will appear with options including "Upload Photo", "Choose from Photos", and "Remove". Tap "Remove". The cover photo disappears when ready, and your profile now shows a blank gray space where the image was. The change is live on your profile right away.
Removing your cover photo on desktop
Go to your Facebook profile on a computer and scroll to the top. Hover your mouse directly over your cover photo. A pencil icon appears in the bottom right corner of the image. Click that pencil icon.
A dropdown menu opens with options including "Upload Photo", "Choose from Photos", and "Delete". Click "Delete". The cover photo is removed from your profile within seconds. Like the mobile process, this leaves a blank gray space on your profile.
Removing your cover photo on mobile browser
If you use Facebook through a mobile web browser rather than the app, the process is similar to the desktop version. Navigate to your profile and scroll to the top. Tap and hold on your cover photo, or look for a camera or pencil icon that appears when you tap the image.
The menu that appears should include a "Remove" or "Delete" option. Tap it to remove the cover photo. If you do not see these options, try refreshing the page or switching to the Facebook app, which tends to have more reliable mobile controls for profile management.
What happens after you remove your cover photo
Once removed, your cover photo is no longer visible on your profile. Anyone who visits your profile — whether they are your friends or strangers — sees a blank gray space instead. Your profile picture remains unchanged and still appears in the top left corner of your profile.
The image itself is not deleted from Facebook. It remains in your "Photos" section under "Albums" > "Cover Photos". You can upload it again later, or you can delete it permanently from that album if you no longer want it associated with your account at all.
Replacing your cover photo instead of removing it
If you want to change your cover photo rather than leave a blank space, you can upload a new one using the same camera icon or pencil icon. This is often better than removing the photo entirely, since a blank cover space can make your profile look incomplete or inactive.
You can choose a new photo from your device, select one from your existing Facebook photos, or use a photo you have already uploaded. Facebook will let you adjust the position and size of the new image before confirming the change.
Permanently deleting your cover photo from Facebook
If you want to remove the image from your account entirely — not just from your profile — you need to delete it from your photo albums. Go to your profile, click "Photos" or "Albums", find the "Cover Photos" album, and open the image. Click the three dots or menu icon on the photo and select "Delete". This removes it from your account permanently.
This step is separate from removing the cover photo from your profile. You can remove a cover photo from view without deleting the image file, or you can delete the file entirely. Most people only need to remove it from their profile, not delete it from their account.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can other people see that I removed my cover photo?
Yes. Anyone who visits your profile will see the blank gray space where your cover photo was. There is no way to remove a cover photo privately — the change is visible to all visitors. If you want to avoid a blank profile, upload a replacement image instead.
Will removing my cover photo affect my privacy settings?
No. Removing your cover photo does not change who can see your profile or any of your other information. Your privacy settings remain exactly as they were. The cover photo removal is purely visual.
Can I recover a cover photo after I delete it from my account?
If you only removed it from your profile (not deleted it from your account), you can find it in your "Cover Photos" album and upload it again anytime. If you permanently deleted it, you cannot recover it through Facebook — you would need the original image file from your device or computer.
What size should my cover photo be if I want to upload a new one?
Facebook recommends cover photos be at least 400 pixels wide and 150 pixels tall on mobile, or 820 pixels wide and 312 pixels tall on desktop. Facebook will resize your image automatically, but these dimensions prevent blurry or stretched results.
Does removing my cover photo remove it from my friends' feeds?
No. Your cover photo does not appear in your friends' feeds — it only appears on your profile. Removing it affects only what people see when they visit your profile directly, not what they see in their news feed.