The basic way to add a picture to Facebook

To add a picture to a Facebook post, open Facebook and go to your News Feed or your profile. Look for the box at the top that says "What's on your mind?" Click inside that box, then look for the image icon — it looks like a small photograph or mountain shape. Click that icon and your device will open a file browser where you can choose a picture from your computer, phone, or tablet.

Once you pick a picture, it will appear in your post. You can add text above or below it, choose who sees the post, and then click "Post" to share it. The picture uploads to Facebook's servers, and your friends or followers will see it depending on your privacy settings.

If you want to add more than one picture at once, click the image icon again after the first picture loads, or look for an option that says "Add more photos." Facebook lets you upload up to 50 pictures in a single post, though most people share between one and five.

Key Takeaways

  • Click the image icon in the "What's on your mind?" box to browse and select a picture from your device.
  • You can add text to your post before or after uploading the picture, and choose your privacy settings before clicking Post.
  • Facebook accepts common picture formats like JPG, PNG, and GIF, and automatically resizes them to fit the News Feed.
  • If you upload multiple pictures, Facebook arranges them in a grid or carousel that people can scroll through.
  • You can edit or delete a picture after posting it by clicking the three dots on your post and selecting Edit or Delete Photo.

Uploading pictures from your phone or computer

The process is nearly identical whether you are using Facebook on a phone, tablet, or computer. On a phone or tablet, tap the image icon in the post box, and your device's photo library or file manager will open. Select the picture you want, and it will load into your post. On a computer, the same image icon opens a file browser window where you can navigate to your Pictures folder or any other location where you store images.

Facebook accepts pictures in JPG, PNG, GIF, and WebP formats. Most pictures you take with a phone camera or read from the internet are already in one of these formats, so you usually do not have to convert anything. If you have a very large picture file, Facebook will automatically shrink it to fit the News Feed without losing much visible quality.

Adding multiple pictures to one post

When you click the image icon and select your first picture, Facebook shows you options to add more. You can click "Add more photos" or straightforward click the image icon again. Keep selecting pictures until you have added as many as you want — up to 50 in a single post.

Facebook arranges multiple pictures in a grid or carousel format. If you add two to four pictures, they usually appear in a square grid. If you add five or more, Facebook creates a carousel where people can swipe or click arrows to see each picture. You can rearrange the order by dragging pictures around before you post, or you can edit the post afterward to change the order or remove pictures you do not want.

Editing or removing pictures after you post

If you want to change a picture after you have already posted it, click the three dots in the top right corner of your post. A menu will appear with options including "Edit post" and "Delete." Click "Edit post" to open the post editor, where you can remove individual pictures, add new ones, or rearrange the order.

If you want to delete a single picture from a multi-picture post without deleting the whole post, click "Edit post," then hover over or tap the picture you want to remove. An X button will appear — click it to delete just that picture. When you are done, click "Save" to update your post. Your friends will see the updated version, and Facebook will show that the post was edited.

Picture quality and file size

Facebook compresses pictures to save space and load faster on people's phones and computers. This means a very large, high-resolution picture will look slightly less sharp on Facebook than it does on your device, but the difference is usually small enough that most people do not notice. If you are sharing a photo you want to look as good as possible, use a picture that is at least 1200 pixels wide — that is the size Facebook uses for the News Feed.

If your picture is smaller than that, Facebook will still post it, but it may look blurry or pixelated on larger screens. If your file is extremely large (over 10 megabytes), your device may take longer to upload it, but Facebook will still accept it and compress it automatically.

Tagging people in pictures

After you upload a picture, you can tag people in it — that is, mark which friends appear in the photo. To tag someone, click on their face or body in the picture, and a text box will appear where you can type their name. As you type, Facebook will suggest names of your friends. Click the name you want, and that person will be tagged.

When you tag someone, they receive a notification that they have been tagged in your picture. The picture will also appear on their profile and in their friends' News Feeds. You can tag the same person multiple times in one picture if they appear in different places, and you can remove a tag by clicking it and selecting "Remove tag."

Frequently Asked Questions

What picture formats does Facebook accept?

Facebook accepts JPG, PNG, GIF, and WebP files. These are the most common picture formats used on phones, cameras, and computers. If you have a picture in a different format, you can usually convert it using free online tools or photo editing software before uploading it to Facebook.

Can I add a picture to a comment instead of a post?

Yes. When you write a comment on someone else's post, look for the image icon next to the text box. Click it to add a picture to your comment. The process is the same as adding a picture to a post — select the file and it will upload.

Why does my picture look blurry after I post it?

Facebook compresses pictures to make them load faster. If your original picture is smaller than 1200 pixels wide, it may look slightly blurry on larger screens. Try uploading a higher-resolution version, or make sure your picture is at least 1200 pixels wide before you post it.

Can I post a picture without writing any text?

Yes. You can click the image icon, select a picture, and post it without typing anything in the "What's on your mind?" box. The picture alone will appear in your News Feed and on your profile.

What happens if I delete a picture from my post?

When you delete a picture from a post, it is removed from Facebook and no longer appears on your profile or in your friends' News Feeds. If someone has already shared or commented on that picture, their comments will remain but the picture itself will be gone. You can always re-upload the picture in a new post if you change your mind.