The fastest way to change your profile picture

Open Facebook on your computer or phone and click your profile picture in the top left corner (on mobile, tap the menu icon first). Select Profile, then click the camera icon that appears over your current picture. Choose Upload Photo to pick an image from your device, or Take a Photo to use your camera right now. Once you select the image, crop it if you want, then click Save. The new picture appears on your profile and in your posts immediately.

On mobile, the steps are the same but the layout is slightly different. After you tap your profile picture and select Profile, look for the camera icon overlaid on your current picture. Tap it, then choose whether to upload from your phone's photos or take a new one. Facebook will let you adjust the crop before you confirm.

Key Takeaways

  • You can change your profile picture from your profile page by clicking the camera icon over your current picture, then selecting Upload Photo or Take a Photo.
  • Facebook lets you crop and adjust the image before you save it, so you can frame your face the way you want.
  • Your new profile picture shows up on your profile and in all your posts and comments right away.
  • You can also upload a temporary profile picture that disappears after a set number of days if you want to try something without committing to it.
  • Old profile pictures stay in your photo archive and can be restored if you change your mind later.

Where to find the upload option on different devices

On a computer, go to your profile by clicking your name or profile picture at the top of the page. Look for the camera icon sitting directly over your current profile picture — it appears when you hover your mouse over the picture. Click it and you will see two options: Upload Photo and Take a Photo. Upload Photo opens your computer's file browser so you can pick an image you already have saved. Take a Photo uses your computer's webcam if you have one.

On an iPhone or Android phone, tap the menu icon (three horizontal lines) at the bottom right, then tap your name to go to your profile. Tap the camera icon over your picture. The options are the same — upload from your phone's photo library or take a new photo with your phone's camera. After you choose, Facebook shows you a preview and lets you adjust the crop before you save.

How to crop and frame your new picture

After you select an image, Facebook opens a cropping tool. A square frame appears over your photo showing what will actually display as your profile picture. You can drag the frame around to position it over the part of the image you want to show, or pinch to zoom in and out on mobile. The parts of the photo outside the frame will not appear in your profile picture, but they stay in your full photo if someone clicks to view it.

Take your time with the crop — your profile picture is the first thing people see when they visit your profile or comment on your posts. Make sure your face is clearly visible and centered. Once you are happy with how it looks, tap or click Save or Confirm depending on your device. The picture goes live immediately.

Using a temporary profile picture

Facebook lets you set a profile picture that disappears after a certain number of days. This is useful if you want to try a new picture without making it permanent, or if you are changing your picture for a specific event or season. When you upload a photo, look for an option that says Make Temporary or Set as Temporary Profile Picture. Tap or click it, then choose how long you want the picture to stay — usually 1, 7, or 30 days.

When the time runs out, Facebook automatically switches your profile picture back to whatever you had before. You can also manually remove a temporary picture at any time by going back to your profile and selecting a new permanent picture. This does not affect your photo archive — the old picture is still saved in your photos if you want to use it again later.

What happens to your old profile pictures

Every profile picture you have ever uploaded stays in a folder called Profile Pictures in your photos. You can see this folder by going to your profile, clicking Photos, then looking for the Profile Pictures album. All your old pictures are there, and you can restore any of them by clicking the picture, then selecting Make Profile Picture. This is faster than uploading the same image again if you want to go back to something you used before.

Your profile picture history is private — only you can see the Profile Pictures album unless you change your privacy settings. If you want to delete an old profile picture from your archive, you can do that too, but it will no longer be available to restore.

Troubleshooting common problems

If the camera icon does not appear over your picture, make sure you are logged into your own account and viewing your own profile, not someone else's. You can only change your own profile picture. If you are on mobile and the icon is not showing, try refreshing the page or closing and reopening the Facebook app.

If your new picture does not save, check that the image file is not corrupted and that you have a working internet connection. Facebook accepts JPG, PNG, and GIF files. If you are uploading a very large file, try resizing it on your computer or phone first. If the problem continues, try using a different browser or the Facebook app instead of the mobile website.

If your picture uploads but looks blurry or pixelated, the original image may be too small. Facebook works best with pictures that are at least 400 by 400 pixels. If you took the photo on an older phone or found it online at a small size, that could be why. Try using a higher-resolution image instead.

Privacy and who can see your profile picture

Your profile picture is public by default — anyone on Facebook or the internet can see it, even if they are not your friend. This is because your profile picture appears next to your name in comments, posts, and search results. If you want to limit who sees your profile picture, you can change your profile privacy settings, but this also limits who can see other parts of your profile.

Facebook does not let you set privacy for just your profile picture. Your options are to make your entire profile public, visible to friends only, or visible to a custom list. If privacy is a concern, consider using a picture that does not show your full face, or adjust your overall profile privacy settings to Friends Only or Private.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use a picture that is not of me as my profile picture?

Yes, you can use any image you want — a pet, a landscape, a logo, or anything else. Facebook does not require your profile picture to show your face. Keep in mind that your profile picture appears next to your name in comments and posts, so people may be confused if it does not match your account.

How often can I change my profile picture?

You can change it as often as you want with no limit. Some people change it daily, others keep the same picture for years. There is no cooldown period or restriction on how many times you can update it.

What if I accidentally deleted my profile picture?

Go to your Profile Pictures album in your photos and restore one of your old pictures by clicking it and selecting Make Profile Picture. If you deleted the picture from your archive too, you can upload a new one using the camera icon on your profile.

Does changing my profile picture notify my friends?

Facebook does not send a notification when you change your profile picture, but the change may appear in your friends' news feeds if they follow your activity. Your friends will see the new picture the next time they visit your profile or see you in a comment or post.

Can I set different profile pictures for different audiences?

No, Facebook does not let you show different profile pictures to different groups of people. Everyone sees the same profile picture. If you want different pictures for different audiences, you would need to create separate accounts, which violates Facebook's terms of service.