The quickest way to change your profile picture
Open Facebook on your phone or computer and tap or click your profile picture in the top left corner. Select Profile from the menu that appears. On your profile page, hover over or tap your current profile picture, then click or tap the camera icon that shows up. Choose Upload Photo to pick a picture from your device, or Take a Photo if you want to use your camera right now. Once you've picked or taken the photo, Facebook will let you crop and position it before you save.
The whole process takes about 30 seconds. Your new picture appears immediately on your profile and in comments and posts you make going forward. People who already follow you will see the change the next time they visit your profile or see you in their feed.
Key Takeaways
- Go to your profile, hover over your current picture, and click the camera icon to start the upload.
- You can upload a photo from your device or take a new one using your camera.
- Facebook lets you crop and position your photo before saving, so you can frame your face the way you want.
- Your new profile picture shows up right away on your profile and in your activity across Facebook.
- You can change your picture as often as you want — there's no limit.
Uploading a photo from your phone or computer
When you tap the camera icon on your profile picture, Facebook shows you two options: Upload Photo and Take a Photo. Choose Upload Photo if you already have a picture saved on your device that you want to use.
Your phone or computer will open a file browser showing your photos. On a phone, this is usually your Photos app or Camera Roll. On a computer, it's your file explorer or Finder. Tap or click the photo you want, and Facebook will load it. You'll then see a cropping screen where you can zoom in or out and move the image around to show exactly what you want. Once you're happy with how it looks, tap or click Save or Done — the button name varies slightly between phone and computer.
Taking a new photo with your camera
If you want to take a fresh picture instead of using an old one, tap the camera icon and choose Take a Photo. Facebook will ask permission to use your device's camera — you may see a popup asking you to allow this. Tap Allow or Yes to continue.
Your camera will open and you'll see yourself on screen. Take the picture by tapping the camera button on your phone or pressing the spacebar on your computer. After you take it, you'll get the same cropping screen to position and zoom. Adjust it until you're happy, then save.
Cropping and positioning your picture
The cropping screen is where you control what part of your photo shows up. You'll see your image in a circle — that's the shape your profile picture will be on Facebook. Anything outside the circle won't show.
Use your fingers on a phone or your mouse on a computer to drag the image around inside the circle. Pinch to zoom in or out on a phone, or scroll to zoom on a computer. Position your face so it's centered and clearly visible. Most people crop so their face fills most of the circle, leaving just a little space around the edges. Once it looks right, tap or click the button to save — it's usually labeled Save, Done, or Next.
What happens after you save your new picture
Your new profile picture goes live immediately. It appears on your profile page, in your comments on other people's posts, in your messages, and anywhere else your name shows up on Facebook. People who follow you won't get a notification that you changed your picture, but they'll see it the next time they visit your profile or scroll past your activity in their feed.
Facebook keeps a record of your old profile pictures. If you want to see them or switch back to an old one, go to your profile, click or tap your picture, and look for See all photos or a similar option. You can set any of your old pictures as your profile picture again without re-uploading it.
Changing your picture on mobile versus desktop
The steps are almost identical on a phone and a computer, but the exact buttons and menus look slightly different. On a phone, everything happens in the Facebook app or mobile website. On a computer, you use the full Facebook website in your browser.
One difference: on a phone, the camera icon appears when you tap your profile picture. On a computer, you usually need to hover your mouse over your picture first to see the camera icon appear. If you're using Facebook on a tablet, it works more like a phone — tap to see the icon rather than hover.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use a picture that's not of my face?
Yes. Facebook doesn't require your profile picture to be a photo of you — it can be anything: a pet, a landscape, a logo, or an illustration. Some people use cartoon characters or abstract images. The only rule is that it can't be hateful or violate Facebook's community standards.
What size photo should I upload?
Facebook accepts photos in most common formats and sizes. The platform automatically resizes and crops your image to fit the profile picture circle. A photo that's at least 400 pixels wide will look sharp, but Facebook works with smaller images too — it will just enlarge them slightly, which may look a bit blurry.
Can I make my profile picture private so only certain people see it?
Your profile picture is always visible to anyone who can see your profile, and you can't hide it from specific people. However, you can control who sees your overall profile by adjusting your privacy settings. Go to Settings, then Privacy, and choose who can look up your profile and see your posts.
What if I accidentally deleted my profile picture?
You can't actually delete your profile picture — Facebook requires you to have one. If you remove the current picture, Facebook will show a generic silhouette placeholder until you upload a new one. Go back to your profile and add a new picture using the same steps.
How often can I change my profile picture?
There's no limit. You can change it as many times as you want, as often as you want. Some people change theirs weekly or daily. Facebook keeps your old pictures in your photo history so you can switch back to them anytime without re-uploading.