The quickest way to change your Facebook photo

Open Facebook on your computer or phone and click your profile picture in the top left corner (on mobile, tap the three horizontal lines first, then your name). Click the camera icon that appears over your current photo, select "Upload Photo" or "Take Photo", choose your image, and click "Save". The whole process takes about one minute.

Facebook stores your old profile pictures in an album called "Profile Pictures" that only you can see unless you change the privacy settings. You can switch back to any previous photo without re-uploading it.

Key Takeaways

  • You can change your profile photo from the profile picture icon in the top left of your Facebook home page or from your profile itself.
  • Facebook accepts JPG, PNG, and GIF files, and automatically crops square photos to fit the circular profile frame.
  • Your old profile pictures stay in a private album you can access anytime, so you can revert to a previous photo without uploading again.
  • You can control who sees your profile photo by adjusting privacy settings after you upload it.
  • Profile photos are visible to everyone on Facebook unless you change the audience to "Friends Only" or a custom list.

Where to find the upload button on different devices

On a computer: Log into Facebook and look at the top left of your screen. Click your profile picture (the small circular image next to your name). A menu will appear. Click "Update Profile Picture" or the camera icon. A window will open asking whether you want to upload a photo from your computer or take one with your webcam.

On an iPhone or Android phone: Tap the three horizontal lines (the menu icon) in the bottom right corner. Scroll down and tap your name. At the top of your profile, you will see your current profile picture. Tap the camera icon in the bottom right corner of that image. Choose "Take Photo" to use your phone's camera or "Upload Photo" to pick an existing image from your phone's photo library.

Both routes lead to the same result. Use whichever device is closest to you.

What image formats and sizes work best

Facebook accepts JPG, PNG, and GIF files. You can upload a photo that is any size — Facebook will automatically resize it to fit the circular profile frame. The platform recommends using an image that is at least 400 pixels wide and 400 pixels tall so it stays sharp on all screen sizes, but smaller images will still work.

Keep in mind that Facebook crops square photos into a circle. If your photo is a portrait (taller than it is wide), the top and bottom will be cut off. If it is a landscape (wider than it is tall), the left and right edges will disappear. Center the part of the image you want to keep visible before you upload.

How to find and restore an old profile picture

Facebook automatically saves every profile picture you have ever used in an album called "Profile Pictures". To view this album, go to your profile, click "Photos" (on mobile, scroll down and tap "Photos"), then click "Profile Pictures". You will see thumbnails of all your previous profile photos in reverse chronological order — the most recent ones first.

To switch back to any old photo, click or tap it, then click the three dots menu and select "Make Profile Picture". Facebook will restore it as your current profile photo without you having to re-upload the file. This is faster than uploading the same image twice.

Controlling who can see your profile photo

By default, your profile photo is visible to everyone on Facebook — even people who are not your friends. If you want to limit who sees it, go to your profile, click the three dots next to your profile picture, and select "Edit Profile Picture". Click the audience icon (it looks like a person or people) and choose "Friends Only" to show it only to people you have added as friends, or "Custom" to pick specific people or groups.

Note that your profile picture will still appear next to your name in comments, posts, and messages no matter what privacy setting you choose. The privacy control only affects whether people can see the full-size version when they click on it.

What happens when you change your photo

When you upload a new profile picture, Facebook notifies your friends that you have updated your profile. The notification appears in their News Feed and says something like "[Your Name] updated their profile picture". This notification lasts for a few hours before disappearing.

If you change your photo multiple times in a short period, Facebook may slow down the notifications or stop sending them altogether. This is to prevent spam in your friends' feeds. Your new photo will still be visible on your profile immediately, even if the notification does not appear.

Troubleshooting common upload problems

If you see an error message when you try to upload, check that your image file is not corrupted. Try uploading a different photo to see if the problem is specific to that file. If a different photo uploads successfully, the original file may be damaged and you will need to use a different version.

If the upload button does not appear or the page freezes, try clearing your browser cache and cookies, then log out and log back in. On mobile, close the Facebook app completely and reopen it. If you are using an older version of the app, update it from the App Store or Google Play Store. If the problem persists after these steps, try uploading from a different device or browser.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use a video as my profile picture?

No, Facebook only accepts still images (JPG, PNG, GIF) for profile pictures. You cannot upload a video or animated GIF that plays continuously. However, you can upload a GIF file that contains animation, and it will display as a still image.

Will my old profile pictures stay private if I delete them from the Profile Pictures album?

If you delete a photo from your Profile Pictures album, it will no longer appear in that album and you cannot restore it as your profile picture by clicking "Make Profile Picture". However, the image may still exist elsewhere on Facebook if you posted it to your timeline or shared it in a message. Deleting it from the Profile Pictures album does not delete it from those other locations.

What if someone else's photo appears as my profile picture?

If you see a photo you did not upload as your profile picture, your account may have been accessed by someone else. Change your password immediately by going to Settings, clicking "Security and Login", and selecting "Change Password". Review your login activity to see if anyone accessed your account from an unfamiliar location or device.

Does changing my profile picture affect my privacy settings for other photos?

No, your profile picture privacy settings are separate from the privacy settings on photos you post to your timeline or albums. Changing who can see your profile picture does not change who can see your other photos, and vice versa.

How long does it take for my new profile picture to show up everywhere on Facebook?

Your new profile picture appears on your profile immediately after you upload it. It may take a few minutes to appear next to your name in comments and posts across Facebook, but usually shows up within seconds on most devices.