Where to find the photo change options on Facebook
Facebook keeps the controls for changing your profile picture and cover photo in two different places, depending on which one you want to update. Your profile picture — the small circular photo that appears next to your name — lives in the top left corner of your profile. Your cover photo — the large horizontal banner behind your profile picture — sits directly above it. Both have clickable buttons that let you swap them out without leaving your profile.
On a computer, hover your mouse over either photo and a camera icon with a pencil will appear in the corner. On a phone or tablet, tap the photo once and the same icon shows up. Either way, clicking that icon opens a menu with your options. The process is the same whether you use Facebook on a web browser, the Facebook app, or Facebook on a phone's web browser.
Key Takeaways
- Your profile picture and cover photo have separate upload buttons — the profile picture is the small circle, the cover photo is the large banner behind it.
- You can upload a new photo from your device, choose one you have already posted to Facebook, or take a photo on the spot using your device's camera.
- Facebook stores all your old profile pictures in a dedicated album, so you can switch back to a previous photo without re-uploading it.
- Cover photos can be positioned and cropped before you save them, which is useful because Facebook displays them at different sizes on phones versus computers.
Uploading a new profile picture from your device
When you click the camera icon on your profile picture, Facebook shows you three choices: upload a photo, choose from your existing Facebook photos, or take a new photo with your camera. To upload a photo you have saved on your computer or phone, select the upload option. A file browser will open — on a computer this is your normal file picker, and on a phone it opens your photo library or file manager depending on your device.
Navigate to the photo you want and select it. Facebook will then show you a preview and let you crop or rotate it before you confirm. The cropping tool is a square frame you can drag and resize — Facebook uses this to decide what part of the photo appears in the circular profile picture shape. Once you are happy with how it looks, click the confirm or save button. The change takes effect immediately and is visible to everyone on your profile.
Choosing a photo you have already posted to Facebook
If you have posted photos to Facebook before, you can use one of those as your profile picture without uploading it again. Click the camera icon, then select the option to choose from your photos. Facebook shows you a grid of photos you have posted, organized by album. You can scroll through them or search by date or album name.
Once you find the photo you want, click it and Facebook will show you a preview with cropping options. Adjust the frame to show the part of the photo you prefer, then confirm. This is faster than uploading if you already have a photo on Facebook you like, and it also means you can easily switch back to an old profile picture later without having to find the original file on your device.
Taking a photo with your camera right now
Facebook lets you take a new photo on the spot using your device's built-in camera. Click the camera icon on your profile picture and select the option to take a photo. On a phone, Facebook opens your camera app and lets you snap a picture. On a computer with a webcam, Facebook opens a live camera preview so you can frame yourself and click to capture.
After you take the photo, you get the same cropping and preview options as you would with an uploaded photo. This is useful if you want to update your profile picture immediately without having to save a photo to your device first. The photo is saved to your device and uploaded to Facebook at the same time.
Changing your cover photo with positioning control
Your cover photo works the same way as your profile picture — click the camera icon on the banner, then upload, choose from existing photos, or take a new one. The difference is that cover photos are rectangular and Facebook displays them at different sizes depending on whether someone is viewing your profile on a computer, phone, or tablet. Because of this, Facebook gives you a positioning tool after you select a cover photo.
The positioning tool shows you a preview of how your cover photo will look on different devices. You can drag the image up or down to decide which part appears at the top and bottom of the banner. This matters because on a phone, the cover photo is narrower and taller, so the top and bottom get cropped off. Positioning it correctly means the important part of your image stays visible no matter what device someone uses to view your profile.
Finding and managing your old profile pictures
Every profile picture you have ever used on Facebook is saved in a dedicated album called "Profile Pictures." You can find this album by going to your profile, clicking the Photos section, and looking for the Profile Pictures album in the list. This album is visible only to you — other people cannot see your old profile pictures unless you shared them in a post or another album.
You can use this album to switch back to an old profile picture without uploading it again. Just click the camera icon on your current profile picture, choose to select from your photos, and navigate to the Profile Pictures album. You can also download any of these photos to your device, or delete ones you no longer want to keep. Deleting a photo from the Profile Pictures album does not delete it from any posts where you may have shared it.
Troubleshooting common issues when changing photos
If the camera icon does not appear when you hover over or tap your profile picture, you may not have permission to edit your profile. This can happen if you are viewing someone else's profile instead of your own. Make sure you are logged in and viewing your own profile. If you are on your own profile and the icon still does not show, try refreshing the page or closing and reopening the Facebook app.
If your new photo does not appear after you upload it, the upload may still be processing — Facebook sometimes takes a few seconds to display changes. If it has been more than a minute, try refreshing your page. If the photo appears blurry or low quality, it may have been compressed during upload. Facebook compresses images to save space, which can affect very large or high-resolution files. Cropping your photo to a smaller size before uploading can sometimes help preserve quality.
If you see an error message saying the file is too large or the format is not supported, Facebook accepts JPEG, PNG, and GIF files up to a certain size. Most photos from phones and cameras are already in the right format. If you are having trouble, try taking a screenshot of the photo or converting it using free online tools before uploading.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can other people see when I change my profile picture?
Yes. When you change your profile picture, Facebook posts a notification to your timeline and sends it to your friends' feeds. You can control who sees this notification by adjusting your privacy settings, but the notification itself is created automatically. If you want to change your photo without announcing it, you can adjust the privacy of the notification after you upload.
What happens to my old profile pictures after I change it?
Your old profile pictures are saved in the Profile Pictures album on your profile, which only you can see. They are not deleted or lost. You can switch back to any of them at any time by clicking the camera icon and choosing from your existing photos. If you want to remove an old profile picture completely, you can delete it from the Profile Pictures album.
Can I use a photo that someone else posted?
You can use a photo someone else posted as your profile picture if they gave you permission and you download it to your device first. However, if you want to use a photo from Facebook itself, you can only choose from photos you have posted or been tagged in. Facebook does not let you directly upload someone else's photo as your profile picture from their profile.
Why does my cover photo look different on my phone than on my computer?
Facebook displays cover photos at different sizes and crops them differently depending on the device. On a computer, the cover photo is wider and shorter. On a phone, it is narrower and taller, so the left and right edges get cut off. Use the positioning tool after you upload to adjust which part of the image stays visible on each device type.
Can I set different profile pictures for different audiences?
No. Your profile picture is the same for everyone who can see your profile. However, you can control who sees your profile itself by adjusting your overall privacy settings. If you want different audiences to see different versions of you, the only option is to maintain separate accounts, which Facebook does not recommend.