The fastest 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. On your profile page, hover over or tap your current profile picture, then click or tap the camera icon that appears. 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 pick the image, crop it to frame your face, then tap Save.
The whole process takes under a minute. Your new picture appears across Facebook when ready — in your profile, next to your comments, in search results, and in your friends' feeds.
Key Takeaways
- You can change your profile picture from your profile page by clicking the camera icon over your current picture.
- Facebook lets you upload a photo from your device or take one with your camera in the moment.
- You can crop and adjust the image before saving, and the change takes effect right away.
- Your old profile pictures stay in a folder on your profile that only you can see unless you change privacy settings.
- You can change your profile picture as often as you want with no limit.
Where to find the camera icon
The camera icon appears when you hover your mouse over your profile picture on desktop, or when you tap your profile picture on a phone. It sits in the bottom right corner of the image. If you do not see it, make sure you are logged into your own account — you can only change your own profile picture, not someone else's.
On mobile, the icon may say Camera or show a camera symbol. Tap it and you will see two options: Upload Photo and Take a Photo. On desktop, you may see additional options like Choose from Photos if you have already uploaded images to Facebook.
Uploading a photo from your device
When you select Upload Photo, your device opens a file browser. Navigate to the folder where your picture is saved — usually Photos, Pictures, or Downloads on most phones and computers. Tap or click the image you want to use.
Facebook then shows you a crop tool. You can move the image around and resize the crop box to frame your face the way you want it. The crop is square on desktop and circular on mobile, so the final picture will look different depending on where people view it. Once you are happy with how it looks, tap or click Save. Facebook uploads the image and sets it as your profile picture.
Taking a photo with your camera
If you choose Take a Photo, Facebook opens your device's camera app. Point the camera at yourself, tap the button to take the picture, and Facebook will ask you to confirm it. You then get the same crop tool to frame your face before saving.
This option works best on phones because most phones have a front-facing camera. On a computer, you need a webcam connected for this to work. If your computer does not have a camera or it is not set up, you will not see the Take a Photo option.
What happens to your old profile pictures
When you change your profile picture, Facebook does not delete the old one. Instead, it moves to a folder called Profile Pictures on your profile. Only you can see this folder unless you change the privacy settings. Your friends cannot view your old profile pictures unless you make that folder public, which you can do in your privacy settings.
You can go back to any old profile picture at any time. Open your profile, tap the camera icon over your current picture, and select Choose from Photos on desktop or View Profile Pictures on mobile. Tap the picture you want to use again, and it becomes your profile picture once more.
Privacy and who can see your profile picture
Your profile picture is visible to everyone on Facebook by default — your friends, people who search for you, and anyone who visits your profile. You cannot make your profile picture private because Facebook uses it to identify you across the platform. However, you can control who sees your profile and other information.
If you want to limit who sees your profile, go to Settings and Privacy, then Settings, then Privacy. You can set your profile to be visible to Friends Only or Public. This controls who can see your profile page and your profile picture together, but the picture itself will still show next to your name when you comment or post.
Troubleshooting common problems
If the camera icon does not appear, you may not be logged into your own account. Log out and log back in with your account. If you are on someone else's profile, you will not see the option to change their picture — only they can do that.
If your photo does not upload, check that the file is in a format Facebook accepts: JPG, PNG, GIF, or BMP. The file should be smaller than 4 MB. If you are on a slow internet connection, the upload may take longer or fail. Try again on a faster connection. If the problem continues, try a different browser or the Facebook app.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I change my profile picture on the Facebook app?
Yes. Open the app, tap the menu icon (three horizontal lines), scroll to your name, tap Profile, then tap the camera icon over your picture. The steps are the same as on desktop.
How often can I change my profile picture?
You can change it as many times as you want with no limit. Facebook does not restrict how often you update your profile picture.
What size should my profile picture be?
Facebook accepts images up to 4 MB. The platform automatically resizes your photo to fit the profile picture space, so you do not need to crop it to exact dimensions beforehand. Facebook will show you a crop preview before you save.
Will my friends get a notification when I change my profile picture?
No. Your friends will see the new picture when they visit your profile or see your name in their feed, but Facebook does not send a notification about the change.
Can I use a video as my profile picture?
No. Facebook profile pictures must be still images. You can use a video as your cover photo instead, which is the large banner image at the top of your profile.