Change Your Cover Photo from Your Profile

To change your Facebook cover photo, go to your profile, hover over the current cover image, and click the camera icon that appears. Select either "Upload Photo" to choose a file from your computer, "Choose from Photos" to pick an existing image you've already posted, or "Reposition" if you want to adjust how the current photo is framed. The new image will replace your old cover photo when ready after you confirm.

Your cover photo is the large banner image at the top of your profile that appears above your profile picture. It's visible to anyone who visits your profile, depending on your privacy settings. Facebook accepts JPG, PNG, GIF, and BMP files, and recommends an image that is at least 820 pixels wide and 312 pixels tall for the best appearance on desktop and mobile devices.

Key Takeaways

  • Hover over your current cover photo and click the camera icon to open the upload menu.
  • You can upload a new photo from your computer, choose from photos you've already posted, or reposition your existing cover.
  • Facebook recommends cover photos that are at least 820 pixels wide and 312 pixels tall to display clearly on all devices.
  • Your cover photo change takes effect when ready and is visible to anyone who can see your profile.
  • You can change your cover photo as often as you want with no limit on how many times per day or week.

Upload a Photo from Your Computer

Click the camera icon on your cover photo, then select "Upload Photo." A file browser window will open on your computer. Navigate to the folder where your image is saved, click the file once to select it, then click "Open" or "Choose" (the button name varies by computer). Facebook will upload the image and show you a preview with a frame overlay so you can see how it will look on your profile.

Before you upload, make sure the image file is in a common format: JPG, PNG, GIF, or BMP. If you have a photo in a different format like TIFF or WebP, you'll need to convert it first using free tools like Pixlr or Photopea, or by opening it in Windows Photos or Preview (on Mac) and saving it as JPG. The file size should be under 4 MB for fastest upload.

Choose from Photos You've Already Posted

If you've already posted photos to your Facebook profile or albums, you can use one of those as your cover without uploading again. Click the camera icon on your cover photo and select "Choose from Photos." A window will open showing your recent uploads and albums. Click on an album to browse, or scroll through recent photos. When you find the image you want, click it once to select it, then click "Set as Cover Photo."

This option is faster than uploading if you already have a suitable image on Facebook. It also means the photo is already compressed by Facebook's servers, so it may load slightly faster on your profile. You can choose from any photo you've posted to your own timeline, albums, or photos where you're tagged — but you cannot use photos from other people's profiles or pages unless you've already saved them to your own computer and upload them fresh.

Adjust the Position of Your Cover Photo

If your cover photo is cropped or positioned in a way you don't like, you can reposition it without uploading a new image. Hover over your cover photo and click the camera icon, then select "Reposition." A frame will appear over your image with handles on the edges and corners. Click and drag the image inside the frame to move it left, right, up, or down. You can also drag the corner handles to resize the image within the frame.

Repositioning is useful when important parts of your photo are cut off. For example, if a person's head is cropped out of the top, you can drag the image down to center them in the frame. When you're satisfied with the position, click "Save" to explore the change. The repositioned cover photo will update on your profile when ready.

Understand What Others See

Your cover photo appears at the top of your profile page on both desktop and mobile devices. On a computer, it displays as a wide banner above your profile picture. On a phone, the cover photo is narrower and taller to fit the screen. The exact size and crop of what people see depends on their device, so test your cover photo on both a computer and a phone to make sure important details aren't cut off on either one.

Your cover photo is visible to anyone who can see your profile based on your privacy settings. If your profile is public, anyone on Facebook or the internet can see your cover photo. If your profile is set to friends only, only your friends can see it. You can change who sees your profile by going to Settings and Privacy, then Privacy Settings, and adjusting "Who can see your posts?" — this setting also controls who sees your cover photo.

Troubleshoot Common Problems

If the upload button doesn't appear when you hover over your cover photo, make sure you're logged into your own account and viewing your own profile, not someone else's. You can only change the cover photo on your own profile. If you're on a mobile app and the camera icon isn't visible, try switching to the mobile web version of Facebook in your phone's browser, or use the desktop version on a computer.

If your photo uploads but looks blurry or pixelated, the original file may be too small. Facebook works best with images at least 820 pixels wide. If the image is smaller, Facebook will stretch it to fit, which causes blurriness. Delete the blurry cover photo and upload a larger version instead. If you don't have a larger version, you can use a free upscaling tool like Upscayl or Let's Enhance to enlarge the image before uploading.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use a video as my cover photo?

No, Facebook cover photos must be still images. However, you can create a short video post and pin it to the top of your timeline, which appears below your cover photo. Videos pinned to your timeline are visible to anyone who visits your profile.

What happens to my old cover photo when I change it?

Your old cover photo is not deleted from Facebook. If you uploaded it as a regular photo to your profile or an album, it stays in that album. If you want to use it again as your cover in the future, you can choose it from your photos. If you want to remove it entirely, you'll need to delete it from the album separately.

Can I schedule a cover photo to change on a specific date?

Facebook does not have a built-in scheduler for cover photos. You must change it manually each time. Some third-party apps claim to schedule cover changes, but Facebook does not officially support them and they may not work reliably.

Why does my cover photo look different on mobile than on desktop?

Mobile devices have narrower screens, so Facebook crops your cover photo differently on phones than on computers. The center of your image is usually preserved, but the sides may be cut off. Test your cover on both devices and use the reposition tool to move important details toward the center if needed.

Can I make my cover photo private so only certain friends see it?

No, your cover photo follows your overall profile privacy settings. If your profile is set to friends only, all your friends see your cover photo. You cannot hide your cover photo from specific people while keeping the rest of your profile visible to them.