Change your Facebook avatar on any device in under a minute
Your Facebook avatar is the small circular image that appears next to your name in comments, messages, and reactions across the platform. To change it, open Facebook on your phone or computer, tap or click your profile picture in the top left or right corner, select "Change Avatar," choose a new image from your phone or Facebook photos, and confirm. The new avatar appears when ready across your account.
The process is the same whether you use the Facebook app, Facebook.com on a browser, or Facebook on a tablet. You do not need to log out or restart the app for the change to take effect.
Key Takeaways
- Your avatar is the small circular photo next to your name in comments and messages, separate from your main profile picture.
- You can change your avatar by tapping your profile picture, selecting "Change Avatar," and uploading a new image from your phone or existing Facebook photos.
- The new avatar appears when ready on your account and shows up everywhere your name appears across Facebook.
- You can use any photo from your phone's camera roll, a photo you have already posted to Facebook, or a new upload.
Steps to change your avatar on the Facebook app
Open the Facebook app and look for your profile picture in the top right corner (on iPhone) or top left corner (on Android). Tap it once. A menu will appear with several options.
Look for the option labeled "Change Avatar" or "Edit Avatar." Tap it. Facebook will show you three choices: take a new photo with your phone's camera, choose a photo from your phone's camera roll, or select a photo you have already posted to Facebook. Pick whichever source you prefer.
Once you have selected or taken your photo, Facebook will let you crop and position it inside the circular frame. Adjust the image so the part you want to show is centered and visible. When you are satisfied, tap "Use This Photo" or "Confirm." Your new avatar is now live.
Steps to change your avatar on Facebook.com
Go to Facebook.com and log in if you are not already. In the top left corner, you will see your profile picture. Click it once. A dropdown menu will appear.
Click "Change Avatar" from the menu. A window will open showing your options: upload a photo from your computer, take a photo if your device has a camera, or choose from photos you have already posted to Facebook. Select your source.
After you choose your photo, you can crop and position it within the circular frame. Use your mouse to drag the image or adjust the zoom. Once the photo looks right, click "Use This Photo" or "Confirm." The change takes effect when ready.
What image works best for a Facebook avatar
Your avatar appears very small—usually between 32 and 40 pixels wide—so choose an image where your face or the main subject is clear and fills most of the frame. A close-up headshot works better than a full-body photo or a landscape image. Avoid photos that are too dark, too busy, or where the subject is far away from the camera.
Facebook will let you crop any photo into a circle, so you can use a rectangular photo from your phone. Just make sure the part you want to show is centered before you confirm. You can change your avatar as often as you want—there is no limit to how many times you update it.
Avatar versus profile picture: what is the difference
Your avatar and your profile picture are two separate images on Facebook. Your profile picture is the large image at the top of your profile page that people see when they visit your account. Your avatar is the small circular image that appears next to your name in comments, messages, reactions, and posts throughout Facebook.
You can have different images for each one. Many people use the same photo for both, but you can change your avatar without changing your profile picture, and vice versa. To change your main profile picture instead, go to your profile page, click your profile picture, and select "Update Profile Picture."
Troubleshooting: avatar not changing or taking too long
If your new avatar does not appear right away, try refreshing the page or closing and reopening the Facebook app. Sometimes the change takes a few seconds to sync across Facebook's servers. If you still do not see it after refreshing, log out completely and log back in.
If you see an error message when you try to upload a photo, make sure the image file is not corrupted and is in a common format like JPG or PNG. If the file is very large, try compressing it or taking a new photo. If the problem continues, try using a different browser or the Facebook app instead of Facebook.com.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can other people see when I change my avatar?
No. Changing your avatar does not post to your timeline or send notifications to your friends. Only people who look at your comments, messages, or profile will see the new avatar. There is no activity log entry for avatar changes.
Can I use a photo that is not of me as my avatar?
Yes. Facebook does not require your avatar to be a photo of yourself. You can use any image—a pet, a landscape, a logo, or an illustration. However, Facebook's community standards still explore, so the image cannot be hateful, violent, or sexually explicit.
What if I want to remove my avatar entirely?
You cannot remove your avatar completely. Facebook requires every account to have one. If you do not set a custom avatar, Facebook uses a default placeholder image. To change it back to the default, go to "Change Avatar" and look for a "Remove" or "Use Default" option if available, or straightforward upload a new image.
Does changing my avatar affect my profile picture?
No. Your avatar and profile picture are independent. Changing one does not change the other. If you want both to be the same image, you will need to update your profile picture separately through your profile page.
Can I change my avatar on a computer and have it show on my phone?
Yes. Your avatar syncs across all devices. If you change it on Facebook.com using a computer, it will appear on your phone's Facebook app within seconds. The same is true in reverse—change it on your phone and it updates on the web version when ready.