What You Can Change on Your Facebook Profile
Facebook lets you change your profile picture, cover photo, name, bio, email address, phone number, and the basic information people see when they visit your profile. You can make these changes from either the Facebook website or the mobile app, and the steps are nearly identical. Most changes take effect when ready, though Facebook may review certain changes—like a legal name change—before they appear to others.
Some changes, like your profile picture, are visible to everyone by default. Others, like your phone number or email, stay private unless you choose to share them. You control who sees each piece of information through Facebook's privacy settings, which we'll cover separately.
Key Takeaways
- You can change your profile picture, name, bio, email, phone number, and cover photo directly from your profile or settings menu.
- Facebook may hold certain changes—especially legal name changes—for review before they appear publicly.
- Each piece of information has its own privacy setting, so you can hide your phone number or email from most people while keeping your name visible.
- You can change your profile picture or cover photo as often as you want, but you can only change your name once every 60 days.
- If you want to hide your profile entirely, you can make it private so only your friends can see it.
How to Change Your Profile Picture
Open Facebook and go to your profile by clicking your name or profile picture in the top left (on desktop) or top right (on mobile). Look for your current profile picture and hover over it (on desktop) or tap it (on mobile). A menu will appear with the option to upload a new photo or take one with your camera.
Choose a photo from your device or take a new one. You can crop and position the image before confirming. Once you upload it, the new picture appears when ready on your profile and in your comments and posts. You can change your profile picture as many times as you want with no restrictions.
How to Change Your Name on Facebook
Click the downward arrow in the top right corner of Facebook (desktop) or tap the three horizontal lines at the bottom right (mobile app). Select Settings and privacy, then Settings. Scroll down to Personal information and click Name.
Type your new name in the fields provided. Facebook asks for your first name and last name separately, though you can leave the last name blank if you prefer. Click Review change and then Save changes. Facebook may review your name change if it looks unusual or violates their naming rules. You can only change your name once every 60 days, so choose carefully.
If you're changing your name for legal reasons—marriage, divorce, or a legal name change—Facebook may ask you to provide documentation. You can upload a photo of your ID, marriage certificate, or court order directly through the settings menu if Facebook requests it.
How to Change Your Bio and About Information
Go to your profile and click the About tab below your cover photo. On mobile, tap About in your profile menu. You'll see sections for your bio, work history, education, relationship status, hometown, and other details.
Click the pencil icon next to any section to edit it. For your bio—the short text that appears at the top of your About section—click Add bio or the pencil icon if one already exists. Type up to 101 characters. For other sections like work or education, click the pencil icon, fill in the details, and click Save. Each section has its own privacy setting, so you can make your job history visible to friends only while keeping your relationship status public.
How to Change Your Email Address or Phone Number
Click the downward arrow in the top right (desktop) or the three lines at the bottom right (mobile). Go to Settings and privacy > Settings. Under Personal information, click Email or Phone.
To change your email, click Add email or the pencil icon next to your current email. Type the new email address and click Save changes. Facebook will send a confirmation link to the new address. Open that email and click the link to confirm. Your old email remains on your account until you remove it, which is useful if you're switching email providers gradually.
To change your phone number, click the pencil icon next to your current number. Type the new number and click Save changes. Facebook may send a text to verify the new number. Your phone number is hidden from your profile by default—only you and Facebook can see it—unless you change the privacy setting to make it visible.
How to Change Your Cover Photo
Go to your profile and hover over your cover photo (desktop) or tap it (mobile). A menu will appear with options to upload a new photo, take a photo, or choose from your existing photos. Select your choice and crop the image if needed. Your new cover photo appears when ready across your profile.
You can change your cover photo as often as you want. If you want to remove it entirely, hover over the cover photo, click the pencil icon, and select Delete. Facebook will show a default blue background instead.
How to Control Who Sees Your Profile Information
Each piece of information on your profile has its own privacy setting. To adjust them, go to your About section and look for the small privacy icon (usually a globe or lock) next to each item. Click it to choose who can see that information: Public (everyone), Friends (friends only), Friends except (friends except specific people), or Only me (private).
Your profile picture and name are always visible to everyone, even if your profile is private. Your email address and phone number default to Only me, so they stay hidden unless you change the setting. Your bio, work history, and relationship status default to Public, but you can make any of them private. These settings take effect when ready.
What Happens If Facebook Blocks Your Changes
Facebook may hold your change for review if it looks suspicious or violates their policies. This happens most often with name changes that don't match typical naming patterns, or if you've changed your name recently. You'll see a message saying your change is under review, and it usually takes a few hours to a few days.
If Facebook rejects your change, you'll receive a notification explaining why. Common reasons include using symbols, numbers, or characters that aren't allowed in names, or changing your name too frequently. If you believe the rejection was a mistake, you can request a manual review through the same settings menu. For legal name changes, uploading a photo of your ID or court order usually resolves the issue quickly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I change my Facebook name more than once?
You can change your name once every 60 days. If you try to change it again before 60 days have passed, Facebook will show an error message telling you when you can change it next. This limit applies whether your previous change was approved or rejected.
What if I don't want people to see my phone number or email?
Both your phone number and email default to private (visible only to you). They won't appear on your profile unless you change the privacy setting. Go to your About section, find the phone number or email, click the privacy icon next to it, and select Only me to keep it hidden.
Can I change my profile picture without it showing up in my activity feed?
No. When you change your profile picture, Facebook automatically posts it to your timeline and notifies your friends. You can delete the post afterward if you don't want it visible, but the change itself will have already appeared in their feeds.
How long does it take for a name change to appear?
Most name changes appear when ready. If Facebook holds your change for review, it usually takes a few hours to a few days. During the review period, only you can see the new name on your profile. Once approved, it becomes visible to everyone based on your privacy settings.
What if I want to make my entire profile private?
Go to your profile, click the downward arrow next to your name, and select Edit profile. Look for the privacy setting at the top and change it from Public to Friends. This makes your profile visible only to people you've added as friends. Your profile picture and name will still be visible to everyone, but your posts, photos, and other details will be hidden.