What You Can Change on Your Facebook Profile
Facebook lets you change your profile picture, cover photo, name, bio, contact information, and privacy settings whenever you want. Most changes take effect when ready, though your name has a cooldown period—you can only change it once every 60 days. Some changes, like your profile picture, are visible to everyone by default unless you adjust who can see them.
The steps differ slightly depending on whether you're using Facebook on a phone or a computer, but the options available are the same. This guide covers both.
Key Takeaways
- Your profile picture and cover photo can be changed from your profile page by clicking the camera icon over the existing image.
- Your name can only be changed once every 60 days, and Facebook may reject names that don't follow their real-name policy.
- Contact information like email, phone number, and website links are edited in the "About" section of your profile.
- You can control who sees each piece of your profile information by adjusting privacy settings next to each detail.
- Changes to your profile picture and cover photo take effect right away, but you can undo them within 30 days.
How to Change Your Profile Picture on Any Device
On a phone: Open Facebook and tap your profile icon at the bottom right. Tap your current profile picture. Tap the camera icon in the bottom right corner of the photo. Choose "Take a Photo" to use your camera, "Upload a Photo" to pick from your phone's gallery, or "Choose from Frame" to use a Facebook frame. Select your image and tap "Use This Photo" to confirm.
On a computer: Go to your profile by clicking your name or profile picture at the top. Hover over your profile picture and click the camera icon. Choose "Upload Photo" to pick from your computer, "Take a Photo" if your computer has a camera, or "Choose from Frame" for a Facebook frame. Select the image and click "Save".
Your new profile picture appears when ready. You can undo the change within 30 days by going back to the same menu and clicking "Revert to Previous Photo".
How to Change Your Cover Photo
On a phone: Go to your profile and tap the cover photo. Tap the camera icon. Choose "Take a Photo", "Upload a Photo", or "Choose from Frame". Select your image and tap "Use This Photo".
On a computer: Go to your profile and hover over the cover photo. Click the camera icon. Choose "Upload Photo", "Take a Photo", or "Choose from Frame". Select the image and click "Save".
Your cover photo updates right away. You can change it as often as you want with no waiting period.
How to Change Your Name on Facebook
Facebook requires you to wait 60 days between name changes. If you've recently changed your name, you'll see a message telling you when you can change it again.
On a phone: Tap your profile icon at the bottom right. Tap "See Your Profile". Tap the three dots at the top right. Tap "Edit Profile". Scroll to "Name" and tap it. Enter your new name and tap "Review Change". Tap "Save Changes".
On a computer: Click your name or profile picture at the top. Click the pencil icon next to your name. Type your new name and click "Review Change". Click "Save Changes".
Facebook may reject names that include numbers, symbols, or words it flags as unusual. If your name is rejected, try removing extra characters or spaces and submit again. If you're changing your name for a legitimate reason—marriage, divorce, cultural name—and Facebook keeps rejecting it, you can request a manual review through the same screen.
How to Change Your Bio and About Information
On a phone: Go to your profile and tap "Edit Profile". Scroll down and tap "Bio" to add or change a short description of yourself. Tap "About" to add work history, education, hometown, relationship status, and other details. Fill in the fields you want to update and tap "Save".
On a computer: Go to your profile and click "Edit Profile". Scroll to "Bio" and click it to add or change your bio. Click "About" to add work, education, and other details. Fill in the fields and click "Save Changes".
Each field in your About section has its own privacy setting. Next to each piece of information, you'll see a small icon showing who can see it—usually a globe (everyone), a group of people (friends), or a lock (only you). Click that icon to change who can view that specific detail.
How to Change Contact Information and Website Links
On a phone: Go to your profile, tap "Edit Profile", and scroll to "Contact Information". Add or change your email, phone number, or website. Tap "Save" when you're done.
On a computer: Go to your profile, click "Edit Profile", and scroll to "Contact Information". Add or change your email, phone number, or website. Click "Save Changes".
You can control who sees your contact information by clicking the privacy icon next to each field. By default, phone numbers and email addresses are set to "Friends Only" or "Only Me", but you can change this to "Public" if you want everyone to see them.
How to Control Who Sees Your Profile Changes
Most profile information has a privacy setting next to it. Click or tap the icon (usually a globe, group, or lock) to choose who can see that detail: Public (everyone), Friends, Friends Except, Specific Friends, or Only Me.
Your profile picture and cover photo are public by default and visible to everyone, even people not on Facebook. If you want to limit who sees these photos, go to your profile, click or tap the three dots on the photo, and choose "Edit Privacy". Select "Friends" or "Only Me".
Changes to privacy settings take effect right away. You can adjust them at any time without waiting periods.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Facebook reject my name change?
Facebook rejects names with numbers, symbols, or words it flags as spam or unusual. Try removing extra characters, spaces, or numbers. If you're changing your name for a legitimate reason and it keeps getting rejected, you can request a manual review by clicking "Get Help" on the rejection screen.
Can I change my profile picture back to an old one?
Yes. Go to your profile, click or tap your profile picture, and tap the three dots. Choose "See All Photos" or "View Profile Picture History". Find the old photo and click or tap "Set as Profile Picture". You have 30 days to undo any change.
What happens to my old profile picture when I upload a new one?
Your old profile picture moves to your profile picture album and stays there unless you delete it. Other people can still see it in that album unless you change the album's privacy settings to "Only Me".
Can I change my profile information on the Facebook app and the website?
Yes. Changes made on the app or website sync across all devices. If you change your name on your phone, it updates on your computer and any other device you use Facebook on.
How do I hide my profile from search results?
Go to Settings, click "Privacy", and find "Who can look you up?". Change the settings for search engines and Facebook search. You can also limit who sees your profile by clicking "Edit Profile" and adjusting the privacy setting next to your profile picture.