The quickest way to change your profile picture

Open Facebook on your phone or computer and tap or click your profile icon in the top left or top right corner. Select "Profile" from the menu. On your profile page, hover over or tap your current profile picture, and a camera icon will appear. Click or tap that icon, then choose "Upload photo" to select a new image from your device, or "Take a photo" if you want to use your camera right now. Select the image you want, crop it if needed, and tap "Save" or "Confirm".

The whole process takes about 30 seconds. Your new picture appears when ready on your profile and in comments, messages, and anywhere else your profile picture shows up across Facebook.

Key Takeaways

  • You can change your profile picture by going to your profile, hovering over your current picture, and clicking the camera icon that appears.
  • Facebook lets you upload a photo from your device or take a new one with your camera during the same step.
  • You can crop and adjust your picture before saving it, so you do not have to get the framing perfect beforehand.
  • Your new profile picture shows up everywhere on Facebook within seconds, including in your comments, messages, and friend lists.
  • You can change your picture as many times as you want with no limit.

Changing your picture on a phone or tablet

On an iPhone or Android phone, open the Facebook app and tap the menu icon (three horizontal lines) at the bottom right. Tap your name at the top of the menu to go to your profile. Once you are on your profile page, tap your profile picture directly. A menu will pop up with options including "View profile picture," "Update profile picture," and "Remove profile picture." Tap "Update profile picture."

A new screen will show you two choices: "Take a photo" or "Choose from photos." If you choose "Take a photo," your phone's camera opens and you can snap a new picture right then. If you choose "Choose from photos," you will see your phone's photo library. Find the picture you want, tap it, and then use the crop tool to frame it how you like. When you are happy with how it looks, tap "Use" or "Save."

Changing your picture on a computer

On a desktop or laptop, go to Facebook.com and log in if you are not already logged in. Click your profile icon in the top right corner and select "Profile" from the dropdown menu. Your profile page will load. Find your profile picture near the top left of the page and hover your mouse over it. A camera icon will appear in the bottom right corner of your picture. Click that camera icon.

A menu will pop up with three options: "Upload photo," "Take a photo," or "Remove profile picture." Click "Upload photo" to browse your computer for an image file. Your file browser will open—find the picture you want and double-click it or select it and click "Open." Facebook will then show you a crop screen where you can adjust the frame. Click and drag the corners or edges to zoom in or out, or drag the whole image to reposition it. When the crop looks right, click "Save" or "Confirm."

Cropping and positioning your new picture

After you select a photo, Facebook shows you a crop tool before you save. This tool is a square or circle frame (depending on your settings) that shows what part of your image will appear as your profile picture. You can drag the corners of the frame to make it bigger or smaller, or drag the image itself to move it around inside the frame. Take your time here—this is your chance to make sure your face or the part of the image you want is centered and visible.

If your picture is too zoomed in or too zoomed out, you can also pinch on a phone or use your scroll wheel on a computer to zoom in and out before you crop. Once the frame shows exactly what you want, tap or click the save button. The crop is final once you save, so if you change your mind later, you will have to upload the photo again and crop it differently.

What happens to your old profile picture

When you upload a new profile picture, your old one does not disappear completely. Facebook saves it in a folder called "Profile Pictures" in your photos section. You can see all your past profile pictures by going to your profile, clicking or tapping "Photos," and then selecting "Profile Pictures" from the album list. This means you can go back and use an old profile picture again without having to find the original file on your device.

Your old profile picture is visible only to you unless you change your privacy settings. Friends cannot see your profile picture history unless you share that album with them. If you want to keep a profile picture private, do not share the Profile Pictures album.

Troubleshooting common problems

If the camera icon does not appear when you hover over your picture, try refreshing the page or closing and reopening Facebook. On a phone, make sure you are using the official Facebook app, not a web browser, because the web version sometimes has a different layout. If you are using a web browser on your phone, try switching to the app instead.

If your photo will not upload, check that the file is in a format Facebook accepts—JPG, PNG, GIF, and BMP files all work. If the file is very large (over 4 MB), try resizing it on your device before uploading. If you are on a slow internet connection, the upload might time out. Try connecting to a faster WiFi network and uploading again. If you see an error message, take a screenshot of it and try again in a few minutes—temporary server issues sometimes cause upload failures.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use a video as my profile picture instead of a photo?

No, Facebook profile pictures must be still images. You cannot upload a video or animated GIF as your main profile picture. However, you can add a video to your profile by creating a video post, which is different from your profile picture.

How often can I change my profile picture?

You can change your profile picture as often as you want with no limit. Some people change it daily, others keep the same one for years. Facebook does not restrict how many times you update it.

Will my contacts see my new profile picture right away?

Yes, your new profile picture appears when ready for everyone on Facebook. Your friends, family, and anyone who visits your profile will see the new picture within seconds of you saving it.

Can I make my profile picture visible only to certain people?

Your profile picture is always visible to everyone on Facebook, including people who are not your friends. You cannot restrict who sees your profile picture using privacy settings. If you want to keep a picture private, do not use it as your profile picture.

What if I accidentally deleted my profile picture?

If you removed your profile picture, Facebook will show a blank or default image instead. You can add a new one anytime by following the same steps to upload a photo. If you want to use an old profile picture you deleted, check your Profile Pictures album—it should still be there even if you removed it from your profile.