The quickest way to change your Facebook picture

Open Facebook on your phone or computer and tap or click your profile picture in the top left corner. Select Change profile picture from the menu that appears. Choose whether you want to upload a photo from your device, take a new one with your camera, or pick one you have already posted. Once you select an image, you can crop it to fit the circular profile frame, then tap or click Save.

The whole process takes about 30 seconds. Your new picture appears immediately on your profile and in comments you make, though it may take a few minutes to show up everywhere across Facebook.

Key Takeaways

  • You can change your profile picture from your profile page by tapping or clicking your current picture and selecting the change option from the menu.
  • Facebook lets you upload a new photo, take one with your device's camera, or use a photo you have already posted.
  • You can crop and adjust your picture before saving it, and the change takes effect immediately on your profile.
  • Your profile picture also appears as your avatar in comments, messages, and reactions across Facebook.

Changing your picture on a phone

On iPhone or Android, open the Facebook app and tap the three horizontal lines (menu icon) at the bottom right. Tap your name at the top of the menu. Once you are on your profile, tap your profile picture at the top. A menu will appear with options including Change profile picture. Tap that option.

You will see three choices: Upload photo (to pick from your phone's photo library), Take photo (to use your camera right now), or Choose from photos (to pick a photo you have already posted on Facebook). Select whichever fits what you want to do. After you choose an image, you can pinch and drag to crop it inside the circular frame, then tap Save.

Changing your picture on a computer

Go to Facebook.com and log in. Click your profile picture in the top left corner of the page. A dropdown menu appears. Click Change profile picture. You will see the same three options: upload a new photo from your computer, take a photo with your webcam, or choose from photos you have posted.

If you upload or take a photo, a preview window opens where you can move and resize the image to fit the circular profile frame. Click and drag the image to position it, or use the zoom slider to make it larger or smaller. Once it looks right, click Save.

What happens after you change your picture

Your new profile picture shows up on your profile page right away. It also becomes your avatar in comments, reactions, and messages. Friends will see the new picture in their news feed if they visit your profile, and it appears next to any comments or posts you make going forward.

If you have posted the same photo before, Facebook may ask if you want to use it as your cover photo as well. You can say yes or no — changing your profile picture does not automatically change your cover photo unless you choose to do so.

Removing or temporarily hiding your profile picture

If you want to remove your profile picture entirely, go through the same steps to open the change menu, but instead of selecting a new photo, look for a Remove option. Facebook will show a generic silhouette as your profile picture until you upload a new one.

You cannot hide your profile picture from specific people without changing your overall privacy settings. If you want only certain friends to see your picture, you would need to adjust your profile visibility settings, which is a separate process from changing the picture itself.

Troubleshooting common picture-change problems

If your new picture does not appear after you save it, try refreshing the page or closing and reopening the Facebook app. Sometimes the change takes a minute or two to sync across Facebook's servers. If you are still not seeing it after five minutes, log out and log back in.

If the upload button is not working, make sure your photo file is in a common format like JPG or PNG and is not larger than 4 MB. On a phone, check that you have given Facebook permission to access your photo library. On a computer, try a different web browser if the upload keeps failing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I see who viewed my profile picture?

No. Facebook does not tell you who has looked at your profile picture. You can see who has reacted to or commented on a photo you posted in an album, but profile pictures are different — there is no view count or viewer list for them.

What size should my profile picture be?

Facebook automatically crops your photo into a circle, so the exact dimensions do not matter much. A square photo works best because it will not have parts cut off. Avoid very small or blurry images, as they will look pixelated when displayed at profile size.

Can I change my profile picture back to an old one?

Yes. When you go to change your picture, select Choose from photos and browse through photos you have posted before. You can pick any photo from your Facebook history, even if you posted it years ago.

Does changing my profile picture notify my friends?

Not directly. Your friends will not get a notification saying you changed your picture. However, if they visit your profile or see your comments in their feed, they will see the new picture.

Can I use a video as my profile picture?

No. Facebook profile pictures must be still images. You can set a video as your cover photo, but your profile picture has to be a photo or image file.