How to Change Your Instagram Profile Picture, and the Right Size
Go to your profile, tap Edit profile, then Edit picture or avatar, and pick a photo. Upload a 320 by 320 pixel square. How to remove it, and why Facebook asks.
To change your Instagram profile picture, go to your profile, tap Edit profile, then tap Edit picture or avatar. Pick where the new photo comes from, crop it and tap Done. Upload a square of at least 320 by 320 pixels, since that's the size Instagram stores. Instagram shows it as a small circle, so keep your face or logo in the middle.
We read Instagram's Help Center as Google showed it on October 23, 2026, plus image size guides from Hootsuite (October 1, 2026), Moda and ExpertPhotography.
"How to change instagram profile picture" gets about 22,200 searches a month, up 22%. "Instagram profile picture size" gets another 14,800.
How do you change your Instagram profile picture?
Instagram's Help Center gives these steps:
- Go to your profile. "Tap Profile or your profile picture in the bottom right," the Help Center says.
- Tap Edit profile.
- Tap Edit picture or avatar. Then "select where you'd like to import your picture from," the Help Center says.
- Finish up. "Tap Done after making your changes."
A July 2026 tutorial shows some of the choices you'll get there: pick from your library, or import one from Facebook or WhatsApp. It's also possible from Accounts Center. Instagram's Help Center says to "tap Accounts Center, then tap Profiles" and pick the profile you want.
What size should an Instagram profile picture be?
| Where | Size |
|---|---|
| The file you upload | 320 by 320 pixels |
| In the app | About 110 by 110 pixels |
| Shape on screen | A circle |
Hootsuite's image size guide, October 1, 2026, and Moda's, March 15, 2026.
Hootsuite lists "Profile photo: 320 x 320 px" for Instagram. Moda's guide says the picture is stored at that size and shown as a circle, about 110 pixels wide in the feed. ExpertPhotography's September 2026 guide gives the same 320 pixel square. The circle cuts off the corners, so don't put anything important near the edges.
How do you remove your Instagram profile picture?
"Instagram allows users to remove a profile picture directly through the mobile app in a few steps," its topic page says. Open Edit profile, tap Edit picture or avatar, and pick the remove option. Your profile's back to the default image after that.
Why does Instagram ask about Facebook?
Your Instagram and Facebook profiles can share one picture if they're linked in Accounts Center. Instagram's Help Center covers syncing the picture there, and turning it off under Accounts Center, then Profiles. "If your Instagram pfp keeps reappearing on Facebook or vice versa, the two accounts are likely linked in Accounts Center," a Facebook help answer says. "Disconnecting them stops the sync."
So if your new picture keeps switching back, or Instagram asks to change Facebook too, check the sync first.
Who can see your Instagram profile picture?
Everyone. "Your profile information, including your name, profile photo, username, and bio, are always public," Instagram's Help Center says. That's true even on a private account, so pick a photo you're happy for strangers to see. The same goes for an avatar: "anyone, on or off Instagram, can see your avatar," the Help Center notes. Our guide to making Instagram private covers what a private account does hide.
The rest of your profile
A clear picture helps people recognize you before they follow. Our guides to Instagram username ideas and changing your Instagram username cover the rest of the top of your profile. Hclout's free tier gives 12 free Instagram likes on a public post, with no password, on the free page. A short Cloudflare check runs before each claim.
Frequently asked questions
Why won't my Instagram profile picture change?
If it keeps switching back, your Facebook and Instagram pictures may be synced in Accounts Center. Turn the sync off, then change it again.
What size is an Instagram profile picture?
Upload 320 by 320 pixels. Instagram shows it as a circle about 110 pixels wide in the app.
How do I remove my Instagram profile picture?
Open Edit profile, tap Edit picture or avatar, and pick the remove option.
Is my Instagram profile picture public?
Yes. Instagram's Help Center says your profile photo is always public, even on a private account.
Can I use an avatar instead of a photo?
Yes. Edit picture or avatar lets you pick either, and anyone can see an avatar, on or off Instagram.
Sources
- Instagram Help Center pages on changing your profile picture, Accounts Center profiles and syncing, always-public profile information and avatars, as Google showed them on October 23, 2026
- Instagram's topic pages on changing and removing a profile picture, as Google showed them on October 23, 2026
- Hootsuite, "Social media image sizes guide," October 1, 2026, read through our server on October 23, 2026
- Moda (March 15, 2026) and ExpertPhotography (September 28, 2026) size guides, and a Facebook help answer on profile picture syncing, as Google showed them on October 23, 2026
- A YouTube tutorial of July 4, 2026, as Google showed it
- Google Ads Keyword Planner, worldwide, read October 23, 2026
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