How to update your Facebook profile

Here's how to update your Facebook profile from basic pictures to fancy videos












Profile pictures "look" on Facebook - serve as an online representation of your personality (or perhaps your cat).  Cover photos, on the other hand, align your profile page with a larger image.  Uploading to one is easy, but if you're new to Facebook or don't understand why your profile photo looks weird, a simple guide on how to upload a Facebook profile photo and cover photo - and how do I upload a profile video instead,  Feel free to add a frame, use a temporary profile picture, or crop your own image to the right level for any reason.

  Facebook recently made it possible to use a short video clip instead of a static image as your profile.  Currently, the feature is available only through the desktop app, not just the desktop computer.
  See those texts and graphics in the profile pictures of some of your friends, usually non-profits, sports teams or on the holidays?  It's called a Facebook frame and it's easy to do.  Again though, this is a feature of the application, not the desktop website.









  Follow these steps to change the profile image from a mobile device (steps 1-5 above) by tapping the title and profile picture on your profile page.  You can change a profile picture at any time.



  After selecting the profile picture, tap Add Frame.  You may need to approve a pop-up that gives you access to your location on Facebook, since some frames are location-based.  Now, you'll see a number of different frame options - Facebook prioritizes seasonal frames in addition to the options your friends use first.



  Frames are automatically defaulted to your current profile photo.  If you want to remove the photo for another one while using the frame, click on the photo camera icon that says Change to the top right of the photo.  Below the preview, you'll see options to change the frame or your profile image will expire and revert to the old version after a certain date - helpful if you're using a seasonal banner.  You can add a comment.  Once finished, tap Use.



  Once you know how to upload a profile photo you can upload a cover photo - it's just another click and a little bit of cropping.
















  On a desktop

  Navigate to your profile page by clicking on your name from the blue menu bar above.



  Hover your mouse over your current cover photo, then click Update my cover photo.  If you have already shared the picture on Facebook, select Choose from my photos or Upload a photo if you do not share it.



  Click the image you want to use - If you are uploading a new image, double click or single click, use the button at the bottom.  You will be redirected to your profile page, where you can adjust the crop on your cover photo.  Click and drag the mouse vertically to make changes.  Note that you cannot crop the image horizontally, which is why it is best to choose a wide photo shot in landscape orientation.  Click Save Changes once cropping is complete.

  Alternatively, you can change your cover photo while viewing a photo by clicking on the options at the bottom of the screen and choosing the cover photo photo.



  Mobile

  Within the Facebook app, navigate to your profile page by clicking the menu icon (three lines in the bottom right) and selecting your name from the top of the list.



  Tap on the cover photo.  If you have not yet shared the picture on Facebook, choose Upload Photo or select Photo on Facebook if you have not already shared the image.



  Find the image you want to use and tap on it.  On the next screen, use your finger to drag the image vertically to crop it to the correct size.  Tap Save to finish.











  What size should Facebook profile and cover photo be?
  Is Facebook giving you an error when you try to upload?  The most common reason for failing to upload an image is the image size (you will also see an error if you do not use JPEG or PNG file type).  So what is the best dimension for a Facebook profile picture?
  For viewing on a computer, at least one profile photo should be 180 x 180 pixels, and the cover photo should be 820 x 312 pixels.  Facebook doesn't actually allow you to upload any pictures when the resolution falls below the specs, but if the pictures are large, it'll be okay to screen the device you're using for 128 x 128 pixels (profile photo) and 640 x 360 pixels (cover photo).  Scale.  (Technically, you could upload a cover photo as small as 400 x 150 pixels, but it would look awesome))
  It's easy to find out if an image is big enough.  In Windows, right-click an image file, select Properties from the menu, and click the Details tab to find the dimensions.  In macOS, the process is the same: right-click (or click while pressing the control key) or double-finger on the image file, select Get Info from the menu, and locate the dimensions under More Information.
  As long as the numbers are greater than the minimum requirements, the image will work.  However, you need to resize a photo to match the exact dimensions of Facebook.
  How to resize a profile or cover photo to Facebook
  In general, it is a good idea to use a high-resolution image without using only the minimum fill image.  Doing so will ensure that you maintain a good image quality when cropping or resizing a photo.  If you have a relatively modern camera or smartphone set to the highest JPEG resolution, resolution should not be a problem.  For example, the iPhone 7's camera can shoot photos at 4,000 x 3,000 pixels, which is a lot more.

There are two primary ways to resize a profile or cover photo, and they are both simple.  The easiest way is to upload an image to Facebook, and then crop it to size (profile photo) or croppost (cover photo).

  With the cover photo in mind, remember that the entire width of the image you are uploading is fixed.  This means that you will only be able to replace top to bottom (height) which is a problem for portrait (vertical) photos.  We recommend using a landscape (horizontal) image, which holds a lot of images.






  Another option is to use a good photo editor on your computer, smart device or online and then crop an image to precise dimensions (setting dimensions with the crop tool).  This lets you control which image you want to display.  But for this specific task, the best resizer we've found is a free online tool called Social Media Image Maker, which helps you resize your images to fit different social networks.  Just pick a social network (in this case, Facebook) and then choose one of the few sizes.  For example, in addition to cover and profile images, Social Media Image Maker helps you resize photos for standard posts, highlights, applications or event profiles.

  The great thing about Social Media Image Maker is that it also provides basic photo editing tools, so you can apply a filter or fix color.  Once the photo has been resized, save the file to your computer, which you will use to upload.

  Desktop vs. Mobile
  Remember how we said that Facebook automatically scales photos to fit the screen of the device you're using?  What’s happening is that rather than extending cover photos from one device to another - a desktop on a smartphone - Facebook changes cropping.  When you compare the mobile version to the desktop, you will see that some left and right parts of the image are cut, but both versions are exactly the same image - just cut separately.

  This is not an issue in most cases, but if the cover photo contains the information you want to display, check the image on the phone and tablet to make sure it is displayed correctly.

  A good Facebook profile image lets you put your best foot forward - flaws, looks - and thanks to recent updates, profile photos are becoming more unique with video photos and frames.