How to Change a Photo on LinkedIn

Your LinkedIn profile photo is your digital handshake, and that first impression happens in a split second. A clear, professional photo builds trust and makes you instantly more recognizable in a crowded feed. This guide walks you through exactly how to change your profile picture and background banner on LinkedIn, step-by-step, along with best practices to make a powerful statement with your images.

Why Your LinkedIn Photo Matters More Than You Think

In a professional network, visuals aren't just for decoration, they're for communication. A profile with a photo gets up to 21 times more views and 9 times more connection requests than one without. It’s the anchor of your personal brand, a small but mighty signal that tells people you’re a real, engaged professional who takes their career seriously. Your photo and banner are the very first things a recruiter, a potential client, or a future collaborator sees when they land on your page. They humanize your profile, transforming a list of skills and experiences into a person worth connecting with.

Think about your own scrolling habits. Are you more likely to stop on a post from a faceless gray avatar or from someone with a warm, professional headshot? The choice is clear. Your photo sets the tone for every interaction and piece of content you share on the platform.

Part 1: How to Change Your LinkedIn Profile Picture

Your profile picture is the small, circular image that represents you across the entire LinkedIn platform - in search results, in your connections’ feeds, and next to every comment you make. Here’s how to refresh it.

Step-by-Step Guide (Desktop)

Changing your photo on a computer gives you the most control over fine-tuning the final result. Follow these straightforward steps:

1. Go to Your Profile: Log in to LinkedIn and click the “Me” icon in the top right of the navigation bar. Select “View Profile” from the dropdown menu.
2. Click Your Current Photo: Move your cursor over your current profile picture. You’ll see it highlighted. Click directly on the photo.
3. Add Your New Photo: A pop-up window will appear. Click the “Add photo” button (or a pencil icon if you already have one). You'll be prompted to upload an image from your computer. Select the new headshot you want to use.
4. Edit and Adjust: LinkedIn's photo editor allows you to make basic adjustments. You can:
   • Zoom: Use the slider to zoom in or out, ensuring your face is framed nicely. Your head and shoulders should fill most of the circle.
   • Straighten: If your photo is slightly tilted, you can use the straighten tool to level it out.
   • Filters: You can apply subtle filters if you like, but it’s often best to stick with a natural, clean look for professional purposes.
   • Adjust: For more detailed control, you can adjust brightness, contrast, saturation, and vignette.
5. Set Your Visibility: Before saving, look for the visibility settings often represented by an eye icon. You can choose who sees your photo: “Public,” “Your network,” “Your connections,” or “LinkedIn members only.” For maximum visibility and a strong professional presence, setting it to “Public” is generally recommended.
6. Save Your Photo: Once you’re happy with how it looks, click the “Save photo” button. Your profile picture will update instantly.

Step-by-Step Guide (Mobile App)

Updating your photo on the go is just as easy using the LinkedIn mobile app for iOS or Android.

1. Open the App and Go to Your Profile: Tap your small profile picture icon in the top left corner of the home screen, then tap “View Profile” on the new screen that slides in.
2. Tap your Profile Picture: Tap directly on your circular profile picture. An option menu will appear at the bottom of your screen.
3. Select a New Photo: You’ll have options to “Take a photo” with your phone’s camera, “Upload from photos” to choose one from your gallery, or “View or edit profile photo” for your current one. Select “Upload from photos.”
4. Edit and Position: Similar to the desktop version, you can move, pinch, and zoom to position your headshot within the circular frame. The mobile editor may offer different filters and adjustments.
5. Save Changes: Once it looks right, tap “Save” or the equivalent checkmark icon. Your professional image is now updated for everyone to see.

Choosing the Perfect LinkedIn Profile Picture: Best Practices

Uploading a photo is easy. Uploading a great photo requires a bit more thought.

Keep it Professional, Not Stuffy

The goal is to look like the best professional version of yourself. Your photo should be recent (taken within the last couple of years) so people recognize you in person. Opt for a classic headshot style where your head and the tops of your shoulders are visible, and your face takes up about 60% of the frame. A genuine smile makes you appear approachable and confident. Avoid vacation selfies, group photos where you have to awkwardly crop people out, or pictures with distracting filters.

Technical Specifications and Quick Tips

• File Type: Use a JPG, PNG, or non-animated GIF.
• File Size: The file must be under 8 MB.
• Dimensions: Aim for a square image of at least 400x400 pixels for the best quality. A higher resolution photo (e.g., 800x800) will look even sharper.
• Background: A simple, uncluttered background is ideal. It keeps the focus entirely on you. A neutral-colored wall, an out-of-focus office environment, or even a professional studio background works well.
• Lighting: Good lighting is non-negotiable. Natural light is your best friend - face a window for soft, even light that minimizes harsh shadows.

What to Wear

Your attire should align with your industry and career goals. Dress as you would for an important interview or a day at your office. Solid, muted colors tend to look better on camera than busy patterns, which can be distracting. The main goal is for your clothing to complement you, not overshadow you.

Part 2: How to Change Your LinkedIn Background Photo (Banner)

The background banner is the wide, rectangular image at the very top of your profile. It's prime real estate for personal branding and often overlooked. A custom banner shows attention to detail and gives you a chance to communicate what you’re all about visually.

Step-by-Step Guide

The process is nearly identical on both desktop and mobile.

1. Navigate to your LinkedIn profile.
2. Click the pencil icon located in the upper right corner of your main profile card (just below the banner image itself).
3. In the new "Edit intro" window, click the pencil or camera icon in the upper right corner of the banner preview image.
4. Select "Upload Photo" and choose a new banner image from your files.
5. You can reposition the image by dragging it. Use the provided tools to zoom, straighten, or apply filters if you wish.
6. Click “Apply” or “Save” to finalize the changes.

Making Your LinkedIn Banner Work for You

A default banner (or no banner) is a missed opportunity. Your banner image should complement your profile picture and add context to your professional story.

It's a Tiny Billboard for Your Brand

Don't just upload a pretty landscape photo. Use this space strategically to communicate who you are and what you do. Are you a graphic designer? Showcase some of your work. A public speaker? Use a shot of you on stage. A software engineer? Perhaps an abstract design with your brand colors or a clean shot of your workspace. You can include your company logo, a tagline, your website URL, or contact information.

Technical Specifications and Design Tips

• File Type: JPG, PNG, or GIF.
• File Size: Under 8 MB.
• Dimensions: The recommended size is 1584 x 396 pixels.
• The "Safe Zone": This is important. Your profile picture will cover the bottom-left portion of your banner on both desktop and mobile. Furthermore, the banner gets cropped differently on various screen sizes. Keep all critical text, logos, or information towards the center and right, away from the edges and clear of the area blocked by your profile photo. You can use free design tools like Canva, which have pre-sized LinkedIn banner templates with built-in guides showing these safe zones.

3 Ideas for an Effective LinkedIn Banner

1. The Professional: Use a high-quality photo of your office, your city skyline, or an abstract image that uses your or your company’s brand colors. It’s clean, simple, and effective.
2. The Marketer or Business Owner: Clearly display your company's name, logo, and a short value proposition. Example: "Helping Small Businesses Grow with Smart SEO."
3. The Creator or Expert: Show yourself in action. Use a photo of you speaking at a conference, leading a workshop, or working on a notable project. This authenticates your expertise immediately.

Common Mistakes to Avoid With Your LinkedIn Photos

Paying attention to a few common pitfalls can make all the difference:

• The Ghost Profile: The biggest mistake is not having a profile picture at all. It looks incomplete and less trustworthy.
• Outdated Photos: Using a headshot from 10 years ago is confusing. Keep it current.
• Pixelated Images: A blurry, low-resolution photo looks unprofessional. Always use the highest quality file you can.
• Poor Cropping: Don’t use a cropped photo from a group setting where you can see someone else’s arm on your shoulder. Take a dedicated headshot.
• Text in the Wrong Place: For banners, the most common error is placing important text where the profile picture will cover it up. Always design with the bottom-left "dead zone" in mind.
• Generic Stock Photos: A generic, overused stock photo for your banner doesn't say anything personal about you. Aim for originality.

Final Thoughts

Changing your LinkedIn photos is technically straightforward, but making smart choices about which photos to use is a strategic and valuable part of managing your professional identity. Your profile picture and banner work together to define your brand, build trust, and encourage the right people to connect with you.

As we get our visual branding in order on key platforms like LinkedIn, the next step becomes maintaining that cohesive and professional look everywhere else you show up online. We rely heavily on a clear visual calendar to plan our content, making it easier to see how our brand looks over time and spot any inconsistencies. That’s why we designed the tools in Postbase with a clear, bird's-eye view, helping you schedule content and maintain that polished feel you just perfected on your profile.