How to Change Your Profile Picture on Pinterest

Ready to give your Pinterest account a fresh look? Whether you're rebranding your business, updating your personal style, or just tired of that photo from three years ago, changing your profile picture is a simple task that makes a big difference. This guide will walk you through the process step-by-step for both desktop and mobile, along with some practical tips for choosing an image that truly represents you or your brand.

Why Your Pinterest Profile Picture Matters (A Lot)

It's easy to think of your profile picture as a minor detail, but on a visual platform like Pinterest, it’s one of the most important elements of your branding. It’s your digital handshake, the tiny icon that follows your brand across the entire platform. It appears next to every Pin you save, every comment you leave, on your profile page, and in follower feeds. It’s often the first thing people see and your primary tool for building an instantly recognizable presence.

For businesses, a strong profile picture serves as a constant and consistent brand identifier. When a user sees your logo pop up in their search results or on their home feed, they immediately connect that Pin to your brand. This repetition builds familiarity and trust. It signals professionalism and communicates that you have a cohesive brand identity.

For individuals and creators, your profile picture serves a similar purpose but with a personal touch. A clear, friendly headshot helps you build a community and connect with your audience on a human level. People connect with people, and seeing your face helps establish you as the trusted expert or relatable creator behind the content. It turns a faceless account into a personal brand.

Choosing the Perfect Pinterest Profile Picture

Before you upload, let’s spend a moment thinking about what makes a great profile picture. The goal is clarity, impact, and consistency. A blurry or confusing image can make your profile look unprofessional or untrustworthy.

For Businesses and Brands

If you're managing a business account, your logo is almost always the best choice. It’s the single most recognizable asset your brand has. Here’s how to get it right:

• Keep It Simple: Your logo will be displayed in a small circle. Complex logos with lots of thin lines or small text will become unreadable. A simpler, bold version of your logo often works best. If you have a logomark (the graphic part of your logo), consider using that on its own.
• Use High Contrast: Make sure your logo stands out against the background. Avoid busy backgrounds that compete with your brand mark. A solid brand color or white background usually works best.
• Check for Consistency: Is this the same logo you use on Instagram, Facebook, and your website? Maintaining brand consistency across all platforms makes your brand easier to recognize and follow, no matter where your audience finds you.

For Creators and Individuals

If your brand is you, then a high-quality headshot is your best bet. People want to see the person behind the great ideas.

• Clarity is King: Use a clear, well-lit, high-resolution photo. Avoid blurry, dark, or pixelated images. Your face should be easily recognizable even at a small size. Natural light is almost always the most flattering.
• Show Your Face: Group shots, photos where you're wearing sunglasses, or pictures taken from a distance don't work well. Your face should fill most of the frame. A simple headshot or a shot from the chest up is ideal.
• Let Your Personality Shine: A genuine smile makes you seem approachable and helps build a connection with your audience. Let your expression match your brand's tone. If you're a comedian, a funny face might work. If you're a business coach, project confidence and warmth.
• Watch Your Background: A cluttered or distracting background takes the focus away from you. A clean, simple background - a solid color, a subtly blurred outdoor scene, or an office setting - keeps the attention where it belongs: on you.

Technical Specifications for Your Pinterest Photo

Pinterest is flexible, but following these guidelines will give you the best results:

• Dimensions: Your profile picture is displayed as a circle. While the minimum upload size is 165 x 165 pixels, it's a good idea to upload a larger square image, like 600 x 600 pixels or higher, to make sure it looks crisp on all devices.
• Centering: Since your square image will be cropped into a circle, make sure the most important part of the image (your face or logo) is in the center. Don't put key elements in the corners, as they will be cut off.
• File Type: Use a JPG or PNG file.
• File Size: Keep your file size under 10MB.

How to Change Your Pinterest Profile Picture: Desktop Guide

Updating your profile on a desktop or laptop is a quick process. Just follow these steps:

1. Log In to Pinterest: Open your web browser and navigate to Pinterest.com. Log in to your account if you aren't already signed in.
2. Go to Your Profile: In the top-right corner of the screen, click on your current profile picture. This will open a drop-down menu. Click your name to go directly to your profile page.
3. Find the Edit Button: Once on your profile page, you'll see a white pencil icon directly on your profile picture. Alternatively, you can click the "Edit profile" button located just below your username.
4. Change the Photo: In the "Public profile" section, you’ll see your current photo. Click the "Change" button that appears underneath it.
5. Upload Your New Image: A file explorer window will open. Navigate to the image you want to use on your computer, select it, and click "Open."
6. Position and Save: Pinterest will show you a preview of your new photo within a circular frame. You can drag and zoom the image to position it perfectly. Once you’re happy with how it looks, click the "Save" button.
7. Save Your Profile Changes: Finally, click the main "Save" button at the bottom of the "Edit profile" page to confirm all your changes. Your new profile picture is now live!

How to Change Your Pinterest Profile Picture: Mobile App Guide (iOS &, Android)

Changing your photo on the go with the Pinterest app is just as simple. The steps are nearly identical for both iPhone and Android devices.

1. Open the Pinterest App: Tap the Pinterest icon on your phone to launch the app and make sure you're logged in.
2. Navigate to Your Profile: Tap your profile picture icon located in the bottom-right corner of the navigation bar. This will take you to your personal profile page.
3. Tap 'Edit Profile': Right below your name and follower count, you will see an "Edit profile" button. Tap on it.
4. Select Your Profile Picture: On the "Edit profile" screen, your current profile picture appears at the top. Tap on it.
5. Choose a New Photo: The app will give you the option to either "Take new photo" with your camera or "Choose from photos" to select an image from your phone's gallery.
6. Adjust and Select: Pick your desired photo from your library. You’ll be able to pinch-to-zoom and drag the image to center it within the circular crop guide. Once it's positioned how you want, tap "Done."
7. Save Your Changes: After returning to the main "Edit Profile" screen, tap "Done" in the top-right corner to save everything. Your profile is now updated!

Troubleshooting: What to Do If It's Not Working

Sometimes you might run into a small snag. Here are solutions to the most common issues:

My New Photo Won’t Upload

If you're getting an error when trying to upload, check these three things first:

• File Size: Is your image file larger than 10MB? If so, use an image editor to resize or compress it before uploading again.
• File Type: Make sure your file is a JPG or PNG. Other formats like WebP or GIFs may not be supported for profile pictures.
• Browser Glitch: Occasionally, a browser extension or cache issue can interfere. Try clearing your browser's cache or using a different browser (like Chrome if you're on Safari, or vice versa) to upload the image.

My Profile Picture Looks Blurry

This almost always happens because the source image was low-resolution. Pinterest has to compress images, and if you start with a small or low-quality photo, the compression will make it look fuzzy. Find the original, high-resolution version of your photo and upload that instead. An image that is at least 600 x 600 pixels is a great starting point.

My Old Picture Is Still Showing Up

Updated your picture but still see the old one? This is a common caching issue. Your browser or the app is holding onto the old version to load the page faster. Try a hard refresh on your desktop (Ctrl + F5 on Windows or Cmd + Shift + R on Mac) or close and reopen the app on your phone. The new picture will typically appear everywhere within a few minutes.

Final Thoughts

Changing your Pinterest profile picture is a simple update that has a surprisingly large impact on your brand’s professionalism and recognizability. Following these quick steps for desktop or mobile will ensure your profile looks fresh, consistent, and ready to attract your ideal audience in just a few clicks.

Keeping visual branding consistent from your profile picture to the Pins you share is a foundation of great social media management. At Postbase, we live and breathe this stuff. We rely on our own visual calendar to organize all of our content - from TikToks to Pinterest posts - so we can spot gaps, plan cohesive campaigns, and make sure every piece of content strengthens our brand. It streamlines how we work, giving us more time to focus on creating great content and less time worrying about our schedule.