How to Hide or Show Your WhatsApp Profile Picture

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Plus, some FAQs about your WhatsApp profile pic

Written by Hannah Dillon

Last Updated: June 23, 2025 Fact Checked

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Changing on Mobile

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Changing on Desktop

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FAQ

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Q&A

There are all sorts of things you can do with WhatsApp, from sending messages or video calling loved ones overseas. By default, anyone on WhatsApp can see your profile picture. If you want to hide your profile photo, or just limit who can see it, you've come to the right place! In this guide, you'll learn how to change who can see your profile photo on WhatsApp.

Quick Steps

Open WhatsApp on your phone or computer.
Open your WhatsApp settings.
Click or tap on Privacy.
Click or tap on Profile photo.
Choose the privacy option you want.
Click or tap the back arrow to save your settings.

Section 1 of 3:

Change Profile Photo Privacy on Mobile

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1
Open WhatsApp and go to your WhatsApp settings. How you do this depends on what type of phone you have:
- On iPhone or iPad, tap on the gear icon
  at the bottom right-hand corner of the screen.
- On Android, tap the ⋮ in the upper right corner and select Settings.
2
Tap Privacy. The option has an icon of a lock. It's located under the Account option.
- By default, your profile photo is visible to anyone who can view your profile.^{[1]
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3
Tap Profile Photo. This option is second down from the top.
- If you need help adding a new profile photo, check out our guide to editing your WhatsApp profile.
4
Select the option you prefer. The options are as follows:
- Tap Everyone if you want anyone on WhatsApp to be able to see your profile picture.
- Tap My Contacts if you want only your WhatsApp contacts to see your profile picture.
- Tap My Contacts except… if you don’t want certain WhatsApp contacts seeing your profile picture.
- Tap Nobody if you don’t want anyone on WhatsApp to see your profile picture.
The screen will go back to the previous page and will briefly show "Updating…" at the top of the page. It will then refresh and save your updated choice.^{[2]
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Section 2 of 3:

Profile Photo Privacy on Desktop

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To do this, click on the cogwheel in the lower-left corner of your screen, above your profile picture.
The option has an icon of a lock. It's located under the Account option.
This option is second down from the top.
4
Select the option you prefer. The options are as follows:
- Click Everyone if you want anyone on WhatsApp to be able to see your profile picture.
- Click My Contacts if you want only your WhatsApp contacts to see your profile picture.
- Click My Contacts except… if you don’t want certain WhatsApp contacts seeing your profile picture.
- Click Nobody if you don’t want anyone on WhatsApp to see your profile picture.
Your new selection will save automatically.^{[3]
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Section 3 of 3:

FAQ

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1
Can I make it so only specific people can see my WhatsApp profile pic? Yes, you can. When choosing your profile photo privacy settings, choose My Contacts except…. Then, choose all the people you don't want to see your profile picture.
2
How do I remove my WhatsApp profile picture? Go to your WhatsApp settings. Click or tap on your profile picture, then click or tap Edit photo. Choose the option that says Delete photo or Remove photo to remove your profile photo completely.^{[4]
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3
Can people I've blocked see my profile picture? If you block someone on WhatsApp, they won't be able to see when you've changed your profile photo. But, they can still see the version of your profile photo they were able to see before you blocked them.^{[5]
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4
Can someone see if you look at their WhatsApp profile? No. You can safely look at someone's WhatsApp profile and photo without them ever knowing you were there.
5
Can strangers see your WhatsApp profile picture? Yes, your profile picture is public on WhatsApp by default, which means anyone who looks at your profile can see your picture. If you want to hide your profile picture from strangers, you can limit the privacy to My Contacts, My Contacts Except, or Nobody.

Community Q&A

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Question

My friend keeps seeing my profile and I wanted her to stop, so I tried this. It worked for everyone else but her. What can I do to stop her from seeing my profile now?

Alex

Top Answerer

It might be because your friend is part of your contacts. This just means that she's your friend on WhatsApp. On Step 6, instead of selecting "My Contacts," click "Nobody."

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Question

How do I let only certain contacts see my profile photo?

Community Answer

There is a new option under About - "My contacts except..." where you can choose what contacts cannot see your info.

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Thank you for your feedback.
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