Profile picture sizes: one rule that works everywhere
Rather than a table that will be wrong next year, a rule that stays right.
In short
Upload a square image of at least 400 × 400 pixels — 800 × 800 is safer for platforms that show large avatars — with the face centred and well inside the middle, because most platforms crop profile pictures to a circle. Keep it under a few megabytes, in JPEG or PNG.
Key takeaways
- Square, at least 400 × 400 px; 800 × 800 to be safe.
- Face centred, with margin: the circle crops the corners.
- Check the preview the platform shows before saving.
Why one rule beats a table
LinkedIn, Instagram, X, Facebook, YouTube, WhatsApp and Slack each display avatars at their own sizes, and change them with redesigns. They all accept a larger square image and scale it down; none can make a small image sharp. Uploading generously sized squares works everywhere.
The rule
- Crop to a square (1:1).
- Resize to 800 × 800 pixels, or at least 400 × 400.
- Keep the face in the central circle, with space around the head.
- Save as JPEG at good quality, or PNG if the picture has flat colours or a logo.
The circle trap
Most platforms show avatars as circles. A square photo framed edge to edge loses its corners — and sometimes the top of the head. Leave a margin of about a fifth of the width on every side.
Before you upload
A profile picture is public. Check that it does not show a house number, a street sign or anything else that says where you live, and remove the location metadata.
