Add or change a user's profile photo

As your organization's administrator, you can add photos of users to recognize the people in your organization. You can do this either when you create the new user account or later. Users' photos can be changed or removed at any time. You can also update a guest's photo.

You can also let users:

Where a user's photo appears

  • Profile photos show up whenever you view a user or guest in the Google Admin console, when the user or guest communicates or shares content, and when another user hovers over their name in their inbox, Google Contacts, or Google Chat list.
  • If you add a profile photo to a user or guest's account, the photo is visible only to users in your organization and to external users they talk to in Google Chat. If a user changes their profile photo, they can choose who can see the photo.
  • If you turn off the Directory for your organization's Google Workspace account, you and your users won't see any users' profile photos. For more information, go to Turn Directory on or off.

Where a user's profile photo is stored

Profile photos are stored in the Past profile pictures section of a user or guest's Google Account. This includes photos added by an administrator or user. You can view only past profile photos; current profile photos won't appear in this section. To view past profile photos:

  1. Go to your Google Account and click your profile photo.
  2. In the panel that opens, click Camera in your profile photo.
  3. Click More and then Past profile pictures.

Profile photo requirements

  • The file format is JPEG or PNG only.
  • The maximum file size is 5 MB.
  • The maximum pixel count is 20 million.
  • Photos don't have to be square; they are scaled automatically.

Add, change, or remove a user's profile photo

To complete these steps, you need the appropriate User management privilege. Without the correct privilege, you won't see all the controls needed to complete these steps.

  1. In the Google Admin console, go to Menu and then Directory and then Users.

    Requires having the appropriate User management privilege. Without the correct privilege, you won't see all the controls needed to complete these steps.

    Note: For guests, go to Menu and then Directory and then Guests

  2. Open the user's account page: Click the user's name. Or, at the top, in the search box, enter the user's name and open their account page. For more options, go to Find a user account. 

  3. Choose one:

    • To add a photo, click the profile avatar .

    * To change a photo, click the profile photo and then select Change photo. * To remove a photo, click the profile photo and then select Remove photo.

  4. If you are adding or changing a photo, select the image file on your computer and then click Open.

    Changes are saved automatically.