How to Change Your Spotify Profile Picture (Phone and PC)

Your Spotify profile picture shows up on playlists you share, on collaborative lists and next to your name when friends or followers look you up. If it's still a blank circle, or a photo from five years ago, a quick refresh makes your profile feel like yours.

The steps differ slightly between your phone and a computer, and there's one stumbling block for anyone who signed up with Facebook. I'll cover all of it below, based on what Spotify's help pages say.

Changing your Spotify profile picture in the mobile app

On a phone or tablet, Spotify's help describes this route:

1. Open the Spotify app and tap your profile picture at the top.
2. Tap View profile.
3. Tap Edit.
4. Tap the option to change your photo and choose a new picture from your device.
5. Save your changes if the app asks you to.

To get rid of the photo without choosing a new one, the same screen has an option to remove the current picture. Menus vary by app version, so the wording on your screen might differ a little.

Changing your Spotify profile picture on desktop or the web player

On a computer the route is shorter:

1. Click your profile picture at the top of Spotify and choose Profile.
2. Click your picture.
3. Pick the new photo, or choose to remove the current one.
4. Click Save.

That final Save click is the one people forget. If your new photo doesn't appear later, go back and check that the change was saved.

What Spotify says about images you can use as a profile picture

Spotify's help keeps it simple. The image mustn't infringe copyrights, trademarks or personal rights. In practice that means using your own photo, your own logo, or something you have the right to use, rather than a picture lifted from another website or a celebrity portrait.

The help article doesn't list file sizes or exact dimensions, so I won't invent any. A clear, square-ish picture where your face or logo sits in the middle is the safest bet, because Spotify shows profile pictures in a small circle.

If your Spotify profile picture is stuck on your Facebook photo

This is the most common snag. Spotify's help says that by default, your Facebook profile picture is shown if your account is linked to Facebook, and in that case the remove option may be missing. If you created your account with Facebook, Spotify suggests logging in using Facebook.

Spotify also says changes made on Facebook can take several days to appear on Spotify. So if you've swapped your Facebook photo and Spotify still shows the old one, give it time before assuming something's broken.

When a photo won't update, Spotify's suggested fix is to log out of your account and log back in, which refreshes the connection.

Profile picture, display name and username on Spotify

People often change one and wonder why the other stayed put. Spotify's help explains that your username identifies you on Spotify, but you don't need it to log in with. A display name replaces the username wherever it appears, on your profile, in the app and on your playlists. You can't use the display name to log in.

The edit screen that holds your photo also holds your display name. On mobile, that's View profile, then Edit, then the display name field. On desktop, click your profile name on the profile page and edit the details, then save. If you've connected Facebook, a display name you add on Spotify shows instead of your Facebook name.

What you want to change	Where Spotify's help says to look
Profile picture on a phone	Profile picture, View profile, Edit
Profile picture on desktop	Profile picture, Profile, click your picture, Save
Name people see	Display name on the same profile screen
Photo stuck on Facebook's picture	Log in with Facebook, or log out and back in

A good Spotify profile picture for creators and small businesses

If you share playlists for a brand, or you host a show, the ideas in how to use podcasts to increase brand awareness fit neatly alongside a consistent profile picture.

If you share playlists for a brand, a profile picture is a tiny piece of branding. A shop could use its logo, a podcaster could use cover art, and a coach could use a friendly headshot. Consistency helps people recognise you across platforms, which matters once you're sharing links in more than one place. For a wider look at how audio and branding fit together, my piece on what Spotify's own marketing teaches smaller brands is a useful companion.

• Use the same picture you use on your other profiles where you can.
• Keep text out of it, because it gets tiny in the circle.
• Choose good lighting and a plain background for faces.
• Only use images you own or have permission to use.

If you can't change your Spotify profile picture

Try these in order:

• Check whether your account is linked to Facebook, as that can lock the photo.
• Make sure you tapped or clicked Save after choosing the new picture.
• Log out and log back in, then look again.
• Update the app, since menus vary by version.
• Wait a few days if you changed your Facebook photo, because Spotify says that can take time.

If nothing works, Spotify's support pages are the next stop.

Frequently asked questions

How do I change my profile picture on Spotify?

On mobile, tap your profile picture, View profile, Edit, then change the photo. On desktop, click your profile picture, choose Profile, click your picture, pick a new one and click Save.

Why can't I remove my Spotify profile picture?

If your account is linked to Facebook, Spotify shows your Facebook picture by default and the remove option may be missing.

How long does a Facebook photo take to update on Spotify?

Spotify says changes made on Facebook can take several days to appear. Logging out and back in can help refresh the connection.

What pictures can I use on Spotify?

Spotify says the image must not infringe copyrights, trademarks or personal rights. Use your own photo or logo.

Is a display name the same as a username?

No. Spotify says a display name replaces your username where it shows on your profile, in the app and on playlists, but you can't use it to log in.