Facebook doesn’t have a button that clears your profile picture and keeps the photo. The only way to have no picture at all is to delete the current one. If you want to keep the photo, replace it with another picture, then set the old photo to Only me so nobody else can see it.
There is one detail to know first: your current profile picture is always public on Facebook. Older profile pictures are ordinary photos in your Profile pictures album, and you can control who sees those.
Option 1: Replace the picture and keep the old one
Your old profile picture stays in your Profile pictures album when you set a new one, so replacing it removes it from your profile without deleting anything.
- Go to your profile and tap your profile picture.
- Choose the option to select or upload a new profile picture.
- Pick a photo from your phone or from your Facebook photos. If you’d rather not show a face, a plain image or a logo works.
- Save.
Option 2: Hide the old picture with “Only me”
Once the photo is no longer your current profile picture, you can hide it from everyone but yourself:
- Go to your profile and open Photos, then Albums, then Profile pictures.
- Open the old picture.
- Tap the three dots and choose the option to edit the audience or privacy.
- Select Only me.
The photo stays in your account, and you can make it visible again or set it as your profile picture later. Facebook changes menu names from time to time, so the wording on your screen may differ slightly.
Option 3: Use a temporary profile picture
If you only want a different picture for a while, for example during an event or a campaign, set the new picture as temporary when you save it and choose how long it should stay. When the time is up, Facebook switches back to your previous profile picture automatically. Nothing gets deleted.
Option 4: Hide the “updated profile picture” post
When you change your profile picture, Facebook usually creates a post about it. If it’s the post that bothers you, not the picture, open the post on your profile, tap the three dots and change its audience or hide it from your profile. The picture stays as it is.
If you want no profile picture at all
That requires deleting the current picture. Open it, tap the three dots and choose Delete photo. Your profile then shows Facebook’s default gray picture. The photo is gone from Facebook after that, so download it first if you want to keep a copy. Facebook’s help center covers this in deleting a profile picture.
FAQ
Can I remove my Facebook profile picture without deleting it?
Not directly. Replace it with another picture and set the old one to Only me. The photo stays in your account and nobody else sees it.
Can I make my current profile picture private?
No. Your current profile picture is always public. Only older profile pictures can be hidden.
Will my friends be notified when I change my profile picture?
Facebook usually creates a post about the change, which can appear in friends’ feeds. You can hide that post or change its audience without touching the picture.
Do I lose the likes and comments on my old profile picture?
No, as long as you don’t delete the photo. They stay on the photo in your Profile pictures album.
How do I find an old profile picture later?
Open your profile, then Photos, Albums, Profile pictures. For older posts in general, see how to find an old post on Facebook.