Having a profile picture for your Outlook email adds a personal touch and helps people recognize you instantly. This image, associated with your Microsoft account, appears across various Microsoft services and devices, including your Outlook emails. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to change it, ensuring your professional or personal emails are easily identifiable.
Changing Your Microsoft Account Profile Picture (for Outlook)
The profile picture you see in Outlook is directly linked to your Microsoft account. Therefore, to change it for your Outlook emails, you need to update your Microsoft account picture. The process varies slightly depending on whether you are using a personal Microsoft account or a work/school account.
Steps for Personal Microsoft Account
For users with personal Microsoft accounts (like Outlook.com, Hotmail, or personal Microsoft 365 subscriptions), follow these steps:
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Access Your Microsoft Account Dashboard: Navigate to your Microsoft account dashboard. You can usually do this by going to
account.microsoft.comin your web browser and signing in with your Microsoft account credentials. -
Go to the “Your info” Tab: Once logged in, locate and click on the “Your info” tab, usually found in the top navigation menu of your account dashboard.
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Change Your Photo: On the “Your info” page, you will find your current profile picture (or a default icon if you haven’t set one). Look for an option like “Change photo” or “Add a photo” near your current picture. Click on this option.
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Upload a New Photo: A window will pop up allowing you to choose a new photo. Select “Add a photo” or “Change photo” again to browse your device for image files. Choose the picture you want to use as your Outlook profile picture and upload it.
Note: Ensure your photo is a static image file. While most common formats like JPG, PNG, and BMP are supported, HEIC and animated GIFs are not. For optimal display, especially for portrait or landscape photos, consider using a photo editing app to make your image square by adding borders.
Steps for Work or School Account
If you are using Outlook with a work or school account, the process is slightly different:
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Open an Office Application: Start any Office application such as Word, Excel, or PowerPoint on your computer.
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Go to the “Account” Section: In the Office application, click on “File” in the top left corner, and then select “Account” from the menu on the left side.
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Change Photo in Account Settings: Within the “Account” section, you should see your user information and a “Change photo” option. Click on “Change photo”.
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Redirect to Organization Profile Page: Clicking “Change photo” will redirect you to your organization’s profile page, often within Microsoft 365. From there, follow the on-screen instructions to upload or change your profile picture.
Note: Similar to personal accounts, static image files are generally supported. However, your organization’s administrator may have specific policies or restrictions on profile picture changes.
Important Considerations After Changing Your Photo
- Update Time: It might take some time for your new profile picture to update everywhere across Microsoft services, including Outlook. Microsoft mentions it could take up to 24 hours for the changes to be fully reflected.
- Editing Photo Zoom and Rotation: If you need to adjust the zoom level or rotation of your photo after uploading, you can usually select the “Change photo” option again and reload the same image. This might give you options to edit these aspects.
- Administrator Restrictions: In some work or school environments, your administrator might prevent you from editing personal details, including your profile picture. If you encounter issues, you may need to contact your IT support or administrator for assistance.
By following these steps, you can easily add or change your photo for your Outlook email profile, enhancing your communication and personal branding. Having a clear profile picture ensures that your recipients can quickly identify and connect with you.
