Having an attractive and professional profile picture on LinkedIn is an important way to make a good first impression and showcase your personal brand. With over 850 million members on the platform, standing out from the crowd with a high-quality headshot can help you connect with new contacts and opportunities. But can you actually download and save your LinkedIn profile photo after uploading it?
The Short Answer
Yes, it is possible to download your LinkedIn profile picture, but LinkedIn does not make it as straightforward as other social media platforms. While LinkedIn allows you to easily upload a new photo, they do not include a simple “download profile picture” option. However, there are a few different methods you can use to save a copy of your LinkedIn photo to your computer or mobile device.
Downloading Your Photo on Desktop
If you are accessing LinkedIn on a desktop browser, here are two options to download your profile photo:
Option 1: Save Image As
The easiest way is to simply right-click on your profile picture and choose “Save image as”. This will allow you to save the photo file to your computer just like any other image on the web. The main drawback is that it will only save the small thumbnail version of your photo as displayed on your profile page. The resolution and image size may not be high enough quality for some uses.
Option 2: Inspect Element
To download the full high-resolution version of your LinkedIn profile picture you will need to use your browser’s inspect element option:
- Right click on your profile picture and choose “Inspect”
- In the HTML code, look for the tag that contains the image source file path
- Right-click on the image source URL and choose “Open image in new tab” or “Save image as”
This will allow you to directly access and save the larger high-quality version of your photo that LinkedIn uploads.
Downloading on Mobile
Accessing your LinkedIn profile picture on a mobile device takes a few extra steps:
iOS
- Go to your profile page
- Tap and hold your profile picture until a menu pops up
- Choose “Save image”
- Go to your photos app to find and open the saved image
- Tap the Share button and choose “Save to Files”
Android
- Go to your profile page
- Tap and hold your profile picture until a menu pops up
- Choose “Download image”
- Go to your file manager app to find the downloaded photo
Can You Download Photos of Other Users?
Generally, you are only able to download your own LinkedIn profile photo, not photos belonging to other users. This is because the high-resolution versions of profile pictures on LinkedIn are only accessible to each respective account owner. Trying to “Save image as” on another user’s profile will only capture the small thumbnail version of their picture.
Why Download Your LinkedIn Photo?
There are a few common reasons you may want to download a copy of your LinkedIn profile photo:
- To have a backup original version of the photo on your computer or device
- To reuse the photo for other social media accounts or online profiles
- To edit or retouch the photo using image editing software
- To update your profile photo but want to keep using the same image file
- To incorporate the photo into a presentation, resume, or other business material
LinkedIn Profile Picture Specifications
If you plan on uploading your downloaded LinkedIn profile picture back to your account, it’s important to be aware of LinkedIn’s file size and dimensions requirements:
Photo Type | Minimum Size | Maximum Size | Aspect Ratio |
---|---|---|---|
Profile picture | 400 x 400 pixels | 20,000 x 20,000 pixels | 1:1 (square) |
Background photo | 1440 x 425 pixels | 5000 x 5000 pixels | 4:1 (landscape) |
Your profile picture must be at least 400 x 400 pixels. The maximum individual file size allowed is 8 MB.
Tips for the Perfect LinkedIn Photo
Once you have successfully downloaded a copy of your profile picture, here are some tips to make sure you have a top-notch photo that puts your best face forward:
- Take a new picture specifically for your LinkedIn account against a plain, solid color background. Avoid busy backgrounds.
- Dress professionally in typical work attire. Avoid casual wear like t-shirts, jeans, etc.
- Look directly into the camera with good posture and smile. Avoid sunglasses.
- Use natural lighting from a window or take photos outdoors. Avoid shadowy lighting.
- Maintain a neutral expression. Don’t laugh with your teeth showing.
- Make sure your face takes up 60-70% of the photo space.
- Edit your background to remove clutter. Use photo editing software to touch up color and lighting.
Adjusting Privacy Settings for Your Photo
LinkedIn allows you to control the privacy settings for who can view your profile picture. To adjust these settings:
- Click on “Me” > “Settings & Privacy”
- Under “Profile”, click “Change” next to “Profile picture privacy”
- Select your desired privacy level:
- Your Connections
- Your network
- All LinkedIn members
By default, your photo privacy is set to be visible by “Your Connections”, meaning that anyone you are connected with on LinkedIn can see your profile picture. Changing this to “Your Network” will allow all 2nd degree connections to also view your photo. “All LinkedIn Members” makes your profile picture public to anyone on LinkedIn.
Using Your Photo Beyond LinkedIn
Once you’ve downloaded your official profile picture from LinkedIn, the possibilities are endless for how you can repurpose and use that photo for other professional networking and branding opportunities:
- Update your profile photo on other social media accounts like Twitter, Facebook, Instagram etc.
- Add the photo to your email signature for a professional touch
- Print copies for business cards, resumes, portfolios and presentations
- Include the photo on online profiles for freelancing/consulting services like Upwork
- Use in advertising and website bios if you run your own business
- Add to company or department directories if your employer has one
Conclusion
While LinkedIn doesn’t provide a built-in “download profile picture” option, the methods outlined above make it simple to save a copy of your LinkedIn photo to your computer, mobile device, or cloud storage. With a professional headshot that properly represents your brand, you can maximize the impact of your LinkedIn presence as well as repurpose the photo for a variety of other business, networking and marketing materials. Just be sure to maintain the proper image size and specs if you plan to re-upload the photo back to your LinkedIn profile.