Having a professional profile picture is an important part of establishing your personal brand on LinkedIn. However, it’s understandable that some users may be hesitant to upload a photo of themselves if it’s visible to everyone. So an important question to ask is: is your LinkedIn profile picture public?
Who can see your LinkedIn profile picture by default?
By default, your LinkedIn profile picture is visible to:
- All LinkedIn members
- People who visit your public LinkedIn profile, even if they don’t have a LinkedIn account
So unless you change the settings, your profile photo is public and viewable by anyone on or off LinkedIn.
Public profile setting
The reason your profile picture is public by default is because LinkedIn profiles themselves are public. When you create an account, your profile visibility is automatically set to “Public”. This makes it discoverable by all LinkedIn members and visible to anyone through search engines like Google.
So when your profile is public, your profile photo is public too. Having a public profile allows you to widen your professional network. However, it does mean any photo you upload as your profile picture will be visible to the world.
Private profile setting
You can change your profile from public to private in your account settings. This limits visibility of your profile and profile picture to only your existing connections.
With a private profile, your photo will only be visible to your 1st-degree connections on LinkedIn. 2nd and 3rd-degree connections, as well as people who aren’t connected to you, won’t be able to see it.
How to change your LinkedIn profile picture settings
If you want to control who can view your profile picture on LinkedIn, you have a few options:
Make your profile private
As mentioned above, you can change your profile visibility from public to private. Do this by going to your account settings and adjusting the profile visibility. Once your profile is private, your profile picture will only be visible to your direct connections.
Select specific profile photo visibility
You can also customize the visibility of your profile photo separately from your overall profile visibility. Here’s how:
- Go to your profile and click the photo icon to access your photo settings
- Click or tap the pencil icon to edit the photo settings
- Adjust the dropdown menu under “Who can see your photo?” to your desired audience, such as “Only you” or “Your connections”
- Save the changes
This allows you to have a public profile but only share your photo with certain connections, for example.
Remove your profile photo entirely
You can also simply remove your profile picture altogether by deleting the photo in your profile settings. This will remove the picture from your profile and replace it with a blank placeholder icon.
Pros and cons of a public profile picture
There are advantages and disadvantages to having a public profile photo on LinkedIn:
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Having a profile picture can personalize your profile, boost your professional image, and show you have nothing to hide. But it does mean losing control over how your photo is used or judged.
Tips for your LinkedIn profile picture
If you do wish to upload a profile photo for your LinkedIn account, here are some tips:
- Use a professional headshot or workplace photo
- Make sure it’s high quality with good lighting
- Dress professionally and smile
- Look at the camera directly
- Ensure the background is appropriate
- Consider watermarking to protect against unauthorized use
Also, customize the visibility if you’re uncomfortable with it being fully public. Find a balance between personal branding and privacy.
Frequently asked questions
Can I have a profile picture only visible to me?
No, the minimum visibility setting on LinkedIn is connections only. There is no option to upload a profile photo visible only to you.
Does a private profile also make my photo private?
Yes, when you switch your profile from public to private, it limits visibility of your profile photo to just direct connections rather than everyone.
Can I hide my profile picture from some connections?
No, you cannot select specific connections to hide your profile photo from. The options are to have it public, visible to all your connections, or not visible at all.
Is my old profile picture still public if I delete it?
No, when you delete your LinkedIn profile picture, it is removed from your profile and no longer publicly visible or searchable.
Conclusion
LinkedIn profile pictures are public by default. This allows your photo to be searchable and viewable to all LinkedIn users as well as anyone online. If you wish to restrict access to your profile picture, you can change your overall profile visibility to private or customize the photo settings specifically.
There are pros and cons to having a fully public profile photo. While it can enhance your personal brand and approachability, it also comes with risks like misuse, judgments, and lack of privacy. Carefully consider what level of visibility you are comfortable with.
With the right professional photo and customized settings, you can use your LinkedIn profile picture to build your brand and connections. Just be thoughtful about the privacy tradeoffs.