Alex Ruben
How To Update Your Profile Picture on Discord
Switching up your profile picture on Discord is one of those small things that can make your account feel a bit more yours. Sometimes, the picture you set ages ago isn’t really who you are anymore, or maybe you just want to keep things fresh. Either way, changing your avatar is pretty straightforward, whether you’re on desktop or mobile. But some folks hit a snag here and there — like the pic not updating or not seeing where to start. So, here’s a kinda no-frills guide to get that new look on your Discord profile—and yeah, along the way, there might be some weird quirks, like the pic not showing up immediately or having to re-log. It might require a few tweaks, but it’s usually doable.
How to Change Your Profile Picture on Discord
Just open Discord and find your profile icon
- Bring up Discord on your device. If you’re on desktop, usually it’s right there in the bottom left corner—look for your avatar, even if it’s tiny. On mobile, it’s typically in the bottom right too.
- Ensure you’re logged in. Confusingly, if you’re not, you won’t see the actual profile pic to click on.
- If Discord doesn’t open, make sure it’s updated or try restarting it. Sometimes, the app acts weird without a good restart. Again, Settings or the task manager can help.
Next, get into your profile settings
- Click or tap on your current avatar, which will pop up a menu. On desktop, right-click your avatar or click the gear icon near your username in Settings. On mobile, it’s usually tapping on your profile picture.
- Head straight for Edit Profile or just directly into User Settings > My Account. Just look for an edit or gear button near your username or avatar.
Now, change the profile picture
- Click on your current avatar—depends on the platform, but usually it opens a file picker or prompts to upload a new image.
- If you don’t see this, dive into Profile Settings. In some versions, you might have to click a tiny camera icon or the edit button to access image upload options.
- Choose Change Avatar or Upload Image. This will open your file explorer (Windows Explorer, Finder, gallery, whatever).
Select your new image and get it uploaded
- You can pick a JPG, PNG, or even GIF, but keep in mind that static images usually work better. GIFs are only visible as static avatars unless you’re a Nitro user (which makes them animated). So, if it’s a static pic, try to stick to a size around 128×128 pixels—Discord recommends it, but honestly, bigger images generally resize automatically.
- Funny thing is, if your image is too big or weirdly formatted, Discord might refuse to update or just scale it down poorly. So, it’s like 256×256 at most, but smaller is fine too.
- After selecting, you might be able to crop or rotate. Sometimes it’s a basic crop box; other times, it’s not. Preview your image, and then hit Save or Choose.
Save and see if it works
- Hit save. Sometimes, this is a button at the bottom or top of the settings window. After that, you might need to refresh Discord or even restart it. Because of course, Discord has to make it harder than necessary.
- Note: On some setups, the change isn’t instant. It could depend on your internet or cache. I’ve seen it take a few moments or require a refresh of the app or webpage.
Verify it’s updated
- Look at your profile picture again. If it still shows the old one, try closing and reopening Discord, or logging out then back in. On desktop, simply close and reopen; on mobile, sometimes a force quit helps.
- If it’s still not updating, clear cache—on desktop, close Discord, then delete cache files at %AppData%/Discord (Windows) or similar locations, or reinstall. On mobile, clearing app data from settings can help too. Some users report that after doing this, the picture updates correctly.
Additional Tips & Common Issues
Because Discord can be a bit finicky about avatar changes—sometimes it feels like you’re fighting with the app more than needed—here’s a few extras:
- File size and format: Keep your image under 8MB, ideally under 2MB, and stick to PNG or JPG. GIFs aren’t officially supported unless you’re a Nitro subscriber, but static images work like a charm.
- Uploading issues: If it stalls or gives errors, try logging out, restarting the app, or even reinstalling. On some setups, just clearing cache helps.
- Profile picture showing up in some places—but not others: Sometimes, your avatar updates only in certain parts of Discord immediately. Wait a few minutes or reload the app to see the change everywhere.
Wrap-up
Changing your Discord profile pic isn’t exactly rocket science, but it does have its quirks. Sometimes, you get lucky and it updates instantly. Other times, you gotta clear cache, restart, or be patient a bit. The key is understanding the cache and size guidelines, and not freaking out if it doesn’t work right away. Just keep tinkering, and eventually, your avatar will look just how you want.
Summary
- Find your profile icon or gear in User Settings (Preferences).
- Click to edit your profile, then upload a new image (PNG, JPG, under 8MB).
- Crop, rotate if needed, then save.
- Reboot or refresh if the change doesn’t show immediately.
Fingers crossed this helps
Hopefully, this method gets the job done. Sometimes, Discord’s weird about updates, but generally, patience and cache clearing do the trick. Sweet new avatar incoming.