8 Best Ways to Fix iPhone Profile Picture Not Updating Issue

Your iPhone’s profile picture appears reassuringly every time you open common apps like Settings or the App Store. It’s purely cosmetic, but it adds a touch of personality to the device. The same image will sync to iCloud and also appear on the rest of your Apple devices.

But sometimes, the iCloud profile picture may not update or display correctly on your iPhone – you may see an older photo, blank icon, or your initials instead. The following troubleshooting tips should help you resolve this issue.

1. Select Apple ID

If your iPhone’s profile picture isn’t updating or showing up in native apps like Settings, just tap what you see instead. For example, in the Settings app, this should bring up the Apple ID screen and force the device to download your profile picture from Apple servers.

2. Force close the application

Sometimes the apps on your iPhone may not work properly unless you quit them completely and reopen them. If the profile photo doesn’t update in the Settings app, for example, try force restarting it. To do this, swipe up from the bottom of the screen and pause for a moment to bring up the app switcher. Then select the appropriate app card and drag it up.

Follow by relaunching the application from the iPhone home screen. If your profile picture doesn’t load right away, try tapping the blank icon or your name again.

3. Connect to the Internet

IOS apps update your profile picture at regular intervals, which requires an active internet connection. Open Control Center and verify that your iPhone is configured to use Wi-Fi or cellular data.

If everything looks okay, turning airplane mode on and off or restarting your router can help resolve minor connectivity issues. If the issue occurs specifically while using cellular data, go to Settings> Cellular. There you should check if there are any app restrictions in place.

4. Restart the iPhone

If your profile picture still won’t load, it’s time to restart your iPhone. In most cases, this should help eliminate any anomalies that prevent iOS apps from displaying normally.

Restart iPhone with Face ID

Quickly press and release the volume up button, then the volume down button. Then quickly hold down the side button. On the slide to turn off prompt that appears, slide your finger to the right to turn off your iPhone. Then press and hold the side button again to restart it.

Restart iPhone with Touch ID

Hold the side or top button and swipe right when prompted. Once your iPhone turns off completely, press and hold the Side button again to restart the device.

5. Check the status of the Apple system

Rarely, an Apple service outage can prevent your iPhone from updating or uploading your profile picture. To confirm, visit the Apple System Status page and check the Apple ID and iCloud Account and Sign-in sections. If you see an issue listed, wait for it to be resolved by Apple.

6. Update iPhone

Have you turned off automatic system software updates on your iPhone? The latest updates usually come with a lot of bug fixes, so if you don’t install them manually, you are bound to run into all kinds of issues.

Go to the Settings app, tap on General and tap on Software Update. If you see an update listed, tap Download & Install to apply it.

7. Add a photo again

If your iPhone still cannot update or upload your profile picture, try uploading it again. Start by going to the Apple ID screen in the Settings app. Next, tap on the portrait area at the top of the screen and select Choose Photo to select the photo from your photo library. Or, select Browse to add it from the Files app.

You can upload your photo again via a Mac by going to System Preferences> Apple ID. If you’re using a PC, you can use the Account Settings page on iCloud.com to change your portrait.

8. Reset network settings

Still no luck? Try to reset your iPhone’s network settings. This can help resolve connectivity issues caused by improperly configured connectivity settings.

Warning: You won’t lose any data, but the reset process will eventually delete your Wi-Fi connections and passwords. Unless you are relying solely on cellular data, then you have to manually reconnect to any Wi-Fi.

Go to Settings> General> Reset and tap on Reset network settings to perform a network reset. Then reconnect to the internet and check if your iPhone uploads your profile picture without issue.

Recover

Hope your iPhone now updates your profile picture with no problem. If you are still having issues, the best way to fix them is to keep updating your iPhone regularly.