By default, any WhatsApp user can see your profile photo, according to WhatsApp’s Help Center. The setting to change this is under Settings > Privacy > Profile photo.

The same default applies to read receipts and to whether you are online, the Help Center says. Statuses, about information, links on your profile and last seen are set so that only your contacts can see them. WhatsApp also says it is not possible to see who viewed your profile.

The four choices for the profile photo are the same on Android, iPhone and the web.

The four options

WhatsApp’s Help Center lists them as follows. Everyone means all users can see your profile photo. My contacts limits it to contacts from your address book. My contacts except… shows it to contacts from your address book except those you exclude. Nobody means no one can see it.

One point on labels before the steps. WhatsApp’s own articles use “Profile photo” in some places and “Profile picture” in others, so look for either name in the Privacy menu.

How to change your profile photo privacy on Android

The Help Center’s privacy settings article gives these steps:

  1. Tap More options (the three vertical dots) > Settings > Privacy.
  2. Tap the privacy setting you want to change, in this case Profile photo.
  3. Select Everyone, My contacts, My contacts except…, or Nobody.

WhatsApp’s separate article on profile information gives the Android path as More options > Settings > Privacy > Profile photo, followed by the same four options.

How to change your profile photo privacy on iPhone

The privacy settings article uses a shorter path on iOS:

  1. Go to WhatsApp Settings > Privacy.
  2. Tap the privacy setting you want to change.
  3. Select Everyone, My contacts, My contacts except…, or Nobody.

The iPhone version of the profile information article calls the setting “Profile picture”. It says to tap Settings or your profile picture, then Privacy > Profile picture, and lists the options as Everyone, My Contacts, My Contacts Except…, or Nobody.

How to change your profile photo privacy on WhatsApp Web and desktop

On the web, WhatsApp’s steps say click:

  1. Click Settings > Privacy.
  2. Click the privacy setting you want to change.
  3. Click Everyone, My contacts, My contacts except…, or Nobody.

The web version of the profile information article says to click Settings or your profile picture, then Privacy > Profile picture.

Profile photo in notifications

The setting also affects notifications. When your contacts receive a message from you and have notifications enabled, WhatsApp says, your profile photo is displayed in their notification unless you adjust your privacy settings. Choosing My contacts, My contacts except… or Nobody is the way to change that.

What to check if a contact cannot see your photo

WhatsApp’s profile information article lists six reasons a profile photo, last seen, about information or read receipts may not be visible to someone. You or the other user changed privacy settings. Both of you need to resync your contacts.

The other four are these. The user has blocked you. You need to save them as a contact. They have not messaged you or saved you as a contact. Or there is a temporary network issue.

The article says to check your privacy settings first if contact names appear as numbers or a photo is missing.

On iPhone, WhatsApp adds that some contact names will not appear if you have not allowed full access to the contacts in your phone’s address book, which you can grant under your phone’s Settings > Apps > WhatsApp > Contacts.

WhatsApp says contacts who cannot see your profile picture should also check their own privacy settings and resync their contacts. In WhatsApp’s list of causes, resyncing applies to both sides, since it states that you and the user both need to resync your contacts.

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