Quick answer: to change your user account picture in Windows 11:
- Press Windows + I and go to Accounts › Your info.
- Under Adjust your photo, select Browse files to pick an image, or Open camera to take a new photo.
- Your new picture appears immediately on the Start menu and the sign-in screen.
With a Microsoft account, the picture also syncs to your other devices and Microsoft services. That can take a little while.
Sommaire
- First: which type of account do you use?
- Change your account picture in Windows 11
- Change your account picture in Windows 10
- Change it on your Microsoft account (online)
- Choose the right picture
- Remove your account picture or old pictures
- Change the picture of another user
- Account picture not changing? Fixes
- Related guides on les-imprimantes.com
- Frequently asked questions
- Sources and methodology
First: which type of account do you use?
Where your picture is stored depends on how you sign in to Windows. Check it in Settings › Accounts › Your info: an email address under your name means a Microsoft account.
| Account type | Where the picture is stored | Syncs to other devices? |
|---|---|---|
| Microsoft account (outlook.com, hotmail.com…) | Your Microsoft account online | Yes: other PCs, Outlook, Teams, Xbox… |
| Local account | This PC only | No |
| Work or school account | Your organization’s Microsoft 365 profile | Yes, often controlled by IT |
Change your account picture in Windows 11
- Open Settings with Windows + I, or click your name at the bottom of the Start menu › Change account settings. Shortcut: Windows + R, type
ms-settings:yourinfo, press Enter. - Go to Accounts › Your info.
- Under Adjust your photo:
- Choose a file › Browse files: select an image (JPG, PNG, BMP or GIF) and confirm with Choose picture.
- Take a photo › Open camera: take a photo with your webcam and confirm.
- Your previous pictures are shown as small thumbnails: click one to use it again.
Change your account picture in Windows 10
- Open Settings › Accounts › Your info.
- Under Create your picture, choose Camera to take a photo, or Browse for one to select an image.
Change it on your Microsoft account (online)
If you use a Microsoft account, you can also change the picture online. It’s useful when the picture is wrong in Outlook, Teams or on several PCs at once:
- Sign in at account.microsoft.com.
- Open Your info and select Change photo (or Add a photo).
- Upload your picture, adjust the crop and save.
The new picture can take a while to reach all your devices. Signing out of Windows and back in helps.
Choose the right picture
| Item | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| Shape | Square; Windows shows it in a circle, so keep your face centered |
| Size | At least 448 × 448 pixels to stay sharp on high-resolution screens |
| Format | JPG or PNG |
| Content | On a work PC, a professional photo or initials; on a shared family PC, a picture each person recognizes |
| Privacy | The picture appears on the sign-in screen, visible to anyone near the PC |
Tip: crop the image to a square first (in the Photos app: Edit › Crop, then choose a square ratio). Windows won’t let you choose which part of a rectangular photo to keep.
Remove your account picture or old pictures
Windows has no “Remove picture” button. To go back to the default grey silhouette or clear old pictures:
- Open File Explorer and paste this into the address bar, then press Enter:
%AppData%\Microsoft\Windows\AccountPictures- Delete the pictures you no longer want. They disappear from the thumbnails in Your info.
- To set the default silhouette, go back to Your info › Browse files and open this folder:
C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\User Account Pictures- Select
user.png(or another default image).
For a Microsoft account, also remove the photo at account.microsoft.com, or it may come back after syncing. The ProgramData folder is hidden: paste the path directly into the address bar.
Change the picture of another user
Each person changes their own picture from their own session. An administrator can’t simply pick a picture for another user in Settings. On a shared PC, sign in as that user, or ask them to do it. In companies, IT can set a default picture for everyone with Group Policy.
Account picture not changing? Fixes
| Problem | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Old picture still on the sign-in screen | Cache not refreshed | Sign out and back in, or restart the PC |
| New picture not on other devices | Microsoft account sync delay | Wait a little, sign out and in, or change it at account.microsoft.com |
| Picture came back after deleting it | Still set on the Microsoft account | Remove it at account.microsoft.com |
| Open camera doesn’t work | Camera blocked by privacy settings | Settings › Privacy & security › Camera › allow access |
| Option greyed out on a work PC | Managed by your organization | Ask your IT department |
| Picture blurry | Image too small | Use an image of at least 448 × 448 pixels |
| Picture cropped badly | Rectangular image | Crop it to a square before choosing it |
🛠️ Real-world case: the old photo that kept coming back
| Situation | A user changed her picture in Windows 11, but after a few days the old photo reappeared on her laptop and in Outlook |
|---|---|
| Cause | The old photo was still set on her Microsoft account online, which synced it back to Windows |
| Fix | New photo uploaded at account.microsoft.com, old pictures deleted from the AccountPictures folder, then sign-out and sign-in |
| Time | About 5 minutes |
Takeaway: with a Microsoft account, the online picture wins. Change it there if Windows keeps showing the old one.
Related guides on les-imprimantes.com
- Change your lock screen background
- How to show icons on your desktop
- Switch to a dark theme in Windows
- Create an email signature in Outlook
- All our Windows guides
- Install a pending Windows update (in French)
Frequently asked questions
How do I change my account picture in Windows 11?
Open Settings › Accounts › Your info, then under Adjust your photo select Browse files to choose an image or Open camera to take a photo.
Why does my old account picture keep coming back?
With a Microsoft account, the picture is stored online and syncs back to Windows. Change or remove it at account.microsoft.com.
How do I remove my account picture in Windows?
Delete the files in the AccountPictures folder under AppData, then choose the default user.png from C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\User Account Pictures. For a Microsoft account, also remove the photo online.
What size should my account picture be?
A square image of at least 448 × 448 pixels, in JPG or PNG, with your face centered because Windows shows it in a circle.
Can I use my webcam to take my account picture?
Yes. In Accounts › Your info, select Open camera under Adjust your photo. Allow camera access in Privacy & security if it doesn’t open.
Does my account picture appear on the sign-in screen?
Yes. It’s shown on the lock and sign-in screens and on the Start menu, so anyone near the PC can see it.
How long does the picture take to sync with my Microsoft account?
Usually a short while, sometimes longer. Signing out and back in, or changing it directly at account.microsoft.com, speeds things up.
Sources and methodology
- [Microsoft Support – Change your account picture in Windows: add the link from support.microsoft.com]
- Microsoft Learn – ms-settings commands
- Methodology: steps checked on [PC model] with Windows 11 [version] and Windows 10 22H2, with a Microsoft account and a local account, on [test date].
