How can I add a picture to my Gmail account?

A friend sent me email on the Google Gmail service and it had his picture included. Cool! I want to know, how can I include a picture of myself in my own Gmail profile?

Dave's Answer:

This is a brand-new feature that Google added to the Gmail service that's taken from its somewhat lackluster instant messenger program Gtalk, and it's fun, but only applies to other Gmail users who receive your email, not to the rest of the Internet.

With that caveat, here's how you can set this up in just a few seconds.

First off, you'll want to be logged in to your Gmail account, then click on the Settings link. A short ways down on the "General" settings tab you'll now find this:

Click on "Select a Picture" (somehow you knew I'd say that, right?) and you'll now have the chance to specify just about any image on your computer that's in JPEG, GIF, BMP or PNG format. I recommend PNG format for photographs myself, but most digital cameras tend to work with JPG format instead, so use what you have available):

Choose your file, click on the "Upload a Picture" button and the image will be uploaded to Google's server. If it's too large, you'll need to crop it, that is, define what subsection of the image should be used for your photo. If it's too big, you'll see the cheery message The picture you're trying to upload is too big. Please try a smaller picture. Solution? Try a smaller picture!

Note: I found that Apple's Safari browser couldn't upload images and had to switch to Firefox for this process to be completed. PC users probably don't have that problem, however.

More likely than not, you'll need to crop it, as I found I needed to do on even the smallest image. It's easy: just drag and resize the crop box by grabbing a corner of it, then center the box over your image as desired by grabbing the middle of the box:

When you're done, click on "Crop Picture" and your Gmail General Settings will now show your new picture in all its glory:

Note here that you can specify that only those folk who can chat with you can see the picture, or that anyone who receives a Gmail message from you can see it. Me? I figure everyone likes my jazzy little icon...

Finally, make sure you click on 'Save Changes" at the bottom of the Settings page to ensure that everything is stored back on the Gmail server.

Hope that helps you figure out how to use Gmail's new My Picture feature.

Categorized: Computer and Internet Basics (Article 6554, Written by Dave Taylor)
Tagged: gmail, google, web mail
Previous: Can I really make money as a mystery shopper?
Next: Is Google AdWords going to support Video?

Subscribe!

Never miss another Q&A article! Click to subscribe:

Comments

Hi Dave,

Just thought I'd add that not all gmail accounts offer the photo facility yet; seems to be another one of those typical Google staggered release things.

Posted by: Christopher Rose at May 29, 2006 4:05 AM

Hi Dave,
How about if I want to send a message with image?

Posted by: wheeqo at October 4, 2006 8:11 PM

Hi Dave,

I have a question and thought you might help. I just got a MacBook and am a new Mac user. When i open my gmail account in the Safari Browser for some reason the Chat is unabled, i cannot see my contacts online at all. No idea why this is or how to enable it?

Maybe you can enlighten me?

Cheers!

Posted by: Maike Verhagen at January 3, 2007 6:02 AM

sir,
already i upload my photo in gmailid,now i want to change my photo. how to change my photo.pls sent a mail to me for step by step procedure

Posted by: salaidayalan at March 2, 2009 2:50 AM

Thnks....

Posted by: aMeeT at April 10, 2009 5:53 AM

Hi there Dave

I really hope you can help with this question. I uploaded my JPG picture for my gmail account. I need to upload the same picture to a second gmail account and other stuff but no longer have the original JPG pic. How can I retrieve the uploaded JPG picture from the Google server?

Posted by: Sandy at April 29, 2009 2:42 AM

sorry but i don get it.

Posted by: amra at May 18, 2009 3:14 AM

Amra, what don't you get?

Sandy, what happens if you right-click (or Ctrl-click if you're on a Mac) on the photo you want to grab?

Posted by: Dave Taylor at June 7, 2009 8:59 AM

Thanks Dave! I actually knew this once, but my mind was a blank today, top of the search results makes it nice and easy. Legend

Posted by: David King at August 6, 2009 9:31 AM

I entered the address(www.gmail.com) and i entered into settings but i could not find pictures

Posted by: Ikedi at August 29, 2009 4:27 PM

But when I add my picture to my gmail profile, I, then, cannot see it myself? that doesn't seem fair. I don't know if what I set up is actually the way I set it up!!!

Posted by: David Mansfield at September 6, 2009 3:51 AM

Hi Dave,
How about if I want to send a message with my image?

Thanks Huzefa

Posted by: Huzefa at December 18, 2009 6:58 PM

Huzefa, not sure what you're asking: your pic automatically shows up in a pop-up for any Gmail recipients. .. ...

Posted by: Dave Taylor at December 18, 2009 11:35 PM

hi, dave
how to send an email wz my image?

Posted by: robera at October 11, 2010 1:03 AM

How do I copy & paste pictures or colors from Google images into my gmail? They copy into my hotmail but will not go into the gmail. Please advise. Thanks!

Posted by: Tookance at January 29, 2011 10:16 AM

Nice work.

Thanks for the info, I was trying to figure it out and it's pretty straight forward.

Cheers.

Posted by: Aman at June 19, 2011 1:11 AM

update image my account

Posted by: Haraprasad Ghosh at July 6, 2011 2:15 AM

edded picture my gmail account

Posted by: Haraprasad Ghosh at July 7, 2011 8:49 AM

Hello Dave, Thx for the Gmail support. Can you take a look at the Exp. site? What I need to know is how do I set my Gmail email to show every contact picture in Gmail? When I receive a email from a coworker, friend, family Etc.. I want to see the same picture I have in my contact list in the tab in Gmail. You know! When you press the tab, it gives you the option to call, email, text etc the person. Please help & any advice will be good. :-) Thanks, E.J

Posted by: E.J at October 10, 2011 11:07 AM

my picture isn't showing up when i scroll over it on chat, after changing it a couple times with the latest upgrade for gmail

I have already tried the contact manage solution.....that didnt work

also when I switch to the last version the picture shows........even after changing the picture while using this version...........then changing it back to the latest......I still see add picture when I scroll over my name in chat

I have also created 3 other gmail a/c and my picture dont show there also.......and I ask friends if they can see my image....and they cannot

I am wondering if it is a BUG with the latest version of gmail........or did I make a mistake

pls help

pardon my grammer...english is not my 1st language

thank you

Posted by: edric at November 21, 2011 3:18 PM

Hi,
I would be very grateful if you could help me: I have added a picture ("My Picture") to my google e-mail-adress (prename.name@gmail.com). That works. But I dont't know, how to connect the picture to my additional e-mail-adresses (prename.name@yahoo.de) in the same google-account. Thank you for any hint!
Best Regards
Peter

Posted by: Peter at November 26, 2011 4:40 PM

I have something to say, now that you mention it, but ...

I do have a lot to say, and questions of my own for that matter, but first I'd like to say thank you for all your efforts on this Web site by buying you a cup of coffee!

I do have a comment, now that you mention it!