Updated: How do I change my MySpace profile picture?

I read your earlier article about how to change your default MySpace profile photo, but the suggestions did not help me at all. The way your instructions were explained, they did not flow with the current MySpace screens in either "classic" or "new" mode. Can you post an updated tutorial, please?

Dave's Answer:

Congratulations, you have found one of the biggest challenges of writing about Web sites: they keep changing. Most of the times the changes are fairly subtle and it'snot that big a deal, but sometimes the entire interface is revamped, new features are added, and things change so much that the older tutorial pages are pretty much useless.

I hate it too.

So I'm going to start a series of articles that offer updated instructions on how to accomplish common tasks in MySpace with the hope that it'll help everyone over the "interface improvements" hump, starting with this very article!

Where you can immediately get confused with MySpace is that you can't change your default picture by going to the "edit profile" area. Instead, there's a surprisingly easy shortcut once you know the secret!

Immediately below your picture you'll see a little "Photos: Edit | Upload" link:

Click on "Edit" if you already have the picture you want to use uploaded, or "Upload" if you need to upload it first.

Now just click through the albums, etc, to get to the specific photograph or image you want to use as your profile picture and you'll see along the top a row of buttons:

Click on "Set as Default" and poof! You just changed your default photograph in MySpace. Well done!

:-)

Now, I should say that though a few articles are out of date, the vast majority of MySpace Help is a great place to learn more about how to use this cool social network, and if you want to find my profile there, well, I'm myspace.com/d1taylor.

More Useful Twitter, LinkedIn and Social Network Help Articles:

✔ How do I search for a job on LinkedIn?

This may be a bit obvious, but I'm looking for work and am unclear how I can use LinkedIn to find positions other...

✔ Add a header graphic to my Twitter profile?

I heard from a colleague that Twitter's added profile pictures a la Facebook's timeline photo on the top. Nice, but how do I...

✔ Export LinkedIn Profile as a PDF Resume?

I've spent the last year or two updating and adding to my LinkedIn profile and it has a ton of information about me....

✔ How do I block an iPad app from accessing Twitter?

My son installed an app on my iPad and now it's posting updates on my Twitter account when he plays. What the deuce?...

✔ Repost a Facebook photo on Instagram?

I post a lot of photos on Facebook and sometimes want to share them with my Instagram followers. You can automatically mirror an...

Let's stay in touch!

Sign up for my weekly AskDaveTaylor Newsletter and you'll receive even more tech and gadget help right to your inbox, along with exclusive news and industry updates. It's good stuff. I promise!

Categorized: Twitter, LinkedIn and Social Network Help (Article 7977, Written by Dave Taylor)
Tagged: custom myspace profiles, myspace, myspace profiles
Previous: Twhirl or Twitterific, which one's better?
Next: How do I add a Google Maps directions tool to my site?

Reader Comments To Date: 38

Paris Bias said, on April 4, 2008 12:55 PM:

hey how are u i wanted to know how can we get on myspace at school

Paris Bias said, on April 4, 2008 12:57 PM:

Hey how are you i wanted to know how can i get on myspace at school we be board when we dont do nothing.

Kelly L said, on April 5, 2008 7:59 PM:

How do i change my link on myspace? Can you tell me please.

Steve said, on April 13, 2008 2:35 PM:

Your instructions for setting the default photo at MySpace are compeltely wrong as of 4/13/08, with respect to using Firefox. Also, you should put dates with your instructions else nobody will know as of what date something applies. Personally, I am done with MySpace. My small 6-figure a year programming mind is not smart enough to handle such trivial tasks, so I will leave to the 10 year-olds.

Good luck

Dave Taylor said, on April 13, 2008 9:02 PM:

Odd you'd have that problem, Steve, as I wrote this entry just a few weeks before you commented and, as always, I used Firefox to do the screenshots and test things. Are you using "Classic" view? it's still 95% the same, certainly shouldn't be a big issue for a "six figure a year programming mind" :-)

Loren said, on April 26, 2008 11:18 PM:

This method does not work as described.

David Fowler said, on April 29, 2008 2:46 PM:

Following your instructions does not change my default picture. It used to work. It's been over a month since I changed it. Now it won't change. Perhaps there is a problem with Myspace.

Dave

Michelle said, on May 4, 2008 6:40 PM:

Thank you!!! I have felt like an idiot for months b/c I couldn't figure out how to get rid of my profile pic.

Louise said, on June 4, 2008 7:50 PM:

THANK YOU SO MUCH! i've been sitting in front of the computer for ages trying to work how 1)one of my pictures became my prile picture and 2)how to change it! again, thanks!

Torie said, on July 12, 2008 7:39 PM:

Awesome! It worked when I finally figured out what you were saying. :)

mel said, on July 20, 2008 2:18 AM:

on myspace IM how do u change yr pic?

Michelle said, on August 2, 2008 12:34 AM:

This doesnt help me change my profile pic, there is no "set to default" button there , any other help would be much appreciated

Tina Williams said, on September 14, 2008 3:54 PM:

To Paris Bias. You have plenty to do in school. You need to study Englsh grammer. I say this in love. If you talked like this in a job interview, You wouldn't get it.
Your statement/question: Hey how are you i wanted to know how can i get on myspace at school we be board when we dont do nothing.
The correct way: Hi, how are you?I wanted to know how I can geton MySpace at school. We are "bored" not "board" when we don't have anything to do. See how nice and correct that sounds. Best wishes for your future.

TOny Vose said, on October 19, 2008 10:25 PM:

Hello - I have found that the "Use As Default" button (or whatever it is exactly called) DOES appear when using Firefox but DOES NOT appear when using Safari. At least, this is when using OS X 10.5.4, Safari 3.1.2 and Firefox 2.0.

Jamie said, on December 12, 2008 12:50 AM:

I am changing the focus on my site & have a big picture that I would like to change, to fit other changes. How do I change that picture? I have tried more times, than I care to remember, with absolutely no success. I cannot believe how easy it was to change profile pic. I spent hours trying to figure it out, until tonight.

Is it possible to close the space where picturetrails used to be? If not, can something be added to replace it & how?

Thanks,
Jamie

sherry said, on December 23, 2008 1:39 AM:

thanks soooo much, i've been sitting here tryin to figure this out with no success....

Hil said, on January 17, 2009 1:41 PM:

I am using safari on a mac and the set as default button is not there. I really want to change my profile picture. Do you know how I can do this with safari.

britany said, on June 4, 2009 12:26 PM:

thanks you really helped have a good day

ste said, on June 9, 2009 7:10 AM:

Hi,
How do you change myspace music profile pics,theres no set as default in the nav bar?
Its a great website uv got!
Heres my umble offering:myspace.com/stethebass
cheers ste

Jessica said, on June 24, 2009 10:42 PM:

I still cant figure this out i been trying now for 2 days

Jessica said, on June 24, 2009 10:55 PM:

Please someone help me b4 i go crazy thank you

Ric said, on July 27, 2009 12:01 PM:

I would just like to say a simple thanks ... I've been tearing my hair out about myspace and the way it works :-)

theturtle7335 said, on August 21, 2009 9:11 PM:

thanks so much! Couldn't figure it out!

Peter said, on August 28, 2009 3:57 PM:

Dave, there is no 'set as default' button either on Firefox or Explorer for me - and there has never been so in the 2 years I've had a Myspace page.

Mark Thomas said, on September 26, 2009 5:42 AM:

Thanks great info :o)

karma said, on September 28, 2009 1:11 AM:

can u be more specific about ur website.
i asked a simple question and no reply

asa said, on October 8, 2009 3:47 PM:

thanks :-)

Brandy said, on December 23, 2009 6:40 PM:

Ma'am,
I think that Paris Bias had every right to ask how to get on Myspace at school. I have one class where we do nothing but sit at a computer for about 40 minutes. When we have free time, everything fun is blocked. That makes me feel stupid. I also know how to spell just fine, I think that Paris Bias does too. He/she probably just wanted to make a point quickly.
Oh, and you made 3 mistakes. "Grammer"? I think not. It's more like Grammar.
Brandy

Kaylee said, on January 22, 2010 4:28 PM:

Thank You so much that really helped me so much

claudia said, on February 25, 2010 7:24 PM:

thank you very much friend was very easy

JaNaye said, on March 31, 2010 1:08 PM:

thank you ever much

delaina said, on June 4, 2010 6:55 AM:

i finally got my profile picture changed after i read your instructions it was so easy. thank you for your help. there's alot of us out there that need your help so thanks again.

asmiya said, on July 8, 2010 12:23 AM:

thanks

Gerry said, on July 8, 2010 11:24 PM:

Hey Dave, stumbled onto your site regarding the simple MySpace featured picture question. Thanks for what you do. Appreciated. Next time I'll buy you a latte. $4.50 is a bit of a rip. Starbucks makes good money there.

Gerry

mohon said, on September 16, 2010 3:38 PM:

thanks for tutorial..now i've a new profile picture..

Martie van Graan said, on September 25, 2010 9:12 AM:

I want to put a flower on my profile pic, what must i do.

totle said, on May 6, 2011 2:23 AM:

howto my change piture

guddi said, on September 28, 2011 10:48 AM:

i do not no

I do have a lot to say, and questions of my own for that matter, but first I'd like to say thank you, Dave, for all your helpful information by buying you a cup of coffee!

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

Updated: How do I change my MySpace profile picture?

Reader Comments To Date: 38

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

Check This Out Too...