How To Fix a WhatsApp Profile Pic Not Showing

WhatsApp is undoubtedly one of the most popular messaging apps worldwide. Many also use it for voice and video calls because it’s user-friendly. When you glance at your WhatsApp contact list, you can see everyone’s profile picture and notice when someone changes it.

But what if one of your WhatsApp contact’s profile pics is not showing? Maybe they haven’t replaced it with a new picture, but perhaps it’s something else.

A similar scenario is when your WhatsApp profile picture is not showing to your contacts. In both instances, there’s usually a reason why the WhatsApp profile is missing a photo. That’s why we’ll explore all possibilities and offer solutions where they are possible.

Scenario One – Your WhatsApp Contact’s Profile Pic Is Not Showing

First, let’s discuss why you don’t see a profile picture of a WhatsApp contact. Some people choose not to post a profile picture, and although that might be somewhat unusual, it’s not that uncommon.

However, if a person previously always had a profile picture and suddenly it’s not showing, that may trigger some investigating. So, let’s cover all the potential reasons why you don’t see their pic and what you can do about it.

Temporary Network Issue

If your WhatsApp contact or you are experiencing network issues, any status updates or profile pictures may be temporarily missing. The loss of an internet connection can cause this problem, even if only for a few minutes.

It’s best to give the network and your device some time if you check WhatsApp and see the profile picture missing. If the problem is on their end, you can only wait and see if the profile picture re-appears later in the day or the following one.

WhatsApp Not Syncing Contacts

Several of your contacts’ profile pictures or even some names may be missing. When this occurs, you’re likely experiencing a syncing issue. There could be a system-level bug, which developers typically resolve pretty quickly.

But it’s also possible that something went wrong with the WhatsApp installation. These issues may appear if you recently had to update or re-install the app. Often, the best course of action is to restart your phone or re-install the app again.

Privacy Settings

WhatsApp allows users to choose their preferred privacy settings. If you don’t want someone to see you online or the last time you used WhatsApp, all you need to do is adjust the settings. The same applies to those who can see your profile photo.

A missing profile image may mean that the person changed their privacy settings. Usually, this setting prevents people not on their contact list from seeing their profile pic, so maybe you can check if they have you in their phonebook.

You’ve Been Blocked

You might not see your WhatsApp contact’s profile photo because they’ve blocked you. That might feel shocking and frustrating, and they may do it by accident, but that could be the reason, nonetheless.

You can test this theory by sending them a WhatsApp message to see if the receipt shows the “delivered” status. If that never happens, they have either blocked you or deleted their profile picture and don’t have internet access.

Scenario Two – Your WhatsApp Profile Pic Is Not Showing

Imagine spending time creating and uploading the perfect WhatsApp profile picture only to realize none of your contacts can see it.

You might receive a message from a friend inquiring about your missing photo or notice that it’s missing. It’s a headscratcher for sure, but there are a few reasons why that may have happened, and we’ll discuss them all.

Note that the WhatsApp mobile app is similar for iOS and Android devices, though there are some differences we’ll address in the steps below.

Incorrect Visibility Settings

Again, any WhatsApp user, including your contacts and yourself, can choose not to display their profile picture. Perhaps you only want your contacts to see your profile photo, not someone who has recently acquired your phone number.

Your WhatsApp visibility settings should reflect that wish if that’s the case. But maybe the current settings keep your photo hidden from everyone, contacts included.

To resolve this mistake, follow these steps:

1. Launch WhatsApp on your mobile device.
   
2. If you’re using an iPhone, select the “Settings” option from the bottom of the screen. If you’re using Android, tap the three vertical dots in the top-right corner, then “Settings.”
   
3. Tap “Account” followed by “Privacy.”
   
4. Select the “Profile Photo” option.
   
5. Choose “My Contacts.”
   

You can also opt for “Everybody,” “Nobody,” and on Android devices, also “My contacts except…”

Missing Permissions

Another reason why others can’t see your WhatsApp profile photo is that the app doesn’t have access to all the necessary permissions. Granting permissions to apps may seem invasive to some users, and they automatically decline to accept when an app prompts them.

But not allowing WhatsApp permission to access your contact list can lead to having limited functionalities. Therefore, if you want to change that, you’ll need to enable missing permissions manually.

Here’s how that works on an Android device:

1. Long-press the WhatsApp app until a pop-up window appears.
   
2. Tap the “i” button at the top-right corner.
   
3. When the WhatsApp settings page appears, tap the “Permissions” option.
   
4. Select “Contacts” and select the “Allow” option.
   

If you have an iPhone instead, follow these steps:

1. Open Settings, scroll down and select “WhatsApp” from the list.
   
2. Next to the “Contacts” section, tap the toggle switch.
   
3. Open WhatsApp again and check if your profile photo is showing.

Using a New Phone

Moving all your contact list and WhatsApp data from an old to a new phone is pretty straightforward these days. You don’t need to lose any conversations, and even your profile photo will not disappear. However, sometimes the transition is not seamless, and your picture doesn’t show.

This scenario is widespread when moving from Android to iPhone and vice versa. If this is the situation you’re dealing with, you may need to re-add the WhatsApp profile picture.

Here’s what that process looks like on Android:

1. Open WhatsApp and tap the three dots in the top-right corner.
   
2. From the drop-down menu, select “Settings.”
   
3. Tap the profile picture frame and then the small camera icon.
   
4. Either take a new photo using the camera or tap “Gallery” and choose an image from your camera roll.
   

If you use WhatsApp on an iPhone, here’s how to re-add a profile photo:

1. Launch WhatsApp and select the “Settings” icon on the bottom-right corner of the screen.
   
2. Tap on the profile photo frame and then tap the Edit.
   
3. When a pop-up menu appears, select “Take Photo” or “Choose Photo.”
   

You can repeat the process whenever you want to upload a new WhatsApp profile photo.

Mistakenly Blocked Contact

When you block a WhatsApp contact, your name will still appear in their WhatsApp contacts, but they won’t see your profile photo any longer. If that was your goal, then you don’t need to take any further action.

But perhaps you’ve mistakenly blocked the wrong person and later learned that they don’t see your profile photo and can’t send you messages. To ensure the reason for that is because they’re on your WhatsApp block list, you must check the settings.

These are the steps to follow if you have an Android device:

1. Open WhatsApp, tap the three dots in the top-right corner, and select “Settings.”
   
2. Tap “Account” followed by the “Privacy” option.
   
3. Scroll down and select the “Blocked contacts” option.
   
4. Look for the person’s name on the list.
5. If you blocked them accidentally, long-press their name and press “Unblock.”
   

For iPhone users, this process requires the following steps:

1. Launch WhatsApp and tap the “Settings” button at the bottom of the screen.
   
2. Select the “Account” option followed by “Privacy.”
   
3. Press the “Blocked” option and go through the list.
   
4. Tap the “Edit” button at the top-right corner.
   
5. Select the red “-“icon next to the contact you want to unblock.
   
6. Tap the red “Unblock” button next to their name.
   

Additional FAQs

Why can’t I update WhatsApp?

One possibility is that you’re missing a stable Wi-Fi connection. However, another common reason you can’t update WhatsApp is the lack of storage space. You need around 1 GB of free space when installing a WhatsApp update.

Do you need a phone number to use WhatsApp?

Yes, you do need a phone number for WhatsApp. But it doesn’t have to be your personal number. Users can add landline numbers during setup and even a virtual number.

Can you move WhatsApp to an SD card?

For now, WhatsApp doesn’t allow users to move the app from internal storage to an SD card. You can transfer other apps to an SD card to create space for WhatsApp updates.

Why is my WhatsApp contact now someone else?

If one of your contacts has a new phone number, it’s best to delete their old number from your phone. Otherwise, you may notice someone else’s photo appearing on their WhatsApp profile.

Providers often recycle phone numbers meaning that a WhatsApp contact’s old phone number now belongs to someone else.

Managing Your WhatsApp Experience Like a Pro

Texting and calling via WhatsApp is fun as the app offers great stickers and GIFs and allows easy file transfer. Still, it’s important to adjust the privacy settings, including the profile photo, in a way that works for you. You can choose to share it with anyone or show it to a select few contacts.

But the same applies to your WhatsApp contacts. So, if you don’t see someone’s picture, they might have hidden it, or there was a syncing issue you need to address. Of course, when a WhatsApp profile pic is not showing, someone might have blocked you, or you accidentally blocked someone.

In some instances, the issue of missing profile photos cannot be fixed, but in others, a few taps on the screen resolve everything. Have you ever had an issue with a missing WhatsApp profile photo? Let us know in the comments section below.