Having a professional looking LinkedIn profile is important for establishing your personal brand and credibility online. One key element of your profile is your profile photo, which serves as your virtual first impression on the platform. However, many LinkedIn users express frustration that their profile photos look tiny on their profiles. So why do LinkedIn profile photos appear so small?
LinkedIn’s Default Photo Size
The main reason LinkedIn profile photos look small is that the default photo size on LinkedIn profiles is quite small. Specifically, LinkedIn displays profile photos at 100 x 100 pixels on desktop and 200 x 200 pixels on mobile. This is significantly smaller than the photos on other social networks like Facebook or Twitter.
LinkedIn likely chose small default photo sizes to optimize page loading speeds and focus attention on profile content over photos. However, the tiny photo size can be frustrating, especially if you want to display a high quality professional headshot.
How to Make Your LinkedIn Photo Bigger
The good news is that there are a few ways to increase the size of your LinkedIn profile photo if you want it to be more prominent:
- Upload a high resolution photo – Use a photo that is at least 400 x 400 pixels. This will allow LinkedIn to zoom and crop it nicely in the 200 x 200 pixel mobile view.
- Display your photo in the background – You can upload a large, high quality photo as your background image and overlay your profile photo on top of it.
- Show off your photo in the intro section – Include the photo prominently at the top of your summary section for maximum visibility.
Ideal Photo Size for LinkedIn Profile Pictures
To balance quality and performance, the ideal photo size to upload for your LinkedIn profile picture is:
- Minimum size: 200 x 200 pixels
- Recommended size: 400 x 400 pixels
- Maximum size: 2048 x 2048 pixels
A 400 x 400 pixel photo will look crisp on desktop and mobile while keeping file sizes reasonable. Anything above 2048 pixels will be unnecessarily large for LinkedIn’s usage.
Photo Composition Tips
In addition to adjusting the size, you can employ these photo composition tips to make your profile picture look great:
- Use a close-up headshot – Get close and crop out extra background for the most impact.
- Position your head near the top – Leave more space in front of your face than above your head.
- Look directly at the camera – Make eye contact to appear approachable and confident.
- Wear professional attire – Dress like you would for an interview.
- Smile naturally – A relaxed, warm smile makes the best impression.
Photo Editing Tips
Use these photo editing tips to make your profile picture look as polished as possible:
- Ensure the photo is well-lit – Add light sources or use editing tools to brighten as needed.
- Check for sharpness – Some blurring can happen during resize. Sharpen the photo as required.
- Confirm background is solid – A solid backdrop helps the focus remain on you.
- Consider black & white – Removing color can minimize distraction and highlights facial features.
Mistakes to Avoid
When selecting and editing your LinkedIn profile photo, steer clear of these common mistakes:
- Pixelated images – Low resolution photos will look fuzzy and unprofessional.
- Cropped out top of head – Include your entire head in the frame.
- Distracting backgrounds – Keep the backdrop plain and subtle.
- Informal attire – Avoid casual clothing like t-shirts or tank tops.
- Outdated photos – Use a photo taken within the past 2 years.
Photo Tips for Glasses Wearers
If you wear glasses, keep these additional tips in mind for your LinkedIn photo:
- Remove glare on lenses – Position carefully or use editing tools to reduce shine.
- Show your eyes – Lift your chin slightly to minimize lens coverage over your eyes.
- Check for reflections – Ensure no distracting background elements reflect onto the glasses.
- Go rimless – Glasses with thin metal frames minimize obstruction of facial features.
When to Change Your Profile Photo
Plan to change your LinkedIn profile picture:
- When your look changes significantly – After a major haircut or style change.
- Every few years – Freshen up your photo every 2-3 years.
- When you change jobs – Show off your new professional role.
Updating your photo periodically is a great way to keep your profile looking current and professional.
How Profile Photo Appears on Your Profile
Here is an overview of where your profile photo appears throughout your LinkedIn profile:
| Section | Photo Location |
|---|---|
| Public Profile View | Top right corner |
| Intro/Summary Section | Above or next to summary text |
| Experience Section | Next to your roles |
| Skills & Endorsements | Above skills and endorsements |
| Recommendations | Next to received recommendations |
| Accomplishments | Above accomplishments |
| Groups | Next to group affiliations |
| Feed/Recent Activity | Next to your posts and activity |
In addition to your profile, your photo also displays in the LinkedIn messaging interface when communicating with connections.
Profile Photo Display Size
Here is an overview of the image pixels used to display your profile photo in key locations:
| Section | Desktop Photo Size | Mobile Photo Size |
|---|---|---|
| Public Profile View | 200 x 200 px | 400 x 400 px |
| Intro/Summary Section | 100 x 100 px | 200 x 200 px |
| Experience Section | 60 x 60 px | 84 x 84 px |
| Messaging | 48 x 48 px | 192 x 192 px |
As you can see, the photo size varies quite a bit depending on where it is displayed. Public profiles and summaries showcase the largest photo size, while sections like experience show smaller thumbnail versions.
Why Photo Size Matters
Your LinkedIn profile photo size matters because:
- Small pixelated photos look unprofessional
- Low resolution causes blurriness
- Cropped or stretched images are distorted
- Well-composed photos make a strong impression
- Crisp, high-quality headshots build credibility
Optimizing your photo for LinkedIn’s requirements results in the best version of your picture appearing across your profile and the platform.
Tips for Mobile Optimization
Given the majority of LinkedIn usage is now on mobile, it’s important to ensure your profile photo looks great on smaller screens. Follow these tips:
- Preview your photo on a mobile device
- Use a sharp, high-res source photo
- Adjust cropping to vertical orientation
- Check for text legibility on small screens
- Simplify backgrounds
A photo optimized for mobile will have strong visual impact and alignment on mobile feeds and profiles.
Third-Party Tools to Increase Size
If you want to push the boundaries of LinkedIn’s photo size constraints, some third-party tools can help. Here are a few options:
- Photofeeler – Uses AI to identify your optimal headshot for LinkedIn profiles from multiple candidate photos.
- Snappa – Photo editor with templates and auto-enhancement tools to create quality profile pictures.
- Canva – Graphic design platform with many templates for LinkedIn-specific images.
- Pixlr – Free online photo editor with cropping, resizing, and tuning options.
While these tools offer ways to maximize your photo impact, LinkedIn’s size caps still apply.
Conclusions
To summarize key points:
- LinkedIn displays profile pictures very small by default
- Upload photos at 400 x 400 pixels for best quality
- Edit photos to look professional and impactful
- Preview how your photo looks on mobile
- Change your picture consistently to stay current
With the right photo size and aesthetics, your profile picture can make a powerful visual statement to reinforce your brand and expertise.