How to Fix Profile Picture Not Changing or Showing on TikTok

Can’t figure out why your profile picture is not changing or showing on TikTok?

Recently, there have been a lot of reports from users who are struggling to change their profile picture on TikTok. When they change their picture, they are either greeted by an error message saying profile updates are not available, or the default profile picture is shown instead. 

This can be frustrating as it makes your account appear inactive due to the stock profile picture being displayed. 

If you’re someone who does business on TikTok, having a blank profile picture can potentially cost you some engagements. 

Based on what we know, this issue on TikTok is often caused by server-related problems. TikTok’s team could be performing system maintenance, or an unexpected error occurred on the servers. 

To help you out, we’ve decided to make a guide on what to do if your profile picture is not showing on TikTok. 

Let’s dive right in!

1. Check TikTok’s Servers. 

As mentioned above, server-related issues are the primary reason for this issue on TikTok. To confirm this, you can use third-party tools such as Downdetector to view the current status of TikTok’s servers. 

TikTok Server Status

If there’s an ongoing issue on the platform, the only thing you can do for now is waiting for TikTok’s team to address the problem. 

On the other hand, proceed to the following method below to start troubleshooting the issue if there’s nothing wrong with the servers. 

2. Restart TikTok. 

If your new profile picture is not showing on TikTok, try restarting the app. Your profile picture may not have been updated on your end, but it has actually been changed on TikTok’s side. 

Restarting TikTok should force the app to refresh, and your new profile picture should show up.

To restart TikTok, access the app switcher by swiping upwards from the bottom of your screen. Now, locate TikTok from the list and drag it upwards to close it. 

profile picture not showing on TikTok

Once done, go back to your app drawer and relaunch TikTok. Access your profile to check if your new profile picture has been updated. 

If you’re using an older iOS device, double-tap the Home button to open the application switcher. 

3. Check Your Network Connection. 

If you can’t upload a new profile picture on TikTok, it may indicate that your network connection is running slow. To confirm this, run a test on your network using Fast.com to measure its current bandwidth. 

profile picture not showing on TikTok

Reboot your modem or router if your network is unstable to refresh the connection with your service provider’s servers. Unplug your router from the outlet and wait for 5 to 10 seconds before plugging it back in. 

profile picture not showing on TikTok

Once done, perform another test to check if the problem is solved. Report the issue to your ISP if your network continues to run slow and ask them to fix their service. 

4. Turn Off VPN. 

Another reason why your network is running slow is VPN. These are third-party tools that protect your data and network from hackers and other entities. They work by changing your IP address and filtering your activity to keep your information and identity secured. 

However, some VPNs are not efficient and could affect your network’s performance. 

If you’re uploading a photo or video on TikTok, we suggest turning off your VPN in the meantime to avoid issues. 

PureVPN

On the other hand, you can try switching to a much stabler provider such as PureVPN if your current VPN keeps giving you headaches. PureVPN works well with most applications and uses high-speed servers for a fast and secure connection. 

5. Use A Different Profile Picture. 

Due to the recent backlash that TikTok received for inappropriate content on their platform, their team became stricter about what you post on your account. With this, make sure that your profile picture is not violating the community guidelines before uploading it. 

If you’re sure that your profile picture is appropriate, try uploading another photo instead to see if the same issue would occur. 

6. Reinstall TikTok.

If your profile picture is still not showing on TikTok, you can try reinstalling the app on your device. This should eliminate any errors that may have occurred on the platform and ensure that you’re using the latest version of the app. 

Follow the guide below to remove TikTok on your device: 

  1. First, go to your home screen and find TikTok
  2. After that, hold its app icon to access the selection menu. 
  3. Lastly, hit the Remove App (iOS) or Uninstall (Android) button to delete TikTok
profile picture not showing on TikTok

Once done, go to the Play Store or App Store and reinstall TikTok from there. 

7. Ask TikTok for Assistance. 

At this point, we recommend asking for help from professionals if you still can’t update your profile picture on TikTok. 

Visit TikTok’s Help Center and contact their team to ask for assistance on how you can change your profile picture. Provide your account details and other necessary information to make it easier for TikTok’s team to assess the situation. 

Help Center

You can also browse the other guides on their page and see if you can find other solutions for this issue. 

That ends our guide for fixing your profile picture if it’s not showing on TikTok. If you have questions, please let us know in the comment section, and we’ll do our best to help you out. 

If this guide helped you, please share it. 🙂

Author

  • John Sixto

    John is a staff writer at Saint and comes from a SAP ABAP development background. He has a Bachelors in IT and has been writing since 2018, with over 500 posts published. He loves to build PCs and has a deep curiosity in understanding how different components and configurations work. John spends hundreds of hours at a time, researching and testing the software and apps, before he proceeds to write about it. LinkedIn X (Twitter)

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