How to Delete Your User Account Picture in Windows 10 & 11

PDF download Download Article
Remove unwanted profile pictures from Windows & Microsoft accounts
PDF download Download Article

When you select a Windows 10 or 11 user account photo, it'll appear on the login screen, the Start menu, and various other places in Windows. If you don't want to have a profile photo at all, you'll need to replace it with the default profile icon (an outline of a person). Once you replace the image, you can delete your old profile photos. This wikiHow will teach you how to remove your account picture in Windows 10 and Windows 11 and delete your old profile photos. We will also show you how to delete your Microsoft account picture so you don't see it on your computer, in Teams, or Outlook.

Quick Steps

  1. Open Windows Settings to Accounts > Your info > Browse files .
  2. Paste "C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\User Account Pictures" into the address bar.
  3. Press Enter .
  4. Select "user.png" and click Choose picture .
  5. Navigate to "%appdata%\Microsoft\Windows\AccountPictures" in File Explorer.
  6. Delete all remaining account pictures.
  7. Delete other account pictures from account.microsoft.com.
Method 1
Method 1 of 4:

PDF download Download Article
  1. You'll find this app in the Start menu. You can also get here by right-clicking the Start button and selecting Settings .
    • For this method to work, you'll first need to revert your profile photo to the default profile picture, which is an outline of a person's head and shoulders. We'll show you how to do that first.
  2. On Windows 10, look for the icon that's an outline of a person. On Windows 11, click the Accounts tab in the left panel.
    Advertisement
  3. 3
    Click Your info . This is in the left panel on Windows 10, and near the top of the right panel on Windows 11. [1]
  4. One of these two options will appear. When you click it, it will bring up the "Open" dialog window.
  5. This is where you'll find the default user icons. Here's a quick way to do this:
    • Highlight this text with your mouse: C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\User Account Pictures . [2]
    • Press Ctrl + C to copy it to your clipboard.
    • In the address bar at the top of the Open window, click your mouse at the end of the current path. This highlights the information that's already in that box.
    • Press Ctrl + V to paste the copied location.
    • Press ↵ Enter .
  6. Any of the files with the name "user" should be fine, as they all represent a blank/non-customized profile picture. This replaces your user profile photo with the default.
    • Your old photo will still appear in your account settings. If you want to delete it from the computer completely, continue with this method.
    • If you are using a Microsoft account to log in to Windows instead of a local account (common), you should also delete your profile photo from your Microsoft account settings. Jump down to this method to learn how.
  7. Now you'll use the File Explorer to delete your old photo from the computer.
  8. You'll do this just as you did when you navigated to the User Account Pictures folder in the Open window.
  9. Now you'll see all of your user account photos.
    • If the folder isn't found, you may need to show hidden folders. To do this, click the View menu at the top of File Explorer, select Show , then choose Hidden items . [3]
    • If the folder does open but is empty, you don't have any additional saved profile photos in Windows.
  10. To select multiple photos, hold Ctrl as you click. The selected photos have been removed from your account.
    • If your profile picture still shows up on the login screen, in Teams, or Outlook, and you've followed all the steps in this method so far, you just need to delete your profile photo from your Microsoft account .
    11. Advertisement
Method 2
Method 2 of 4:

PDF download Download Article
  1. 1
    Log in to your Microsoft account in a web browser. To do this, open any web browser, head to the Microsoft account site , and follow the on-screen instructions to log in.
    • If you use a Microsoft account to log in to Windows 10 or Windows 11, you can use this method to delete the picture associated with your account.
    • This will also remove the photo from other tools you access with your Microsoft account, such as Outlook and Teams.
    • If your Microsoft account is provided to you by your work or school, jump down to Deleting an Account Picture from Work & School Accounts instead.
  2. 2
    Click the Your info tab. You will see this tab in the left panel. Information about your Microsoft account will appear.
  3. 3
    Click the Change photo button. This opens a larger version of your current account picture.
  4. 4
    Click Remove Photo . A confirmation message will appear.
  5. 5
    Click Yes to confirm. Once you do this, you'll see your default account picture, which is just a colored circle with your initials inside.
  6. 6
    Click Save to save your changes. Now your account picture will just be your initials instead of a custom profile picture.
    • It can take some time for the changes to take effect everywhere you use your account.
    • If you use this account on a Windows 10 or Windows 11 PC that hasn't connected to the internet in a while, you will likely still see your Microsoft account picture on that computer until you connect.
    7. Advertisement
Method 3
Method 3 of 4:

PDF download Download Article
  1. 1
    Open any Microsoft Office app. If the account you use to log in to Windows and Microsoft tools like Teams, Outlook, and Word is provided to you by your school or employer, the steps to delete your account picture are a little different. Open any Office app, such as Word, PowerPoint, or Excel. [4]
  2. 2
    Click the File menu and select Account . This opens your account settings.
    • Some administrators may limit the information you can edit in your profile. If you can't remove your profile picture with this method, you'll need to contact your administrator.
  3. 3
    Click Change Photo . This takes you to the profile picture editing page for your school or workplace.
  4. 4
    Select Remove Photo to delete your photo. If your administrator permits you to do so, you should be able to remove your account picture here.
    5. Advertisement
Method 4
Method 4 of 4:

Tips

PDF download Download Article
  1. 1
    • If you want to change your profile picture for Xbox games (gamerpic), you will need to do so on your console or using the Xbox app on your phone or tablet. There is no longer an option to change your gamerpic when you're using a computer. [5]

Community Q&A

Search
Add New Question
  • Question
    I deleted the picture, but it's still there. What should I do?
    Community Answer
    Review Steps 7 - 8 to ensure that you've also deleted it from the account folder.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
    Yes No
    Not Helpful 58 Helpful 43
  • Question
    I have deleted the picture, but still it shows me. Can you tell me about account folder?
    Ashkan Sahba
    Community Answer
    If you're unsure of the folder name, you can also just browse to the location. Here, you'll find all the account pictures you've ever added to your account using the Settings app. Select any images you no longer want and then press the Delete key to relegate them to the Recycle Bin.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
    Yes No
    Not Helpful 11 Helpful 4
Ask a Question
200 characters left
Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.
Submit
      Advertisement

      Video

      Tips

      Submit a Tip
      All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published
      Name
      Please provide your name and last initial
      Submit
      Thanks for submitting a tip for review!

      You Might Also Like

      2 Ways to Change Your User Account Photo in Windows 10
      How to
      Change the Screen Brightness in Windows 10: A Quick Guide
      How to
      Recover Permanently Deleted Files in Windows 10
      Turn Off Microsoft Defender in Windows 10: Temporarily or Permanently
      How to
      Show Image Previews in Windows 10 & 11
      A Guide to Checking if Your Firewall Is Blocking Something
      How to
      Adjust Brightness on Windows 10 Using the Keyboard
      How to
      Use Function Keys Without Pressing Fn on Windows 10
      Easy Ways to Open Task Scheduler in Windows 10 & 11: Run, CMD, and More
      How to
      Add a Local User Account to a Windows 10 or 11 PC
      How to
      Install Windows 10
      How to
      Set Video As Wallpaper in Windows 10
      4 Easy Ways to Turn Off Automatic Updates in Windows 10
      How to
      Completely Uninstall the Riot Games Client & Vanguard
      Advertisement

      References

      1. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/account-billing/change-your-microsoft-account-picture-57db783b-0646-f624-ebb9-52ad4f1ce0ee#id0ebbf=signinorgid
      2. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/change-your-account-picture-in-windows-3645cdc7-acab-49d2-76a9-4ce7e5e10939
      3. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/change-your-account-picture-in-windows-3645cdc7-acab-49d2-76a9-4ce7e5e10939
      4. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/account-billing/change-your-microsoft-account-picture-57db783b-0646-f624-ebb9-52ad4f1ce0ee#id0ebbf=signinorgid
      5. ↑ https://support.xbox.com/en-US/help/account-profile/profile/change-gamerpic-on-xbox-one

      About This Article

      Article Summary X

      1. Open the Start menu.
      2. Click your profile photo.
      3. Click Change account settings .
      4. Click Browse for one .
      5. Navigate to C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\User Account Pictures.
      6. Select user.png and click Choose picture.
      For more tips, including how to permanently delete your account picture from your computer, read on!

      Did this summary help you?
      In other languages
      Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 441,407 times.

      Reader Success Stories

      • Andrew Mathenge

        Feb 15, 2019

        "Excellent instructions, including how to delete an ugly photo that I has added by accident. Just couldn't find ..." more
        Rated this article:
      More reader stories Hide reader stories
      Share your story

      Is this article up to date?

      Advertisement