Why can't I change my profile picture on Outlook.com?

Anonymous
2013-03-30T03:14:51+00:00

I noticed that my emails have a very old profile picture from back when I still used MSN messenger. However, whenever I click to change my profile pic in Outlook, it tells me I don't have a profile picture (and gives me the option of changing it). Even when I change it, my emails still have the old profile picture. Is there a way to change or remove the current profile picture?

Outlook | Web | Outlook.com | Settings

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Anonymous
2013-04-01T03:30:41+00:00

Huh, that's strange... You're absolutely sure it's not attached to anything? You MIGHT be able to find something under the Outlook settings (that cog on the top right), clicking More Mail Settings..., and hunting around there for a solution. 

Just to be sure there's no accounts or anything attached (I'm clinging to this since it's the only thing I know), you should take a quick look at the Content from third-party networks section, and toy with the settings there. More specifically, the 'Showing Public Content' area. Clicking Don't Show also helped me out.

You never know, it could help you. If you've already tried it, then.. yeah, I've got nothin.

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  1. Anonymous
    2015-11-22T19:54:17+00:00

    I tried your  instructions.

    1.  do you mean the cog that's on IE, not FB?
    2. I don't have a choice "More mail settings"
    3. My annoying disgusting photo on Outlook stays the same, no matter what I do with the FB photo
    4.  I am only interested in changing my own photo in Outlook.  I don't know who sees it.

    Can you help with this?

    I use a Surface Pro 3 running Win 8.1

    Thanks!

    I believe the cog being referred is the one that appears in outlook.com.  I was able to successfully terminate the link to the picture but I am not locating the all of the items on outlook.com referenced in Indy's response to my query.  I am using Microsoft Edge as the browser and Windows 10 now.  It's possible that something has changed in outlook.com or elsewhere.  I am sorry that I can't assist further but if I do encounter something, I'll let you know.

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  2. Anonymous
    2015-11-22T19:16:22+00:00

    I tried your  instructions.

    1.  do you mean the cog that's on IE, not FB?
    2. I don't have a choice "More mail settings"
    3. My annoying disgusting photo on Outlook stays the same, no matter what I do with the FB photo
    4.  I am only interested in changing my own photo in Outlook.  I don't know who sees it.

    Can you help with this?

    I use a Surface Pro 3 running Win 8.1

    Thanks!

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  3. Anonymous
    2014-05-08T13:54:40+00:00

    Ok I have been struggling with this for a while now and I finally found out how to fix it. This worked for me, I don't know if it works for anybody else though.

    go to the cog in right hand corner, select options.

    In the options page under "Reading email" is "Third-party content" go there and select "Don't show public content from third-party networks" and save. this worked for me, and it also showed me my email is linked to my facebook and twitter account. I never asked for this, and outlook never asked me this.

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  4. Anonymous
    2014-02-27T10:17:34+00:00

    Hi Everyone,

    Thank you for posting your concern here in Microsoft Community forum. I'd be glad to assist you on how to remove your profile picture in your account.

    AlexStoj suggestion is actually correct. If your account was linked to Facebook, Twitter or other social networking sites, your profile picture in that social networking site is also sync in your Outlook.com account. By removing the link accounts, it will surely remove the profile picture in your account.

    Please follow the steps below on how to remove the link accounts:

    1. Sign in to Outlook.com.
    2. Click the cog icon at the upper right and select More mail settings.
    3. Under "Managing your account," click Account details.
    4. At the left pane under "Microsoft Account," click Permissions.
    5. Under "Permissions", click Manage your accounts.
    6. Under "Accounts that you can access," you can now see all the linked accounts. Click the Edit button under the linked account.
    7. In the next page, click the Remove the connection completely.

    If the above steps didn't help you out, feel free to reply back and we are happy to further assist you.

    Thank you.

    I am encountering the same situation that outlook is yanking my facebook profile picture (I haven't posted the pic anywhere else other than facebook) but there is no profile picture loaded onto my Hotmail.com profile.  In reviewing the permission section of the Hotmail program as outlined by your support team above, I obtained the following information:

    Accounts that you can access:

    You haven't added any accounts yet.

    Apps and services you've given access:                

    You haven't given access to any apps or services yet. Once you do, they'll show up here.

    How do we get whatever phantom link that exists severed so that my e-mail does use as a profile pic a pic that appears in another program?

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