To take your photo off your Google Account, go to myaccount.google.com, open Personal info and select Profile picture; if your account shows a Remove option there, choose it. With no picture, Google shows your initials instead, and Google says the change can take a few days to reach Gmail and its other apps.
What removing the picture does and doesn’t do
Your Google Account picture is the image shown with your name in Gmail, and it can appear in other Google services. Removing it changes only that account-level image. A few things are worth knowing before you start:
- Initials take its place. Google’s help page says that when there is no profile picture, you see your initials instead.
- YouTube is separate. Google notes that changing your Google Account name or picture won’t change your YouTube name or profile picture, so a channel image needs its own update.
- Older pictures stay in your account. Google keeps a list of past profile pictures (covered below), so taking a picture off your profile is not the same as deleting the image file.
- Chrome profiles can use a separate avatar. A Chrome browser profile can show its own icon chosen in Chrome: see changing your Chrome profile avatar.
Remove the picture on a computer
- Open a browser, go to myaccount.google.com/personal-info and sign in to the account you want to change.
- Under Basic info, click Profile picture. A dialog opens with your current picture.
- Look for a Remove option in the dialog. If your account shows one, click it and confirm. Google’s help pages describe only the Change and Add profile picture options, so the exact label and confirmation step may differ on your screen.
- Close the dialog. Your initials should now appear where the photo was.
This is an older illustration. It shows a Remove button that Google’s help pages don’t document, so your current dialog may not offer one.
Remove it on iPhone, iPad or Android
Google documents a slightly different starting point for each phone platform, but both end on the same Profile picture screen.
iPhone and iPad
- Open a Google app such as Gmail or Google Maps.
- Tap your profile picture or initial at the top right.
- Tap Manage your Google Account, then Personal info.
- Tap Profile picture. If a Remove option appears, tap it; otherwise use the alternatives in the next section.
Android
- Open your phone’s browser and go to myaccount.google.com.
- Tap Personal info, then Profile picture.
- Tap Remove if it is offered.
The browser route also works on an iPhone, which is handy if you are signed in to several accounts in the Gmail app and want to be sure you are editing the right one.
If you don’t see a Remove option
Because Google’s own instructions only cover changing or adding a picture, you may not find a Remove button at all. You still have options:
- Swap in a neutral image. Select Profile picture (then Change, if your screen shows it). Gmail’s help page lists choices such as Browse illustrations, Upload from Device, Take a picture and Google Photos. Pick one, select Next, then Save as profile picture. An illustration or plain image keeps your face off your profile even if removal isn’t offered.
- Check whether it is a work or school account. In Google Workspace, an administrator can turn off the Photo box under Allow users to edit profile. When that box is cleared, only an administrator can set or update your photo, and a photo the admin adds overrides one you set. Gmail’s help page says that if you don’t have the option to change your picture, contact your administrator.
- Confirm the account. If you manage more than one Google Account, check the email address at the top of the Personal info page before changing anything.
How long the change takes to show
Google says a new name or picture sometimes takes a few days to update across all Google products. Your own browser can also hold on to the old image. If you still see the photo after a while, Google suggests:
- Clear your browser’s cache and cookies.
- Sign out of your Google Account and sign back in.
- Update the picture inside the specific product if it keeps its own copy, such as a YouTube channel.
For work and school accounts, the Workspace admin help notes that changes to these profile settings can take up to 24 hours, though they typically happen sooner.
Find your past profile pictures
To see the pictures you used before, open the Profile picture dialog and, at the top right, select More > Past profile pictures. This is useful if you want to switch back to an older photo later. Google’s help page doesn’t describe deleting images from this list, so if you want an old photo gone completely, check where it is stored (for example, your Google Photos library) and delete it there.
Google profile picture questions
Will removing my picture change my name or email address?
No. The picture, your name and your email address are separate fields under Personal info. If you want to update contact details while you are there, see changing the phone number on your Google Account.
Can my workplace put a photo back after I remove mine?
Yes, on a Google Workspace account. Google’s admin documentation says a photo an administrator adds for a user overrides the photo the user set.
Does removing it delete the photo from Google Photos?
No. Removing it only takes it off your profile; the image stays wherever it is stored.
Next steps
Once your initials show in Gmail, you are done; check back in a day or two if an older copy lingers anywhere. For full details on the picture options Google currently offers, see Google’s page on how to change your Google Account profile picture and its Gmail profile picture help. Admins can read the Workspace profile and photo editing settings. If you are tidying up other Gmail habits at the same time, you might also want to change the default reply behavior in Gmail.
Kermit Matthews runs Live2Tech from just outside Philadelphia. He is an IT specialist with over 20 years of experience, from a university help desk to small-business IT, IT management and his own consulting practice, and has written tech guides full time since 2020. Steps are checked against the current software on a real device or the maker’s official documentation. More about Kermit.