With over 2 billion monthly active users, Facebook is the most popular social media platform for sharing photos and life updates. While uploading photos to your Facebook profile or page is easy, adjusting the placement or order can be tricky.
In this guide, I will walk you through the steps for changing the order and placement of your Facebook photos on desktop and mobile. Whether you want to pin a photo to the top of your profile, move an image higher in your album, or rearrange the sequence, these tips will help you customize your Facebook photo layout.
Overview of Facebook Photo Placement
When you upload photos on Facebook, they are displayed in reverse chronological order by default. The most recent photos appear first, followed by older images. There are a few key ways your Facebook photos are organized and displayed:
- Profile Picture – The main profile photo that appears throughout Facebook next to your name.
- Cover Photo – The large banner photo that appears at the top of your profile.
- Timeline Photos – Photos uploaded directly to your Facebook timeline.
- Photo Albums – Collections of photos shared in album format on your profile.
- Shared Photos – Images you’ve been tagged in by friends or photos you’ve shared from other pages or profiles.
Photos within albums or your timeline can be reorganized by changing the order in which they are displayed. You can also pin photos to the top of your profile for added visibility. Cover and profile photos have fixed placements, but can be switched out at any time.
Pinning Photos to the Top of Your Profile
Facebook allows you to pin up to 3 photos or other posts to the top of your profile above your recent timeline posts. Pinned photos will remain in place until they are unpinned.
Here are the steps to pin a photo on Facebook:
- Go to your profile and select the photo you want to pin.
- Click the three dots in the top right corner of the photo.
- Choose “Pin to Your Profile” from the dropdown menu.
- A confirmation message will appear. Click “Pin to Profile” to confirm.
The photo will now be pinned to the top of your profile above all other posts. You’ll see a small “Pinned Post” tag on the image.
To unpin the photo, just repeat the steps above and choose “Unpin from Profile” instead.
Changing Cover Photos
Your Facebook cover photo appears at the very top of your profile and spans the entire width of the page. While you can only have one cover photo at a time, you can change it as often as you like.
Here’s how to change your Facebook cover photo:
- Go to your profile page and click on your current cover photo.
- Click “Update Cover Photo” from the dropdown menu.
- Select a new photo to upload from your computer or Facebook albums.
- Drag the photo to reposition it and click “Save Changes.”
Your new cover photo will now be live on your profile. The previous cover image will be saved to your photos and can be restored at any time if you change your mind.
Switching Your Profile Picture
Just like your cover image, you can update your Facebook profile picture as often as you like. Your profile picture appears alongside your name on your timeline, in messenger, and anywhere else your Facebook profile is displayed.
To change your profile picture:
- Go to your profile and click on your current profile picture.
- Select “Update Profile Picture” from the dropdown menu.
- Choose a new photo from options on the page or upload one from your computer.
- Click “Save” to confirm the new profile picture.
Your new profile photo will now display on your profile. As with cover photos, your previous profile picture will be saved in your albums for future access.
Repositioning Timeline Photos
When you upload photos directly to your Facebook timeline, they appear in reverse chronological order with your most recent pictures at the top. You can change the order of these photos by adjusting their positioning.
To reposition a timeline photo:
- Click on the photo you want to move on your timeline.
- Click the three dots in the top right corner and choose “Reposition Photo” from the menu.
- Click and drag the photo to reposition it above or below other photos as desired.
- Click “Done” to save the new photo placement.
Repositioning a photo will change its order in your timeline photos relative to other images. You can repeatedly reposition photos to achieve your desired sequence.
Pinning Timeline Photos
In addition to repositioning, you can also pin up to 3 timeline photos to the top of your profile feed above other photos. This works the same as pinning a post:
- Click the photo you want to pin.
- Select “Pin to Profile” from the dropdown menu.
- Click “Pin to Profile” to confirm.
Pinned photos will remain at the top of your profile until you unpin them. You can pin up to 3 photos or posts this way.
Rearranging Photos Within an Album
When you share collections of photos on Facebook in album format, you can control the order they are displayed within the album.
To rearrange photos within an album:
- Go to the album page and click “Edit Album” in the top right.
- Click “Rearrange Photos” from the dropdown menu.
- Click and drag photos to rearrange them within the album.
- Click “Done” to save your changes.
Rearranging the order of photos only affects how they display within the album. Their positions will be updated the next time you view the album.
Pinning Album Photos
You can pin up to 3 photos to the top of a photo album as well. This works the same as pinning timeline photos:
- Click the photo you want to pin.
- Choose “Pin to Top of Album” from the dropdown menu.
- Click “Pin to Album” to confirm.
Pinned photos will stick to the top of the album until they are unpinned. This lets you highlight your favorite images.
On Mobile
All of the above options for repositioning and pinning photos work very similarly in the Facebook mobile app for Android and iOS.
Here are the key differences:
- To access photo options, tap and hold a photo instead of clicking the three dots.
- Tap “Reorder Photo” instead of “Reposition Photo.”
- Rearranging album photos is done by tapping and holding to drag and drop.
- Pinned items are marked with a pushpin icon, not “Pinned Post.”
Follow the same general steps outlined for desktop. The mobile interface for managing photos is very similar.
Troubleshooting Photo Placement
Here are some common issues you may encounter when trying to reposition Facebook photos:
Photos won’t pin or unpin
Make sure you don’t already have the maximum of 3 items pinned. You’ll need to unpin something first before pinning something new.
Repositioned photo jumps back
Sometimes a repositioned photo may jump back to its original spot, especially right after rearranging. Give it some time and check back later to confirm the new placement.
Can’t drag and drop photos
If dragging photos isn’t working, make sure you are clicking the three dots and selecting the “Reposition Photo” option first before dragging.
Album photos won’t stay rearranged
Double check that you clicked “Done” after rearranging album photos to save your changes. The new order should then stick after refreshing.
Uploaded photo is out of order
Keep in mind that newly uploaded photos will always start at the top per the reverse chronological order. Reposition it after uploading if you want it somewhere else.
Additional Tips
Here are some additional tips for managing your Facebook photos:
- You can only pin to your own profile – not Pages or Groups.
- Pinned photos don’t show up pinned when viewing your profile while logged out.
- Others may not see repositioned or pinned photos in the order you arranged them.
- Deleted photos will be removed from their position and the gap closed up.
- The mobile app only lets you rearrange albums with less than 200 photos.
While photos are displayed chronologically by default, don’t be afraid to rearrange your photos and highlight your favorite shots. Experiment with pinning and repositioning to keep your profile looking fresh and customized.
Conclusion
Customizing the layout of your Facebook photos allows you to curate how you present these memories and highlights to your friends and followers. While it takes some maneuvering, you have full control over the placement of photos on your profile, timeline, and albums.
The key is learning how to access the management options for pinning, repositioning, and rearranging photos. Use the steps outlined in this guide to start organizing your Facebook photos exactly how you want them.
So switch up that cover shot, repin your favorite travel pic, or shuffle your latest album into just the right order. With these tips, you can showcase your photos just like you want on Facebook.