Having a cover photo is a great way to personalize your Facebook profile and timeline. The cover photo appears at the top of your profile and helps represent your personality and interests. Sometimes, however, you may wish to temporarily hide or unpublish your cover photo from your profile. Here are the steps to unhide a cover photo post on Facebook:
Why Would You Want to Unhide a Cover Photo?
There are a few reasons why you might want to unhide a cover photo that you had previously hidden:
- You hid the photo temporarily but now want it visible again
- You hid the wrong photo by accident and want to restore your intended cover photo
- You changed your mind and decide you do want a cover photo after all
- You want to revert back to an older cover photo you had used previously
Whatever the reason, unhiding a cover photo is easy to do.
How to Unhide Your Cover Photo
Here are the steps to unhide a cover photo on Facebook:
- Go to your profile page and click on the camera icon that says “Update Cover Photo”
- This will open up the Cover Photo dialog box
- Along the left side, click on “More Options”
- Select “Choose From Previously Uploaded Photos”
This will bring up a grid of your previously used cover photos.
- Find the cover photo you want and select it
- Click “Use” to apply it as your new cover photo
- Click “Save Changes” to confirm
Your selected cover photo will now be visible on your profile again.
Finding Hidden Cover Photos
When accessing your previously used cover photos, any that are hidden will have a small icon on them showing an eye with a line through it. This helps identify which ones are hidden versus visible.
Simply select the hidden photo you want to unhide and go through the steps to reapply it as your cover photo.
Other Ways to Access Hidden Cover Photos
In addition to the steps above, there are a couple other ways you can access your hidden cover photos to unhide them:
- From your profile, click the three dots icon in the cover photo and select “Update Cover Photo”
- From the sidebar, go to Photos > Albums > Cover Photos and find the hidden one
In both cases, you can then open the photo and choose “Make Cover Photo” to unhide it.
Unhiding on Mobile
The process works very similarly in the Facebook mobile app:
- Go to your profile
- Tap the three dots or settings icon at the top right
- Choose “Select Cover Photo”
- Tap “Cover Photos” to see your previous cover photos
- Find the hidden photo and select “Make Cover Photo”
This will instantly unhide that photo and make it your new mobile cover photo.
Additional Points
Here are some additional tips for unhiding cover photos on Facebook:
- You must have originally uploaded the photo to Facebook in order to access it from your cover photo history
- Photos can only be hidden from your timeline, not deleted entirely from Facebook
- Try to choose cover photos that best represent your brand or personality
- You can change your cover photo as often as you like
- Mobile apps have the same capabilities for finding hidden and past cover photos
Conclusion
Unhiding a cover photo is an easy process once you access your cover photo history. Simply find the hidden photo you want, select it, and confirm to make it publicly visible on your profile again. This allows you to rescue old cover photos you may have regretted hiding originally.
| Platform | Steps to Unhide Cover Photo |
|---|---|
| Desktop |
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| Mobile App |
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Being able to restore hidden Facebook cover photos gives you flexibility in managing your profile. Just follow the steps outlined above to retrieve an old hidden cover photo and make it visible again.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I permanently delete a cover photo?
No, on Facebook cover photos can only be hidden, not permanently deleted. The only way is to delete your entire Facebook account.
Does hidden mean the same as archived?
No, archived simply removes the cover photo from public view on your timeline, but keeps it stored in your cover photo history. Hidden goes a step further and also hides it from your cover photo history.
Can someone else see my hidden cover photos?
No, hidden cover photos are only visible to you when accessing your cover photo archive. Other people will not be able to see your hidden cover photos.
How many cover photos can I store?
Facebook allows you to store up to 400 cover photos in your history at one time. If you exceed that, your oldest cover photos will start being permanently deleted.
Does Facebook automatically delete old cover photos?
Facebook will hold up to your 400 most recent cover photos. If you’ve exceeded that limit, then each new cover photo you upload will start deleting your oldest cover photos permanently.
Can I re-hide a cover photo after unhiding it?
Yes, you can easily hide the cover photo again if you change your mind after unhiding it. Just repeat the steps to select a different photo as your new cover photo.
What size should my cover photo be?
Facebook recommends cover photos be at least 720 pixels wide. Images with a height between 315 pixels to 851 pixels typically work best.
Summary
- Use the camera icon or “Update Cover Photo” to access your cover photo history
- Look for the hidden icon on photos you want to unhide
- Simply select the hidden photo and confirm to make it public again
- Both desktop and mobile have the same capabilities for unhiding
- Be sure to choose a cover photo representative of your brand
Unhiding Facebook cover photos is quick and easy by following these steps. Reveal any hidden cover photos you want visible again for all to see.