If you are among the people who feel insecure uploading profile picture on Facebook, then turning on profile picture guard can make you feel secure to some extent. This feature is currently available only in India. According to Facebook, turning on this guard will protect your profile picture in these ways:
- Nobody can share, download or send your profile picture in a message.
- Nobody can tag except you and your friends.
- On Android devices, Facebook will prevent others from taking a screenshot.
Secure profile picture with profile picture guard
Adding a profile picture guard is easy. When you turn on, a blue border with a shield will be displayed around your profile picture. Currently, there are three ways to turn on:
- Selecting the notification in the News Feed
- Activating by going to your profile page
- Turning on through your friend’s update
Selecting the notification in the News Feed
When browsing the News Feed, you may see a notification to turn on the guard.

Select Turn On Profile Picture Guard and you will be explained how it helps to protect your profile picture in the next screen. Select Next to activate it.

On Android, when going to the profile page, the notification may display.
Activating by going to your profile page
For the desktop version, follow these steps:
- Go to your profile and click the profile picture (not Update Profile Picture).
- Hover over your profile picture and click Options present at the bottom > Turn on profile picture guard.
- Click Save in the preview displayed.

On Android, go to your profile and tap profile picture. Then, tap Turn on profile picture guard > SAVE. Unlike Android app, there isn’t an option on iOS app to turn on the guard. But you can turn on by logging into facebook.com in the mobile browser and tapping the profile picture.

Turning on through your friend’s update
When your friend opts-in to protect the profile picture, you will see in the News Feed that your friend is protecting the profile picture with the guard and a Try it link will be displayed at the bottom of the picture. Select this to opt-in.

To turn off, follow the above steps and select Turn off profile picture guard from the Options menu on desktop version or tapping the profile picture on mobile versions. You can also add an extra design layer when turning on the guard to further safeguard your profile picture.
very helpful and secure
Thanks, Ramesh! Glad it helped you 🙂
Thank you profile picture guard…..
thanks
Hi I em from Philippines and i want this feature be applied on my facebook DP is there any way to access this even of em not living in India ? Advance thanks for the response
Hey Dyamo, unfortunately, this is available only in India at present. But Facebook hopes to roll-out the feature to other countries in future based on the experience in India.
Hii.. "Turn on Profile Picture Guard" option is not seen. What should i do? Can you please help me??
It is currently available only in India.
I don't have the option to turn on profile picture guard
It is available only in India.
Turn on Profile Picture Guard" option is not seen. What should i do? Can you please help me??
It is currently available only in India!
I live in Bangladesh.but I need to guard on my profile picture. but I can't. please give me guard on my profile picture
It is currently available only in India!
Flaw in facebook profile photo protection/shield/guard. If you want to capture a photo which is protected, follow these steps:
1. Click on photo to zoom it.
2. Click on search icon next to 3 dots (menu) on the top.
3. Click back button of your mobile twice or click back arrow present in the top left of facebook.
4. Now the photo is unprotected, perform the screen capture action of your mobile.
Hello Ravi,
There is a flaw in everything! It is just an extra-protection 🙂