How to Change Your WordPress Profile Picture System (In 3 Easy Steps)

As you probably know, WordPress enables you and your users to set up individual  profile pictures. However, you can only do so using the Gravatar system, which can be restrictive. Thats why learning how to change your WordPress profile picture (outside of Gravatar) can come in handy.Fortunately, WordPress enables you to tweak almost any aspect of your site  using plugins, and profile pictures are no exception. By  using the right plugin, you can overhaul your entire profile picture system to make it more user-friendly, and avoid relying on a third-party service.In this article, were going to talk about how WordPress default Gravatar system works, and explain what its downsides are. Then well teach you how to replace it with a better version in three simple steps. Lets jump right in! By default, WordPress uses the Gravatar platform to handle profile pictures. This system enables you to upload avatars and use them on any site that incorporates Gravatar, by logging in with the sam e user credentials.Gravatar makes managing your avatars simple, but its not without downsides.On  paper, this sounds like a smart idea since it can save time. After all, you dont have to upload a profile picture separately to each new site.  In practice, however, this system isnt as convenient as it looks. There are a few  main downsides to using Gravatar:You cant change your profile picture from within WordPress. Instead, you have to log into the Gravatar platform and associate a new avatar with your email address.Its difficult to use different profile pictures for specific websites. To do so, you have to add a new email to your Gravatar account, assign it a different avatar, and use that address to log into the site in question.If you dont mind these inconveniences, Gravatar can be a welcome addition to your site. However, you may appreciate the option to upload your  own unique avatar to your site, without using a third-party service. Lets find out how to make that possib le.How to change your WordPress profile picture system (in three easy steps)In this section, were going to show you how to use the WP User Avatar plugin to overhaul your sites profile picture system: WP User Avatar Author(s): flippercodeCurrent Version: 2.2.4Last Updated: May 29, 2019wp-user-avatar.zip 88%Ratings 3,572,197Downloads WP 3.6+Requires We chose this particular plugin because its easy to implement, and it enables you to upload your  own avatar. Youll first want to install and activate the plugin, then move on to the first step.Step #1: Configure the WP User Avatar PluginAfter installing the plugin, a new Avatars tab will appear in your WordPress dashboard. Clicking on it will reveal two options: a settings screen and a library containing all the avatars youve uploaded.For now, click on the Settings tab and check out the three choices at the top:The first setting enables you to add avatar uploading functionality to your posts and pages. Well explore this further in the next section, so lets focus on the other two for now. By default, the option that lets contributors and subscribers upload their own profile pictures will be disabled, so youll need to turn it on. You can also disable the Gravatar system  if you want, although that isnt necessary.Enabling the option for users to upload their own profile pictures will prompt a new menu to appear. In this section, youll be able to set a size limit for images users can upload, and turn on a feature that will resize all profile pictures automatically:We recommend setting a cap of 1–2 megabytes, to prevent avatars from taking up too much room on your server.Before moving on, youll also want to set up a default avatar for users who dont want to upload their own. You can do this at the bottom of the Settings screen:All you have to do is upload an image of your own to serve as your sites default profile picture, save your changes, and youre ready to go.Step #2: Enable the upload of your prof ile pictures using shortcodesYour new WordPress profile picture system should now be working, but youll need to add an uploading feature to your front end before you can  access it.To do this, go ahead and open the editor for any post or page where you want to add an image uploading option. You should see a new profile picture icon right above your main editor:Place your cursor in the  page or post, at the spot where you want to include the upload feature, and then click on the icon. Youll see a window with two tabs, one that enables you to insert your own avatar into your posts, and another to add the upload functionality. Click on the Upload tab:Now confirm your decision using the Insert Into Post option. A shortcode will appear on your page, like this:Keep in mind that  you can use this feature in multiple places on your site, by adding the shortcode manually anywhere you want. Now, lets check out how our new upload feature works.Step #3: Test your new profile picture uploa ding featureTo see your new WordPress profile picture system in action, visit the page of your site where you inserted the shortcode during the previous step. The feature should look something like this:To change your avatar, click on the Choose Image  button and pick the image you want to use. It shouldnt take long for the file to upload. If youre not happy with your choice, you can always hit the Undo button:Otherwise, click on Update Profile and youll be ready to go. Your new profile picture will appear whenever you publish a post or write a comment:Keep in mind that if you didnt disable Gravatar during the first step,  changing your profile picture using this new system will override that avatar. You can keep both systems on, which enables you to choose whichever one you  prefer.ConclusionWordPress default profile picture system is  a bit lacking in functionality.  Fortunately, replacing it is simple and can make your website more mobile-friendly. Not only will you hav e more freedom over your  avatar, but youll also be able to customize the system to your liking – something you cant do using Gravatar.Lets recap the three steps to revamping your WordPress profile picture system using the WP User Avatar plugin:Configure the plugin.Enable the  upload of your profile pictures using shortcodes.Test your new uploading feature. How to change #WordPress profile picture system - say goodbye to Gravatar Click To Tweet Do you have any questions about how to change your WordPress profile picture? Let us know  in the comments section below!Free guide5 Essential Tips to Speed Up Your WordPress SiteReduce your loading time by even 50-80% just by following simple tips.