How to Upload a LinkedIn Cover Photo from Your Phone

You do not need a computer to update your LinkedIn banner. The LinkedIn mobile app on both iPhone and Android lets you upload a cover photo in under a minute. This guide walks you through the exact steps, explains how to prepare your image on mobile, and covers the quirks of the mobile upload experience.

Uploading LinkedIn cover photo from mobile phone

Before You Start: Prepare Your Image

The ideal LinkedIn cover photo is 1584 × 396 pixels. If you have a properly sized image saved to your phone's photo library, the upload process is straightforward. Here is how to get a correctly sized image on your phone:

Option 1: Download from our site

Visit linkedincoverphoto.com on your phone's browser, browse the gallery, and download a banner directly to your camera roll. Every image is pre-sized to 1584 × 396.

Option 2: Generate with AI

Use our AI cover photo generator on your phone. The generated image saves directly to your device at the correct dimensions.

Option 3: Transfer from your computer

If you designed a banner on your computer, transfer it to your phone via:

Option 4: Use a mobile design app

Apps like Canva (iOS/Android) let you create a custom-sized design at 1584 × 396 directly on your phone.

Step-by-Step: Upload on iPhone (iOS)

Step 1: Open your LinkedIn profile

  1. Open the LinkedIn app
  2. Tap your profile photo in the top-left corner of the home feed
  3. Tap View Profile

Step 2: Access the banner edit option

  1. Tap directly on your current background photo (or the default blue gradient)
  2. A menu appears at the bottom of the screen
  3. Tap Change photo

Step 3: Select your image

  1. Tap Choose from library
  2. Your iPhone photo library opens
  3. Navigate to the image you want to use
  4. Tap the image to select it

Step 4: Position and save

  1. LinkedIn shows a crop/reposition screen
  2. Pinch to zoom in or out
  3. Drag to reposition the image within the frame
  4. Tap Save (top-right corner)
  5. Your new cover photo is live immediately

Step-by-Step: Upload on Android

Step 1: Open your LinkedIn profile

  1. Open the LinkedIn app
  2. Tap your profile photo in the top-left corner
  3. Tap View Profile

Step 2: Access the banner edit option

  1. Tap on your current background photo
  2. Tap the pencil icon (edit) that appears
  3. Select Change photo

Step 3: Select your image

  1. Tap Choose from gallery (or similar wording depending on your Android version)
  2. Your device's photo picker opens
  3. Find and tap your prepared banner image

Step 4: Position and save

  1. Adjust the crop by dragging and pinching
  2. Tap the checkmark or Done button
  3. Your new cover photo appears on your profile

Why Mobile Uploads Sometimes Look Different

The LinkedIn mobile app displays your cover photo with slightly different cropping than the desktop version. Here is what to expect:

Vertical cropping: On mobile, the banner appears slightly taller relative to its width compared to desktop. This means a bit more of the top and bottom edges may be visible on mobile while the sides are cropped slightly.

Profile photo overlap: On mobile, your profile photo is positioned more centrally at the bottom of the banner, rather than bottom-left as on desktop. This affects which areas of your banner are obscured.

Resolution: Modern phones have high-DPI screens (Retina, AMOLED). A 1584 × 396 image looks sharp on these displays. Anything smaller will appear blurry.

How to ensure your banner looks good everywhere

  1. Keep critical content (text, logos) in the centre of the image
  2. Leave generous margins on all four edges
  3. After uploading, check your profile on both mobile and desktop
  4. Avoid placing important elements in the bottom quarter (profile photo overlap zone)

Troubleshooting Mobile Upload Issues

The upload button is greyed out or missing

The image appears blurry after upload

Your source image is likely too small. LinkedIn upscales images below 1584 × 396, which causes blur. Solutions:

For more solutions, read Why Your LinkedIn Cover Photo Looks Blurry.

The upload fails or times out

Common causes on mobile:

  1. File too large — compress the image or reduce JPG quality to 85-90%
  2. Poor connection — switch to Wi-Fi or move to a stronger signal area
  3. App cache full — clear the LinkedIn app cache in your phone settings
  4. Storage full — free up device storage so the app can process the image
  5. App bug — delete and reinstall the LinkedIn app

See our complete troubleshooting guide: LinkedIn Cover Photo Won't Upload: 7 Causes and Fixes.

LinkedIn keeps asking me to crop

This happens when your image does not match the 4:1 aspect ratio. If you upload a square photo or a standard 16:9 image, LinkedIn forces you to select which portion to display. The fix is simple: start with a 1584 × 396 image and the crop tool will show your full image with no adjustment needed.

Tips for a Great Mobile Upload Experience

  1. Save the image to your main camera roll — not in a subfolder or cloud-only album. This makes it easy to find in LinkedIn's photo picker.

  2. Name your file clearly — if you have multiple banner options saved, give them descriptive names so you can identify the right one quickly.

  3. Check the file size — open the image details on your phone to confirm it is under 8 MB. On iPhone, use the Photos app info panel. On Android, long-press the image in your gallery and check properties.

  4. Upload over Wi-Fi — mobile data uploads can be slower and more prone to timeout errors, especially with larger PNG files.

  5. Preview immediately — after uploading, scroll through your profile on mobile to see how the banner looks in context with your headline, profile photo, and activity section.

Removing Your Cover Photo on Mobile

If you want to go back to the default LinkedIn gradient:

  1. Tap your current background photo
  2. Tap the edit (pencil) icon
  3. Select Delete photo
  4. Confirm the deletion

Your profile will revert to LinkedIn's default blue gradient background.

Next Steps

Your LinkedIn cover photo is now updated. Here are some related resources: