LinkedIn Cover Photo Won't Upload: 7 Causes and Fixes
You have the perfect LinkedIn banner ready to go, but when you try to upload it, nothing happens. The upload fails, gets stuck, or throws an error. This is frustrating but almost always fixable. Here are the 7 most common causes and their solutions.
Cause 1: File Size Exceeds 8 MB
LinkedIn's maximum file size for cover photos is 8 MB. If your image exceeds this limit, the upload will fail — sometimes silently, sometimes with a generic error message.
How to check: Right-click your image file and check Properties (Windows) or Get Info (Mac). Look at the file size.
The fix:
- Re-export as JPG at 85-92% quality (this dramatically reduces file size)
- If using PNG, convert to JPG unless you specifically need transparency or lossless quality
- Reduce the image dimensions if they are significantly larger than 1584 × 396
- Use an online compressor like TinyPNG or Squoosh if you do not have image editing software
Typical file sizes for a 1584 × 396 banner:
| Format | Quality | Expected Size |
|---|---|---|
| JPG | 92% | 400-900 KB |
| JPG | 80% | 150-400 KB |
| PNG | Lossless | 1-4 MB |
| PNG (optimised) | Lossless | 500 KB - 2 MB |
If your file is over 8 MB at 1584 × 396, something unusual is happening — check that you have not accidentally exported at a much larger resolution.
Cause 2: Unsupported File Format
LinkedIn accepts JPG, PNG, and GIF (static only) for cover photos. Other formats will fail to upload.
Formats that will NOT work:
- WEBP
- HEIC / HEIF (iPhone default format)
- BMP
- TIFF
- SVG
- PSD
- RAW files (CR2, NEF, ARW)
The fix:
- Convert your image to JPG or PNG using any image editor or online converter
- On iPhone: go to Settings → Camera → Formats → Most Compatible (this saves as JPG instead of HEIC)
- On Mac: open the image in Preview → File → Export → select JPEG
- On Windows: open in Paint → Save As → JPEG
Cause 3: Internet Connection Issues
Cover photo uploads require a stable connection. If your connection drops during the upload, LinkedIn may fail silently or show a timeout error.
Signs this is the problem:
- The upload progress bar gets stuck
- You see a generic "Something went wrong" error
- Other LinkedIn features (messaging, feed) are also slow
The fix:
- Switch from Wi-Fi to mobile data (or vice versa) to test
- Move closer to your Wi-Fi router
- Restart your router
- Try again during off-peak hours
- If on a corporate network, VPN or firewall rules may be blocking the upload — try from a personal device
Cause 4: Browser Cache or Extension Conflicts
Outdated cached data or browser extensions (especially ad blockers and privacy tools) can interfere with LinkedIn's upload functionality.
The fix:
Clear your browser cache:
- Chrome: Settings → Privacy → Clear browsing data → Cached images and files
- Firefox: Settings → Privacy → Clear Data → Cached Web Content
- Safari: Develop → Empty Caches
Disable extensions temporarily:
- Open an incognito/private window (most extensions are disabled by default)
- Try the upload in incognito mode
- If it works, re-enable extensions one by one to find the culprit
Try a different browser:
- If Chrome fails, try Firefox or Edge
- LinkedIn works best on Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and Safari (latest versions)
Cause 5: LinkedIn App Needs Updating
If you are uploading from the mobile app and it fails, your app version may be outdated. LinkedIn regularly updates their app, and older versions can have upload bugs.
The fix:
- Check your app store (App Store or Google Play) for LinkedIn updates
- Update to the latest version
- If already up to date, try force-closing the app and reopening it
- As a last resort, delete the app and reinstall it (your data is stored server-side, nothing is lost)
Alternative: If the app consistently fails, try uploading from your phone's mobile browser (Chrome or Safari) at linkedin.com instead of using the app.
Cause 6: Image Dimensions Are Too Small or Too Large
While LinkedIn accepts a range of image sizes, extremely small or extremely large images can cause upload failures.
Minimum dimensions: 1128 × 191 pixels (below this, uploads may fail)
Maximum practical dimensions: While there is no hard pixel limit, images larger than 4000 × 1000 pixels combined with high quality settings can exceed the 8 MB file size limit.
The fix:
- Resize your image to exactly 1584 × 396 pixels before uploading
- This is LinkedIn's recommended size and will never cause dimension-related failures
- Use any image editor, Canva, or our AI generator which outputs at the correct size automatically
Cause 7: LinkedIn Server Issues
Sometimes the problem is not on your end. LinkedIn experiences occasional service disruptions that affect uploads.
Signs this is the problem:
- Other LinkedIn features are also broken or slow
- Multiple people report issues at the same time
- The error message is vague ("Something went wrong, please try again later")
The fix:
- Check LinkedIn's status page or search Twitter/X for "LinkedIn down"
- Wait 30-60 minutes and try again
- If the issue persists for hours, contact LinkedIn support through the Help Center
Step-by-Step Troubleshooting Workflow
If your upload is failing, work through these steps in order:
- Check file format — is it JPG, PNG, or GIF? If not, convert it
- Check file size — is it under 8 MB? If not, compress it
- Check dimensions — is it at least 1128 × 191? Ideally 1584 × 396
- Try incognito mode — rules out cache and extension issues
- Try a different browser — rules out browser-specific bugs
- Try a different device — rules out device-specific issues
- Check LinkedIn status — rules out server-side problems
- Wait and retry — sometimes the fix is simply patience
Preventing Future Upload Issues
Follow these practices to avoid upload problems:
- Always export at 1584 × 396 pixels — the exact recommended size
- Use JPG format at 90-92% quality — reliable format, reasonable file size
- Keep a backup of your banner file — so you can re-upload without recreating it
- Test on both desktop and mobile — some issues only appear on one platform
- Update your LinkedIn app regularly — prevents known bugs from affecting you
When to Contact LinkedIn Support
If you have tried everything above and uploads still fail:
- Go to linkedin.com/help
- Search for "cover photo upload"
- Click "Contact Us" or "Get Help"
- Describe the issue, including what you have already tried
- Include your device, browser, operating system, and the file format/size of your image
LinkedIn support typically responds within 24-48 hours for free accounts and faster for Premium members.
Related Resources
- LinkedIn Cover Photo Size Guide — ensure your dimensions are correct
- Why Your LinkedIn Cover Photo Looks Blurry — fix quality issues after successful upload
- How to Change Your LinkedIn Background Photo — complete upload walkthrough
- Browse pre-sized banners — every image is optimised for LinkedIn upload
- Generate a custom banner — AI creates a correctly sized image automatically