Microsoft Account Errors

How to Fix Microsoft 365 Profile Picture Keeps Reverting to Old Photo

Bushra Parveen Oct 10, 2026 868 views

Question details

Users are unable to permanently update their Microsoft 365 avatar because the system keeps overriding the new picture with a previously uploaded photo.

Product: Microsoft 365
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Updating a user profile photo across the Microsoft 365 ecosystem.
Observed behavior: The newly uploaded profile picture displays temporarily but eventually reverts to an older image due to synchronization conflicts between services like Exchange, OneDrive, and Delve.

Before you start

Ensure you have Microsoft 365 global or Exchange administrator privileges, as resolving this backend synchronization issue requires running Exchange Online PowerShell commands.

Solution 1Recommended

Remove the Existing Photo via Exchange Online PowerShell

Force the Microsoft 365 ecosystem to clear the cached image by completely deleting the stuck profile picture from the backend before uploading a new one.

Profile pictures in Microsoft 365 are synchronized across multiple connected services, including Exchange Online, SharePoint, OneDrive, and Delve. Occasionally, a caching issue causes an older image stored in one of these services to continuously overwrite the newly uploaded photo.

To break this loop, an administrator must use PowerShell to remove the user's photo entirely. This clears the cache, allowing a new photo to synchronize properly.

Connect to Exchange Online

Open PowerShell as an administrator and run the command 'Connect-ExchangeOnline' to authenticate with your Microsoft 365 administrator credentials.

Run the Remove-UserPhoto Command

Type the command 'Remove-UserPhoto -Identity "username@yourdomain.com"' (replacing the email with the affected user's address) and press Enter. Confirm the action when prompted.

Allow Time for the Deletion to Sync

Wait for the removal command to propagate across the tenant. This ensures the old photo is completely wiped from Exchange, Teams, and Delve.

Upload the New Profile Picture

Once the old photo is successfully removed, have the user log into their Microsoft 365 account online, navigate to their profile settings, and upload the desired new photo.

Remove the Existing Photo via Exchange Online PowerShell

Synchronization Delay: After uploading the new image, it can take up to 72 hours for the new profile picture to synchronize fully and appear across all Microsoft 365 applications, including Microsoft Teams and Outlook.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why does my Microsoft Teams picture keep changing back to the old one?

Microsoft Teams pulls its profile picture from your central Microsoft 365 account. If an older photo is cached in Exchange Online or Delve, the synchronization process may incorrectly overwrite your new Teams picture with the old one.

Can a regular user run the Remove-UserPhoto command?

No, regular users cannot execute this command. The Remove-UserPhoto cmdlet requires Exchange Online administrator permissions. You must contact your organization's IT department to perform this action.

How long does it take for a new Microsoft 365 profile picture to show up?

While the picture may update immediately in the web portal, it typically takes between 24 and 72 hours for a new photo to fully synchronize and display across all integrated apps like Outlook, Teams, and SharePoint.

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