Troubled by Contacts Who Don't Set a WhatsApp Profile Picture? A New Solution Is Coming – Making Things Easier
WhatsApp Profile Picture: On WhatsApp, it is generally easier to locate contacts who have a profile picture, as it helps you identify them when sending messages. However, almost everyone has at least one contact on WhatsApp who never sets a profile picture. Or, sometimes, a contact might suddenly remove their profile picture, leaving you staring at a blank circle. This is set to change very soon. According to reports, WhatsApp is working on a feature that will display a contact's photo—even if they haven't set one themselves—as their display picture. WhatsApp isn't altering the fundamental way profile pictures work; it is simply filling the void where a profile picture is currently missing.
How Will This Feature Work?
According to a report by WABetaInfo, instead of displaying the default blank icon, WhatsApp may start showing the photo you have saved for that contact in your phone's address book. Therefore, if you have already saved a specific photo for someone within their contact card on your phone, WhatsApp could utilize that image to display it within your chat interface. This change will not affect the other person in any way; the contact will simply appear differently on *your* phone. Simply put, instead of a blank DP, you will see a specific photo—even if that contact has not uploaded one on their end.
📝 WhatsApp beta for iOS 26.12.10.71: what's new?
— WABetaInfo (@WABetaInfo) March 31, 2026
WhatsApp is rolling out a feature to replace blank profiles with photos from the address book, and it's available to some beta testers!
This feature is also compatible with updates on the App Store.https://t.co/76G9Qpr6cU pic.twitter.com/6BGvvjkI05
This feature could alter a few things for you. First, regarding your own profile: if you haven't set a profile picture for yourself, WhatsApp may display the image saved in your own contact card—though this will be visible only to you. Other users will still see a blank DP.
In the case of other contacts—if someone hasn't set a DP, or has hidden it using their privacy settings—WhatsApp may display the photo you have saved for them in your phone's contact list. Consequently, even if their DP is hidden or has been removed, you will still be able to identify them easily. Rather than relying solely on names, you will have a visual reference to make identification much simpler.
When Will You Receive This Feature? Currently, this feature has primarily been observed in the beta version on iOS. While some users can already try it out, there is no definitive timeline yet for its widespread rollout. Additionally, it will only work for those contacts to whom you have granted access to your address book.
