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29/10/2026
How do you suggest a profile photo to someone on Telegram?
Open the person’s profile, tap Edit (on Android and Desktop: Edit contact), then choose Suggest Photo for their name and pick a photo, video or emoji picture. They get it in your chat and decide with two taps whether to use it. The person must be saved in your contacts.
Suggest Photo sends a contact a profile picture they can accept. Set Photo for replaces their picture on your screen only. A public photo is what people see when your privacy settings hide your real one. All three arrived in Telegram’s December 2022 update.
Suggest: Maya chooses. Nothing changes without her tap.
Which of the three photo tools do you need?
They sit next to each other in the app, but they do very different things. The eye strip under each one shows who ends up seeing the picture.
You offer a picture. They decide.
Sends a photo, video or emoji picture into your private chat as a “Suggested Photo” message. If they accept, it becomes their real profile picture for everyone their privacy settings allow.
- You
- Them, as an offer
- Everyone, only after they accept
Best for: a friend whose photo is blurry or years old, a relative who never set one, the group shot from a trip that everyone loves.
Set Photo for
Your private label for a contact.
Replaces their picture on your screens only. Telegram’s own wording: “only you will see it”. No message, no notification.
- You
- Them
- Anyone else
Best for: telling apart contacts with the same name.
Public Photo
A stand-in for your own profile.
Shown to people your Profile Photos privacy setting blocks from seeing the real one.
- People your privacy blocks
- People allowed your real photo
Best for: hiding your face from strangers without looking like an empty account.
How do you suggest a photo, step by step?
The option lives in the contact’s edit screen on every official app. Pick yours.
- 01AOpen the chat with your contactTap their name at the top to open the profile.
- 02ATap EditTop right corner of the profile.
- 03ATap “Suggest Photo for Maya”Or “Set Photo for Maya” to keep it private.
- 04APick, shoot or build the pictureChoose a photo or video, take one, or make an emoji or sticker picture.
- 05ACrop, then tap SuggestTelegram asks you to confirm before it sends.
Seen on iOS: the confirm box reads “Do you want to suggest Maya to set this photo for their profile?”
What does your contact see, and how do they accept?
This is Maya’s side of the chat. Tap the buttons to walk through it the way she would.
Found a better one from the trip!
Alex suggests you to use this profile photo.
Alex suggests this photo for your Telegram profile.
- 1A notification and a chat message
The push alert is titled “Suggested Profile Photo” (or “Suggested Profile Video”). In the chat it shows as a service message, not a normal photo.
- 2Nothing changes on its own
The picture only becomes her profile photo after she taps View Photo and confirms. Ignoring it is a valid answer.
- 3Accepting makes it fully hers
It is added to her profile photos like any picture she uploads, and her privacy settings decide who can see it.
- 4You see the result too
Your side of the chat keeps the line “You suggested Maya to use this profile photo.” If she accepts, her profile shows it for you as well, unless you set a photo for her.
When is “Set Photo for” the better choice?
Drag the handle to compare what Maya chose with what you chose for her. Only the right side ever exists on your screens.
Three people called Alex in your list? A clear face for each one stops you sending a message to the wrong one.
On their phone, give each family contact a big, familiar photo. Their contacts are never told and keep their own pictures.
Use a company logo for a courier or supplier whose profile shows a holiday snap.
The catch. Telegram’s confirm box says your photo “will replace any photo Maya sets”. You will not see her new pictures until you reset it. And if that account is ever taken over, your friendly photo still looks familiar, so check unusual money or code requests by another route first. Our guide on reporting Telegram scammers covers what to do next.
How does the public photo work with your privacy settings?
Set Maya’s privacy, choose who is looking, and see the picture Telegram shows them.
Contacts are allowed, so this viewer sees her real photo.
Where to find it: Settings › Privacy and Security › Profile Photos. Choose My Contacts or Nobody, add exceptions if you want, then tap Set Public Photo.
How do you undo each one?
Each tool has its own way back, and one of them has a deadline.
Take back a suggestion
Delete the “You suggested Maya…” message in your chat, for both of you. Telegram’s API notes that this is how a suggestion is removed.
Only before she accepts
Drop a photo you set
Open her profile, tap Edit, then Reset to Original Photo and confirm. You see her own picture again straight away.
Any time
Remove your public photo
Settings › Privacy and Security › Profile Photos › Remove Public Photo. People who cannot see your main photo will see your initials instead.
Any time
Point of no return: once Maya accepts a suggestion, it is her photo. Deleting your message does not remove it from her profile. Only she can change or delete it.
Which beliefs about suggested photos are wrong?
Six things people assume. Flip each card for what the apps and Telegram’s API actually do.
You can suggest a photo to anyone you chat with.
Tap to flip
Only to people saved in your contacts. Telegram’s API rejects the request with the error CONTACT_MISSING otherwise, and the apps only show the option when you edit a saved contact.
Will your picture still work as a tiny circle?
Telegram crops profile pictures to a circle and shows them at very different sizes. Zoom the frame and watch the three previews.
0 of 5 checked
Is your channel’s first impression ready too?
A clear photo and name are the first things a visitor checks. The second is whether anyone else is there. If your channel is ready, we can add 1,000 Telegram Real Members for $4 to a public channel or group.
- Only the public link, never a password
- Channels and groups
- 1,000 for $4
Questions people ask about suggested profile photos
Why can’t I see “Suggest Photo” for someone?
The option only appears for people saved in your contacts, in the screen where you edit that contact. Add them first (see how to add people on Telegram), then update the app if you still do not see it. The feature arrived in December 2022.
Does the other person know if I set a photo for them?
No. “Set Photo for” changes the picture on your own screens only. Telegram sends them no message and no notification, and their profile stays the same for everyone else.
How do I accept a suggested profile photo?
Open the chat, tap View Photo on the “Suggested Photo” message, then tap Set Profile Photo. You can change or delete it later in Settings like any other profile picture.
Can I cancel a photo suggestion?
Yes, while it is still pending: delete the suggestion message in your chat for both sides. If the contact has already accepted it, only they can change their photo.
What is a public photo on Telegram?
It is a second profile picture shown to people your Profile Photos privacy setting blocks from seeing your real one. Set it in Settings › Privacy and Security › Profile Photos. Without it, those people see your initials.
Can I suggest a video or emoji picture instead of a photo?
Yes. You can suggest a profile video or a picture made from a sticker or animated emoji with Telegram’s profile photo maker. The other person sees “Suggested Profile Video” for videos.
Does suggesting a photo work on Android, Desktop and Web?
Yes. We found Suggest Photo, Set Photo and Public Photo in the official apps for iPhone and iPad, Android and Telegram Desktop, and in Telegram Web K. Telegram Web A may lay it out differently.
Can I suggest a photo for a group or channel?
No. Suggestions only go to individual contacts. A group or channel photo is changed by its admins in the group or channel settings.
Which guides go well with this one?
How we checked this guide. On 24 October 2026 we read Telegram’s December 2022 announcement and February 2023 profile photo maker post, the API pages for photos.uploadContactProfilePhoto and photos.uploadProfilePhoto, and the interface text in the source code of Telegram for iOS, Android, Desktop and Web K. Written by the AddTelegramMember team, a Telegram growth service since 2019.