Claude profile picture support is arriving in Anthropic’s Claude apps, according to screenshots posted by TestingCatalog on 2 October 2026. The images show a redesigned Profile screen in the Claude iPhone app with a round photo and an “Edit photo” button, plus the same picture sitting next to the search icon on the app’s home screen.
It is a small change on paper. Until now, Claude has shown your initials in a circle, and Anthropic’s own help centre still tells users to “click your initials in the lower left corner” to reach settings. A real photo makes the app feel more personal, and it brings Claude in line with rivals such as ChatGPT, whose profiles already carry a name, username and photo.
Anthropic has not announced the feature, and TestingCatalog’s post suggests it is reaching users gradually. This guide covers what was spotted, what the new Profile screen contains, where the Claude profile picture appears, why it matters more than it seems, the privacy questions it raises and what businesses using Claude should do.
Table of contents
- What TestingCatalog Spotted
- The New Profile Screen, Field by Field
- Where the Claude Profile Picture Appears
- How Claude Uses Your Name and Picture
- Why a Small Feature Matters
- How Claude Compares With Other AI Apps
- Privacy and Security Questions
- What We Still Do Not Know
- What Businesses Using Claude Should Do
- Choosing a Good Claude Profile Picture
- How to Get the Claude Profile Picture
- What the Feature Says About Anthropic’s App Strategy
- Claude Profile Picture FAQ
- References and Further Reading
What TestingCatalog Spotted
TestingCatalog tracks unreleased features in AI apps, and it has a strong record of catching changes before they are announced.
The 2 October post
At 19:26 UTC on 2 October, TestingCatalog posted on X: “Looks like profile picture support is coming to Claude apps! This feature has been in development for a while. Did you get it too?” Two screenshots from an iPhone were attached. The question at the end is a clue that the Claude profile picture is rolling out to some accounts before others.
An idea first seen in August
The feature has been in the works for weeks. On 13 August 2026, TestingCatalog posted on Threads that Anthropic had “added Usage Credits section to Claude on iOS and is working on a possibility to add a profile picture”. That is 50 days before the working version appeared.
No word from Anthropic yet
There is no release note, blog post or help article about the Claude profile picture. The current iOS app, version 1.260928.20, reached the App Store on 30 September with the release notes “Squashed some bugs and improved the overall experience. Yours, Claude.” So the feature may be switched on from Anthropic’s side rather than tied to a specific update.
The New Profile Screen, Field by Field
The first screenshot shows the full Profile screen. Every field on it is useful to understand, because it shows how Anthropic thinks about identity inside Claude.
| Element | What the screenshot shows | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Photo | A round picture with an “Edit photo” button below it | Replaces the initials avatar |
| Full name | Your account name | How you appear on the account |
| Nickname | “Claude calls you by your nickname.” | Controls how Claude addresses you |
| Instructions | “Your instructions will apply to all conversations, within Anthropic’s guidelines.” | Account-wide preferences for every chat |
| Delete account | A red button at the bottom of the screen | The exit sits on the same page |
Edit photo
The photo sits at the top in a circle, with an “Edit photo” button beneath it. The screenshots do not show the picker itself, so we do not yet know whether you can take a new photo, choose from your library, crop it or remove it. On iPhone, those options would be the norm.
Full name and nickname
Claude has long asked for a full name and for what Claude should call you. The new screen labels the second field “Nickname” and explains: “Claude calls you by your nickname.” Keeping a separate nickname means the Claude profile picture and full name can identify you, while the assistant can still use something friendlier.
Instructions
The Instructions field holds account-wide preferences. Anthropic’s help centre describes these as “account-wide settings that help Claude understand your general instructions”. The new screen adds that they apply “within Anthropic’s guidelines”. Putting them on the same page as your photo turns Profile into one place for everything about you.
Delete account
The Delete account button sits at the bottom of the screen. One reply to TestingCatalog’s post joked that the exit was now easy to find. That is deliberate: Apple’s App Store rules have required apps that let you create an account to also let you delete it from inside the app since 2022.
Where the Claude Profile Picture Appears
The second screenshot shows where the photo shows up beyond the Profile page.
The home screen avatar
On the redesigned home screen, the Claude profile picture appears in a pill at the top right, next to the search icon. Tapping it is likely how you reach your profile and settings. Below it are Pinned and Recents lists and a tab bar with Home, Code and Artifacts.
Replacing your initials
Before this change, Claude showed a circle with your initials. It worked, but it was impersonal, and it made every account look the same at a glance. A Claude profile picture fixes both problems, especially for people who switch between personal and work accounts.
Web and desktop are not confirmed
TestingCatalog says the feature is “coming to Claude apps”, plural, but its screenshots come only from the iPhone app. We have not seen the Claude profile picture on the web app, the desktop apps or Android yet, and Anthropic has not said when, or whether, they will follow.
How Claude Uses Your Name and Picture
The new screen puts three kinds of personal information side by side: a picture, two names and your instructions. Claude uses each one differently.
What Claude calls you
The nickname is for the assistant. Slotting a preferred name into a reply is easy for a language model, and natural language processing systems have done it for years. When you set a nickname, Claude simply uses it when it addresses you, which is why the screen says “Claude calls you by your nickname.”
Does Claude see your photo?
Nothing in the screenshots suggests the Claude profile picture is passed to the model. A photo is not needed to answer questions, and sending it with every message would waste computing power. It is most likely an account setting that only the app displays. Anthropic has not confirmed this, though, so do not upload anything you would not want stored with your account.
Instructions travel with every chat
The instructions field is the part that changes Claude’s behaviour. Whatever you write there applies “to all conversations”, so it is worth keeping short and current. Moving it onto the Profile page, next to the Claude profile picture, makes it more visible than it was in the old settings layout.
Why a Small Feature Matters
A photo next to your name sounds cosmetic. In the context of how Claude is changing, it is more than that.
Claude is becoming a shared workspace
Claude is no longer just a one-to-one chat. Anthropic has merged chat and Cowork into one experience, as we covered in our report on Anthropic merging Claude chat and Cowork, and Projects, artifacts and team plans let people work together. When several people share a project, a Claude profile picture makes it far easier to see who did what.
A personal touch for a personal assistant
Claude already remembers preferences, follows your instructions and uses your nickname. A photo completes that picture of “your” Claude. For many users, especially on a phone, seeing their own face or chosen image is a quick signal that they are in the right account.
Parity with ChatGPT
OpenAI has gone further. As we reported when ChatGPT profiles added plugins and a Sites showcase, ChatGPT users can edit a display name, username, profile photo and bio, and share a public profile. A Claude profile picture is a first step towards the same kind of identity, though nothing suggests Anthropic plans public profiles.
How Claude Compares With Other AI Apps
Most major assistants already let you show a picture. The difference is where it comes from and how much else the profile does.
| Assistant | Profile picture | Other profile features |
|---|---|---|
| Claude (before) | Initials in a circle | Full name, what Claude calls you, instructions |
| Claude (new, spotted) | Your own photo with “Edit photo” | Full name, nickname, instructions, delete account |
| ChatGPT | Profile photo set at chatgpt.com/profile | Display name, username, bio, shareable profile, top plugins and Sites |
| Gemini | Your Google Account photo | Managed through your Google Account |
A timeline in days
The chart compares the gaps between the relevant events, counted in days up to TestingCatalog’s 2 October post.
Days before the 2 October sighting (bar length relative to 50 days)
The counts are 18 + 30 + 2 = 50 days from 13 August, 1 + 2 = 3 days from 29 September and 2 days from 30 September. Scaled against 50, the bars are 3 ÷ 50 = 6% and 2 ÷ 50 = 4%. The timing next to OpenAI’s profile push is probably coincidence, since the Claude work started in August.
Privacy and Security Questions
A photo is a small piece of data, but it is still personal data, and a Claude profile picture raises the usual questions.
A photo is personal data
Under UK GDPR, an image of an identifiable person is personal data. If you upload a photo of yourself, Anthropic becomes responsible for storing it properly. Our data protection team sees the same issue whenever a business tool adds profile images.
Work accounts and administrators
On Team and Enterprise plans, the question is who controls the picture. Some firms want photos synced from their identity provider; others ban them. Anthropic has not said whether admins will be able to set, lock or disable the Claude profile picture for staff.
What Anthropic has not said
Anthropic has not said where the photo is stored, who else can see it, whether it appears in shared projects or artifacts, or whether it is ever shown to the model. Until it publishes details, treat the Claude profile picture as visible to anyone who can see your account activity.
What We Still Do Not Know
TestingCatalog’s screenshots answer the basic question, but many details are still open. These are the ones to watch for when Anthropic publishes anything official.
Which platforms, and when
The Claude profile picture has only been shown on iPhone. Anthropic has not said whether it will reach the web app, the Mac and Windows apps or Android, or whether a photo set on one device will sync to the others.
Admin controls for teams
Organisations on Team and Enterprise plans will want to know whether administrators can set, lock or hide profile photos, and whether pictures can come from single sign-on. None of that is visible in a personal account screenshot.
Storage and deletion
It is not yet clear where uploaded photos are stored, how long they are kept after you replace them, or whether deleting your account removes them straight away. Those answers matter for anyone handling a data request.
Where the picture is shown
The photo appears on the Profile screen and the home screen. We do not know whether it will also appear beside your messages in shared projects, on comments, or anywhere a colleague or client can see it.
An official announcement
Anthropic often ships small app changes quietly and documents them later in its release notes. If the Claude profile picture becomes widely available, expect a help centre article that covers at least some of these questions.
What Businesses Using Claude Should Do
For a company with dozens or hundreds of Claude users, even a small identity feature is worth a short plan.
Decide on a policy
Choose whether staff should use a real headshot, a company-approved image or no photo at all. Consistent photos help colleagues recognise each other in shared projects. A clear rule avoids awkward images in client-facing work.
Think about shared spaces
If your teams share Claude projects or artifacts with clients, check where profile images appear once the feature lands. Anything visible in a shared space should meet the same standard as an email signature or video-call background.
Keep identity in one place
Most organisations already manage photos in Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace. Ask Anthropic, or your reseller, whether Claude will sync with those systems or needs a separate upload. Our device management work often starts with getting identities consistent across apps.
Choosing a Good Claude Profile Picture
Once the option appears, a little thought about the image will save you changing it later.
Use something you are happy for colleagues to see
If you use Claude for work, assume people in your organisation may eventually see your Claude profile picture in shared projects. A clear headshot or a neutral image is safer than a holiday snap.
Keep the background clean
Photos can leak more than you intend: a whiteboard, a screen, a street sign or a child’s school badge. Crop tightly, or use an illustration or avatar instead of a photo.
Do not use other people’s faces
A Claude profile picture should be of you, or of nothing personal at all. Using a photo of someone else, or a group shot, puts their personal data in an account they do not control.
Match your other work tools
If your company already uses the same headshot in Microsoft Teams, Slack and email, use it in Claude too. Consistent pictures make it easier for colleagues to recognise each other across tools.
How to Get the Claude Profile Picture
If you want to try the feature, there is not much you can do to speed it up, but a few steps help.
Update the iPhone app
Make sure you are on the latest Claude app from the App Store. TestingCatalog’s screenshot shows the app opened straight from the App Store, which suggests it had just been updated.
Look for “Edit photo”
Tap your avatar at the top right of the home screen, or open settings, and go to Profile. If the feature is enabled for your account, you will see a photo circle and an “Edit photo” button above your name.
Be patient with staged rollouts
AI companies often switch features on for a small group first. If you do not see the Claude profile picture yet, it does not mean you are on the wrong version. It may simply not have reached your account.
What the Feature Says About Anthropic's App Strategy
A Claude profile picture is a small change, but it fits a wider pattern in how Anthropic is building its consumer apps.
Polish for a popular app
The Claude iPhone app holds an average rating of 4.72 from more than 271,000 ratings on the US App Store, according to Apple’s public lookup data on 3 October 2026. At that scale, small comforts such as a profile photo matter, because they shape how the app feels every day.
A redesigned home screen
TestingCatalog’s second screenshot also shows a home screen with Pinned and Recents lists, a “Type or hold to talk” message box, and a tab bar with Home, Code and Artifacts. The Claude profile picture sits at the top of that layout, which suggests the photo is part of a broader refresh rather than a stand-alone tweak.
Accounts are getting richer
The same August post that first mentioned the Claude profile picture also reported a new Usage Credits section on iOS. Billing, usage, identity and preferences are all moving into the app. That is what you would expect from a company that wants Claude to be a daily tool, not an occasional chatbot.
Catching up, and keeping up
ChatGPT and Gemini have shown user photos for a long time. Anthropic is closing a gap here rather than leading, and the speed at which rivals are adding profile features, from ChatGPT’s shareable pages to new collaboration spaces, means it will need to keep moving.
Claude Profile Picture FAQ
Can I add a profile picture to Claude now?
Some users can. TestingCatalog showed the feature working in the Claude iPhone app on 2 October 2026, but Anthropic has not announced it and it appears to be rolling out gradually.
Where does the Claude profile picture appear?
On the Profile screen, above your full name, and in the avatar next to the search icon on the app’s home screen.
Is it available on the web or Android?
Not confirmed. TestingCatalog says it is coming to “Claude apps”, but the screenshots only show the iPhone app.
What else is on the new Profile screen?
Full name, nickname (“Claude calls you by your nickname”), account-wide instructions and a Delete account button.
Does ChatGPT have profile pictures?
Yes. ChatGPT lets you set a profile photo, display name, username and bio, and its profiles can be shared.
Can I remove my Claude profile picture?
The screenshots only show an “Edit photo” button, so it is not yet clear whether there is a separate remove option.
Will other people see my Claude profile picture?
Anthropic has not said. Treat it as potentially visible to anyone who shares projects or workspaces with you until Anthropic publishes details.
References and Further Reading
Looks like profile picture support is coming to Claude apps (TestingCatalog on X)
Usage Credits on iOS and work on a profile picture (TestingCatalog on Threads)
Claude by Anthropic (Apple App Store)
Understanding Claude’s personalization features (Claude Help Center)
Shareable profiles in ChatGPT (OpenAI Help Center)
Claude merges Cowork and chat into one experience (TestingCatalog)
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