Paste a Facebook profile link. StalkFace builds the links to the profile and its albums, where the cover photo opens in full size and the older covers sit in their own album. Below is what a locked profile still lets a stranger see of its cover, and what it keeps for friends.
Paste the profile link above and open the Profile link it builds.
On a computer, click the wide cover image at the top of the profile. On a phone, tap it.
The photo opens on its own page at the size it was uploaded, with its caption and reactions.
To see the covers they used before, go back and open Albums, then Cover photos.
The profile shows a cropped strip, and the crop is different on a phone and on a computer. The full image is often taller than what you see at the top, so opening it can show people or text that the strip cuts off.
Old cover photos
Each time someone changes their cover, the new photo goes into an album called Cover photos and a post about it may appear on their profile. The old covers stay in that album with the audience they had, newest first.
That album is often the best record of someone's last few years: trips, partners, children, a new city. Only the current cover is always public. The owner can delete an older cover or set it to Friends or Only me, and then it disappears from the album for you.
Locked profiles: what you can and cannot see
You can see the cover strip at the top of the profile, the same as everyone else.
You cannot open it in full size. Profile Lock keeps the full-size cover and profile picture for friends.
You cannot open the Cover photos album or any older cover.
Friends of the person see everything as before.
No site or app can open the full-size cover of a locked profile. The ones that say they can want your Facebook login, or show you ads and a blurred image. What still works is looking elsewhere: a cover photo is often posted publicly by a friend first, so the photo viewer and tagged photos are worth a try.
Why the cover photo looks blurry or will not open
Blurry: Facebook compresses large images, and an old cover uploaded small stays small.
Cut off: phones show a narrower slice than computers.
Nothing happens on tap: the profile is locked, or you are not logged in.
Content isn't available: the photo was deleted, its audience changed, or the profile is gone or has blocked you.
Common questions
How do I see a Facebook cover photo in full size?
Open the profile and click or tap the cover image at the top. It opens on its own page at full size. Paste the profile link above if you only have a link or an ID.
Is a Facebook cover photo always public?
The current one is. Facebook does not let you change the audience of the cover photo you are using now. Older covers in the Cover photos album can be set to Friends or Only me, or deleted.
Can I see the cover photo of a locked profile?
Only the strip at the top of the profile. Profile Lock keeps the full-size cover, the older covers and the profile picture in full size for friends, and no site can unlock them.
How can I see someone's old cover photos?
Open their profile, then Photos, then Albums, and choose Cover photos. You see the older covers that are still public, newest first. If the album is missing, they hid or deleted them, or the profile is locked.
Does Facebook tell someone I looked at their cover photo?
No. Opening a cover photo, in full size or not, sends no notification and leaves no list. Only a reaction, a comment or a share shows your name.
Can I download someone's Facebook cover photo?
If the profile is not locked, open the cover in full size and use the menu on the photo, or save the image from your browser. Keep it for yourself: posting someone's photo elsewhere without asking can break Facebook's rules and their rights.
