Consider public visibility
Depending on the functions available, a profile photo may appear publicly on your profile, alongside your own listings, in message views or in connection with reviews. If you no longer want to use the image, remove or replace it, where possible, using the account option provided for this purpose.
Removing the profile photo does not make previous activity anonymous. Your profile name, account and previous interactions generally remain associated with the same account.
Remove the photo through your profile
Sign in and open your profile or account settings. If an option to remove, delete or reset the profile photo is shown there, select it and follow the on-screen steps. Check whether the change must be saved or confirmed at the end.
Labels, locations and available options may vary depending on account type, device or the platform’s current design. You should therefore not assume that a particular button or menu path will be available.
After removal, depending on the current display, a neutral default image, a placeholder or a display with initials may appear. The relevant interface determines which replacement display is actually used.
If no removal option is displayed
If no removal option is offered, you can use the upload option to replace the existing photo with a neutral, permitted image, provided that option is available. Continue to observe the requirements for profile pictures and do not upload an empty, corrupted or misleadingly renamed file.
For guidance on replacing the image, see How do I update my profile photo?
If neither removal nor replacement is possible, use the contact form. Do not create an additional account as a way of getting around the photo.
Effects on existing content
The profile photo may be used in several places as the current representation of the account. After it is removed or replaced, the new representation may therefore also appear alongside existing listings, messages or reviews.
However, it cannot be promised that every instance will be updated immediately. Caches, pages that have already been loaded, thumbnails or technically generated views may temporarily continue to show the old photo. An earlier image may also remain in notifications that have already been sent or in copies stored by third parties.
Reload the page and, if necessary, check the profile in a new browser window. Do not repeatedly remove or replace the photo while it is still unclear whether you are merely seeing a cached view.
What removing the photo does not delete
Removing the profile photo does not automatically delete:
- the original image file on your computer or mobile device,
- your user account,
- your profile name,
- your listings,
- messages or reviews,
- other account activity or its permitted documentation.
If you also want to delete the local original file, you must do this yourself on your devices and, where applicable, in your own cloud storage. Before doing so, check whether you still need the image as evidence or as a backup.
The profile name is managed separately from the photo. Further information can be found in How can I change my profile name?
Distinguish between public removal and technical storage
The fact that a profile photo is no longer displayed publicly does not necessarily mean that every technically stored copy is deleted immediately. Temporary caches, backup copies and statutory retention or record-keeping obligations may justify further limited processing.
The processing and deletion of personal data are governed by the relevant purposes, legal bases and retention periods. Further information can be found in the Privacy Policy. Statutory data protection rights can be exercised through the contact methods specified there; they do not apply without restriction in every case.
Signing in with Google
For a personal account, signing in with Google can serve as both registration and activation. Removing a profile photo from suchen.expert does not automatically delete or change the profile picture on your Google account.
Similarly, do not assume that a change or removal on Google will automatically be reflected on suchen.expert. If an image unexpectedly appears again after removal, first check the current profile view and contact support if necessary.
Signing in via Facebook or Apple is planned for the future. Neither option’s availability nor a specific launch date is promised. This does not mean that profile pictures will be transferred or removed automatically.
Special considerations for a business account
For a business account, a company logo should be removed or changed only by a person authorised to act for the account. Removing the logo does not change the legal company name, account ownership or account association.
If a logo was uploaded without sufficient authorisation, or may no longer be used because of changes to trademark rights or rights of use, remove or replace it promptly. Inform support if this cannot be done through the profile.
Third-party rights and sensitive images
Remove a profile photo if you lack or have lost the necessary rights or permissions, if continued publication of a person shown is no longer permitted, or if the image reveals confidential or sensitive information. This applies in particular to identity documents, bank or health data, intimate content, identifiable minors or information about a person’s whereabouts.
If the image affects another person’s rights, avoid any unnecessary further distribution. Do not resend the sensitive original to support unless asked. Instead, provide the profile link and briefly describe why an urgent review is required.
If there is an acute threat, blackmail or immediate danger, you should also contact the relevant authorities and should not rely solely on the processing of a request to the platform.
Rules and possible moderation measures
Profile pictures must comply with the General Terms of Service, the incorporated usage rules, legal requirements and third-party rights. suchen.expert may restrict or remove a prohibited image after review and, where the relevant conditions are met, take further action.
A moderation measure does not replace removing the image yourself if you still have access to the relevant profile option. Conversely, a support request guarantees neither a particular decision nor immediate, complete deletion from all technical systems or external copies.
Contact support securely
If the profile photo remains visible despite a saved change, no removal or replacement option is available, or a sensitive image needs urgent review, use the contact form. The following information is helpful:
- the link to your own profile,
- the account type,
- a brief description of the image concerned,
- the date and approximate time of the removal attempt,
- the device and browser used,
- the exact wording of any error message,
- information about where the old image is still visible.
A screenshot can help with a technical display issue. Obscure any passwords, security codes, full activation or reset links and other unnecessary personal data. If the profile photo itself is sensitive, do not unnecessarily include it again in the screenshot and do not upload the original file unless asked.
