If a user's Gmail profile picture visibility is restricted (for example, "Your organization and people you interact with"), external systems like Opensense's directory headshot sync may display a generic placeholder instead of the actual photo. This article explains how end users can upload their profile picture and set visibility to "Anyone," as well as what admins should do if users are unable to change these settings.
Verify You Can Edit Your Photo
Go to your Google Account and sign in.
Click the camera icon on your current Gmail profile picture to edit.
If you see a lock icon or a message stating "Your profile picture is managed by your organization," contact your IT or Google Workspace administrator to enable profile photo editing.
Upload or Change Your Photo
After clicking the camera icon, the Change Profile Picture modal will open.
Upload an image from your device.
Tip: This is your corporate email, so we strongly recommend using a high-quality, professional headshot. The recommended size is 250 × 250 pixels.
Crop as needed and click Set as profile photo.
Set your profile picture visibility to Anyone" in the "Choose who can see your profile picture" dialog.
Validate It Worked
To test, send an email to an external address you've never contacted before. Verify that your headshot appears rather than a blue or gray silhouette.
Tip: Changes may take 15–30 minutes to propagate. If your photo still doesn't appear, try clearing your browser cache, signing out and back in, or asking the recipient to refresh their view.
For Administrators
If users cannot complete the steps above, Google Workspace admins should verify the following settings:
Enable Profile Photo Editing
In the Admin console, go to Directory → Directory settings → Profile editing (or navigate to Users, click More options, and select Allow users to edit profile). Check the Photo box and click Save.
Verify Directory/Contact Sharing Is Enabled
Go to Directory → Directory settings → Sharing settings → Contact sharing and ensure Enable contact sharing is checked. This allows users within your organization to see each other's profile photos. (Note: External visibility depends on users uploading their own photos and setting visibility to "Anyone.")
Review Organization-Managed Restrictions
If users see a lock icon or "Managed by your organization" message, check for any organizational unit (OU) policies or delegated management settings that may be restricting photo edits or visibility changes.
Admins: Changes typically take effect within minutes but may take up to 24 hours to propagate across all Google services.
Troubleshooting
Issue | Cause | Action |
|---|---|---|
Generic silhouette still appears | Visibility not set to Anyone | Set visibility to Anyone; re-send test email after 30 minutes. |
Cannot edit photo (“managed by organization”) | Admin has restricted photo editing | Contact IT; admin enables photo edits in Admin Console. |
Changes don’t show immediately | Google propagation delay or cached view | Wait 15–30 minutes, clear cache, sign out/in, then retry. |
Photo still not seen externally despite the Anyone selection being chosen | External cache or sync lag in consuming system | Force refresh in that system, resend email to push update. |
Best Practices
Upload a professional headshot and set visibility immediately.
The recommended headshot size to render best across all platforms is 250 × 250 pixels.
Opensense Support
For further assistance, contact Opensense Support:
Email: help@opensense.com
Knowledge Base: help.opensense.com