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Twitter is a social media app that gives you one hundred and forty characters to express your thoughts, ideas, frustrations, emotions, etc. Written soundbites of real-life conversations and opinions sprinkled with a picture of a hilariously misspelled sign or the latest meme. Unlike the days of MySpace, social media apps today keep the aesthetics simple and uniform. One of the few ways you can show a bit of your personality or brand is through the Twitter header, and it’s a component you can change as often as you tweet.
There are four possible reasons why your Twitter header or banner is not changing when trying to upload a new photo:
- Update the Web Browser
- Check the Internet Connection
- Twitter App Needs Update
- Check the Size and Dimensions of Your Image
Let’s take a more detailed look at each of these issues and how they can be troubleshot. Your solution may be found among these reasons, so take them one by one to narrow down the culprit.
4 Fixes for Twitter Not Changing Header
Aside from your bio and profile picture, the Twitter Header is the only other element you can make wholly your own. Customization is integral to branding, whether personal or for a business.
The header is often the first thing users see when they visit your page therefore, it has to create an instant and lasting impression, especially if you’re a brand trying to grow your audience. Engaging other users may require you to switch up your header often to correlate with relevant goods or services, current events or trending topics.
1. Update the Web Browser
The first thing you want to check is the web browser you’re using. Perhaps the web browser isn’t compatible with the Twitter site, or maybe you’re not using the latest version of the web browser, and it needs to be updated. Sometimes websites you’re on will automatically prompt you to update your browser if the website can no longer function with your current web browser, but check for updates even if it doesn’t prompt you.
To find what version of your web browser you have, go into your browser’s menu (It will be different for each web browser), and under “About (web browser name),” it will tell you what version you’re operating. If it’s not the latest version or if you’re unsure if it is, you can find it available for download on the web browser’s website.
You may also want to consider using a different web browser if updating your current web browser doesn’t fix the problem, especially if you didn’t receive any error message when you tried uploading a new header.
2. Check the Internet Connection
Even before checking your web browser, you should check your internet connection. Most people will do so out of instinct if a website or app isn’t working properly, but just in case that thought hasn’t crossed your mind, here it is.
If you’re outside your home and at a local coffee shop using their password-protected Wi-Fi or public Wi-Fi, the connection could be spotty. First, close the browser, then disconnect from the Wi-Fi. Give it a few seconds before reconnecting and re-opening your browser.
If you’re at home and using your Wi-Fi, check the connection to your router. You may need to restart the router to reestablish your connection to the internet or call your provider for a solution.
Lastly, if you’re at a park and using your phone’s data because there is no Wi-Fi connection nearby. Perhaps you’re using your phone as a hotspot for your tablet or laptop. Go ahead and turn your phone off, wait a few seconds and turn it back on. If the internet still isn’t working, you may need to relocate to a spot with better reception.
3. Twitter App Needs Updating
You may not even be on twitter.com trying to change your Twitter header. You may be using the app and having difficulty. Apps have bugs and glitches, so they require updates every so often. There is a hardworking team of technicians listening to user complaints and trying to address them in real-time. The issue you may be experiencing may already be on their radar and fixed with the next update.
Close out your Twitter app, go into your phone’s App Store and click on your account. Locate the section where your apps show in a list and see if “update” is next to your Twitter app. If so, click on it and begin the update. If the Twitter app is already up-to-date or the update didn’t resolve the issue, consider deleting the app from your phone and reinstalling it.
4. Check the Size and Dimensions of Your Image
Twitter has specific stipulations on what size and dimensions are appropriate for your header photo. First, your photo needs to be in JPG or PNG format and cannot exceed 2 GB. Sometimes you have an image and don’t know its size, that’s ok. All you have to do is right-click the image, then select Properties>Details, and the size should show under “File” or “Image.”
“Properties” is where you can find the dimensions of your image as well. The dimensions of your photo will affect your ability to upload a photo as your Twitter header, and the dimensions that Twitter recommends for your header are 1500×500 pixels.
If you want to use a photo or graphic and it doesn’t fit into these dimensions, never fear; there is still a way to make it work. All you have to do is crop the image in a program like Paint. You could also use a website like Placeit.net to create a Twitter header from pre-made templates that are set to the appropriate size and format.
Conclusion
All in all, one of these fixes should be the solution for your Twitter header issues. If you’ve gone through this list and your problem is still unresolved, consider reaching out to Twitter help for guidance on the next steps. There are also forums on Twitter support where technicians and other users offer assistance for troubleshooting.
