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User profile for user: jc1328
jc1328 Author
User level: Level 1
8 points

Mac user profile picture original file?

Where is the user's profile picture stored (the picture seen during login)? I'd really like to save my user profile picture, but I want to find the original file.


A user's profile picture can be changed through Users & Groups in System Preferences, and they offer you default user profile pictures, as well as the option to take a picture immediately with the camera. I changed my profile picture through this Camera option, but now I don't have the original file of the picture.


I am operating on Big Sur 11.2.3 with MacBook Pro 2020. I have seen other people solve this problem, but not with Big Sur.


Thanks in advance for the help.

Posted on Jun 18, 2021 10:04 PM

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User profile for user: Barney-15E
Barney-15E
User level: Level 10
117,076 points

Posted on Jun 19, 2021 5:10 AM

It is embedded in the user account information (it might not be the same resolution as the source).

dscl . -read /Users/`id -un` JPEGPhoto | tail -1 | xxd -r -p > ~/Desktop/pic.jpg

Copy/paste the command into Terminal, hit return, and a file will be created on your Desktop named pic.jpg

Credit: https://pupuweb.com/solved-retrieve-macos-user-account-profile-photo/

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User profile for user: Barney-15E
Barney-15E
User level: Level 10
117,076 points

Jun 19, 2021 5:10 AM in response to jc1328

It is embedded in the user account information (it might not be the same resolution as the source).

dscl . -read /Users/`id -un` JPEGPhoto | tail -1 | xxd -r -p > ~/Desktop/pic.jpg

Copy/paste the command into Terminal, hit return, and a file will be created on your Desktop named pic.jpg

Credit: https://pupuweb.com/solved-retrieve-macos-user-account-profile-photo/

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Mac user profile picture original file?

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