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how do I delete my picture from Address book and stop mail showing my picture?

I have just switched from the awful world of MS Entourage to Mail & Address Book on my iMAC. I seem to have my profile picture appearing on all emails and wish to remove this but cannot find how to do it. Help!

iMac, Mac OS X (10.6.8)

Posted on Feb 14, 2012 8:04 AM

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Posted on Mar 18, 2017 11:25 AM

I see this is quite an old question, but as I had this problem too and have discovered out the simple answer I figured I'd post it.


In Sierra, the way to delete a profile photo in Contacts is done by selecting the entry or "Card" and then selecting "Clear Custom Image" under the Card drop down menu along the top bar.


You're welcome. 🙂

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Mar 18, 2017 11:25 AM in response to 100jeff100

I see this is quite an old question, but as I had this problem too and have discovered out the simple answer I figured I'd post it.


In Sierra, the way to delete a profile photo in Contacts is done by selecting the entry or "Card" and then selecting "Clear Custom Image" under the Card drop down menu along the top bar.


You're welcome. 🙂

Feb 14, 2012 8:52 AM in response to varjak paw

Thanks Dave. This does not work and hence my query on here. Like yu I expectyed a simple delete would suffice but no such luck. In the address book I am the account holder and I think it is connected to that but can't see where this all links together. Its annoying me. It works if you want to delete the picture of any other contact but not if you are the account holder. Thanks for trying...

Feb 14, 2012 8:57 AM in response to 100jeff100

Mail is not adding you picture to the e-mail. Mail is looking up the send name in Address Book and seeing if there's a picture associated with the sender.


The distinction is important, because when you send an e-mail to someone, they never receive your picture. Conversely, when you receive an e-mail from someone and see a picture, it is not one they sent as part of the message, it's merely the image associated with that e-mail address in address book.


You are not sending anyone your picture.

Feb 14, 2012 9:06 AM in response to J D McIninch

Many thanks JD. I appreciate I am not sending anyone my picture (lucky for them!) but still want to be able to delete the picture of myself anyway and that is the issue. I can set the picture to a blank but not delete it completely. Maybe that's the facts that it simply will not let you delete it completely if you are the account holder? I'll keep this open a while longer to see if there is any other answers but thanks everybody for trying tohelp.

Feb 14, 2012 9:06 AM in response to 100jeff100

Sorry, you're right, it doesn't work. Apple's apparently changed that in Lion, and I didn't go back and test in my Snow Leopard system.


That picture is pulled from your account information - it's the one set on the Password tabs. There doesn't appear to be any way to remove the picture completely. You can, however, select another picture - you could make a blank image if you don't want anything at all - or as a rather crazy workaround, double-click on the picture in Address Book, slide the zoom control all the way to the right so that the selection rectangle is small, then drag the picture to be completely outside that rectangle. Note that either affects your account picture, so your image next to your login, if you have the login screen option set to "list of users" will reflect any changes you make.


Regards.

Jul 7, 2013 1:10 PM in response to Tyler Crough

Thanks this is helpful, I had the concern that my photo was going out with the mail. Learning that it a local phenomenon and not going out with messages is reassuring, similarly that the photos placed on incoming mail are only seen on my screen and then only if there is a photo associated in Address Book. Am I correct that this will be fixed when I upgrade to Mavericks from 10.6.8? NP

how do I delete my picture from Address book and stop mail showing my picture?

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