How to Upload Photos to MSN Messenger

MSN Messenger allows you to stay in touch with your friends and family through instant message conversations. You can talk about the weather, how your day is going, or what your plans are for the evening. You can even just say "hello" and let your chat partner know that you're thinking about them. How personal you make it is up to you. However, sometimes MSN Messenger isn't personal enough. A great way to solve this problem is to upload photos to MSN Messenger. Follow these steps to find out how.

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Computer with Internet access

Upload Your Photos to MSN Messenger

1. Enter your account information at the MSN Web site (see Resources below).

2. Click the "Tools" menu and then select "Change Display Picture" from the menu.

3. Click the "Browse" button to open up the search box. This will allow you to locate and select the photo that you want to upload. Choose one that you have already edited with your image editing software, if possible.

4. Search for the photo that you want to upload and select it with your mouse.

5. Click the "Open" button to upload your photo to MSN Messenger.

6. Open MSN Messenger on your computer. Double click the MSN Messenger icon in the system tray to launch the program.

Tips & Warnings

• MSN Messenger allows you to use the following file types when you upload photos: "JPEG," "BMP," "GIF" and "PNG" files.

• MSN Messenger will automatically resize any photos you use to 96-by-96 pixels. Try and pick a photo that is as close to a square shape as possible so that it will not look too distorted when MSN Messenger shrinks the photo.

• Use an image editing program to help look your best. Find the photo that you want to use and then edit it yourself down to 96-by-96 pixels. This will ensure that your photo looks exactly the way you want.

• When choosing a photo, consider who is on your chat list. If you only use MSN Messenger to chat with friends and family, you can upload any photos that you want, even ones of your pet, for example. But if you use MSN Messenger to chat with coworkers, consider a more professional-looking photo.