ungoogled-software/ungoogled-chromium

Configure custom avatars for user profiles

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#3747 opened on Apr 22, 2026

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enhancementhelp wanted

Description

Description

User added avatars displayed for their profile instead of generic stock options.

Who's implementing?

  • I'm willing to implement this feature myself

The problem

Chrome users can set custom avatars IF they log in with their google account. For local accounts in chromium there is no ability to customize these. Only generic stock options to choose from.

The problem here is that when the user is using multiple profiles with the generic avatars its difficult to determine which profile is which from looking at the task bar or the browser. Mousing over the profile icon in the browser will display it's label. However it should be easier than this.

Chrome has/had a hack method where user could edit 'Local State' json and add new line in the specified profile ""gaia_picture_file_name": "your-icon-file-name.png"" This picture would then be placed in the User Date / Profile folder. https://superuser.com/questions/449244/how-do-i-access-edit-the-chrome-user-avatar-images/639248#639248 This method works in ungoogled-chromium temporarily until the profile is launched/initiated, then the 'Local State' file has the pciture name blanked e.g ""gaia_picture_file_name": """

A similar request is open for helium browser, however I thought I would create one here as it seems fitting that implementing would be best suited as an upstream feature for an ungoogled chromium. https://github.com/imputnet/helium/issues/143

This also relates to a closed question https://github.com/ungoogled-software/ungoogled-chromium/issues/912

Possible solutions

  1. Fix/implement the Chrome hack of 'Local State' and "gaia_picture_file_name" so the picture name is not blanked.

  2. Implement a similar hack solution to Brave where pictures with same names as generic stock options are placed in a newly created folder 'Avatars' in User Data https://github.com/willymromero/custom-brave-avatars https://www.reddit.com/r/brave_browser/comments/10tignm/set_custom_avatars_to_brave_working_desktop/?rdt=53880

  3. Implement a proper user friendly solution where the user can upload a picture within there profile.

Alternatives

Other then changing browsers there is no alternative.

Additional context

No response

Contributor guide

Tech stack
cpp
Domain
desktop
Issue type
feature
DifficultyEstimated implementation difficulty for a new contributor, from 1 for very small changes to 5 for expert-level work.
4
Estimated timeA rough time range for an experienced contributor to investigate, implement, test, and prepare a pull request.
1-2 days
Activity statusHow available the issue appears right now: fresh, active, stale, blocked, or waiting on maintainer input.
fresh
ClarityHow clearly the issue explains the expected change, acceptance criteria, and next step.
needs investigation
Prerequisites
Basic C++ knowledgeUnderstanding of Chromium profile system
Newbie friendlinessA 1-100 score estimating how approachable this issue is for first-time contributors.
30
Research direction
Investigate how Chromium handles profile avatars, specifically the 'gaia picture file name' in 'Local State' JSON. Review the linked helium issue (https://github.com/imputnet/helium/issues/143) and the closed issue #912 for context. Examine the Brave implementation of custom avatars. Identify the code that blanks the picture name on profile initialization. Focus on files like 'chrome/browser/profiles/profile avatar icon util.cc' or 'chrome/browser/ui/webui/signin/profile picker handler.cc'. Determine the minimal change to prevent blanking or add a new upload mechanism.