Every group has the right to be special and memorable for the people who attend it. The creator of a group chat has a number of privileges compared to an ordinary participant.
At the same time, replacing the main avatar is not the only thing that can be done. You can assign or remove new administrators who will help with your work.
- Changing the avatar in the group
- What can an admin change in a group?
There are also several settings that need to be controlled.
A little theory
People who professionally design websites and pages on VKontakte have their own slang.
The top part of the page, which is the same for the entire site and carries general information or is present for decorative purposes, is usually called the header. A similar part at the bottom of the page is the footer. In the following narrative we will also use these terms. For example, on the pages of our group vk.com/tibimi, a header was added in order to maintain a unified design style, and the footer additionally allows you to go to the page with the menu (by clicking on the Back ):
In addition to the header and footer, illustrations can also be contained throughout the text. For example, in the example picture above, an image of our corporate hero, TBB Man, has been added.
Changing the avatar in the group
Depending on the preliminary settings of the group, only admins can take photos or this opportunity is provided to all participants. To set a picture in a new group, you need to perform several steps :
- Launch WhatsApp.
- Log in to the group (where admin rights are available).
- Click on the name.
- Touch the area reserved for displaying the picture.
- From the list that appears, you should select Gallery.
- A list of folders with files will appear. Specify the location of the document you need, based on the folder name.
- After clicking on the selected file, you need to set the display frame. By holding the touch on the edge and pulling in any direction, you can change its size from larger to smaller and vice versa.
- To save the changes, click – Finish.
The changes have taken effect, the image will be loaded within a couple of seconds. After which it will be displayed to all participants in the conversation.
If you need to replace the old logo with a new one, the instructions will be slightly different. Because you first need to remove the installed one in order to be able to download the new one. To do this, in the group you need to do :
- Open information about the group. To do this, first click on the three dots and select the appropriate item.
- Click on the picture.
- Select Pencil – Edit.
- Tap the last option – Delete.
- Confirm the decision.
- Click on the area again to bring up the list, in which this time you need to click – Gallery.
- Select a new option by similarly finding it in the desired folder. After you have set the desired display size, be sure to click on “Done” to save.
In June, an emergency update was released; now changing the chat background is not possible for each dialogue individually. Now the new picture is applied immediately to all dialogs without exception.
We recommend using pictures to design VKontakte group pages in two cases:
- When it’s easier to show once than to describe for a long time. For example, to explain to clients how to correctly determine their size: where to measure, how to apply a measuring tape, etc. Also, using a picture, you can clearly show the order process from application to receipt (you can see an example of such a diagram on the main page of our website).
- And, of course, to attract the client’s attention, because statistics say that information supported by illustrations is perceived by the reader as more interesting.
Where to download the cover file
- Open the Management section in the group menu.
Management section in the VK group menu - Click the Download link in the Community Cover bar.
Download VK cover - In the window that opens, click Select file and specify your cover file.
Selecting a file for the VK cover - Check how it loaded, if everything is OK, click Save and continue.
I specifically uploaded a yellow blank cover to demonstrate. So everything is ok with her, that’s what she looks like)) - If a message appears about a successful download, then everything is OK, you can go see what happened.
Cover uploaded successfully - This is what a loaded cover in a group looks like
Finished cover
How to choose the right pictures for VKontakte group pages:
- Pictures must be of good quality, without small, hard-to-see details. Everyone knows that when you upload pictures to the vk.com website, their quality decreases (this is how the vk.com website works and we can’t do anything about it), so small text may become unreadable, and some details will blur and look untidy . Be sure to check how your pictures look on the pages, and if quality problems arise, change them to others.
- There shouldn’t be too many pictures: it’s better to have one, but it’s high-quality, well thought out, and attracts attention, than several scattered and not united by a common idea. Naturally, the image should correspond to the text, as if enhancing it.
- Pictures on different pages should be combined with each other and be the same size, so that the visitor gets the feeling of a single design concept for the entire group.
Remember that high-quality and neatly designed pages, thoughtful texts and carefully selected illustrations make a very big contribution to creating a client’s feeling of your professionalism and reliability.
Let's move on to practice.
What are the dimensions for the cover?
Before you put a cover for a group on VK, it is better to prepare a picture in advance. This could be the name of the community or the logo of the company for which it was created, etc.
The selected file must be of a certain size. It can be either 795x200px or 1590x400px.
If you select a smaller image, it will not display beautifully on large screens of computers and laptops. This size is more suitable for phones and tablets.
But since users access the VKontakte social network from various devices, both phones and computers, then it’s better to immediately take a larger image.
Cover and pinned post
Pay attention to such an interesting design technique as shown in this screenshot:
Two pictures - in the header and in the pinned post - form a single whole. This feature is not used everywhere, and therefore looks very interesting. True, you need to carefully check how such a design will look on small phone screens.
Group cover in Photoshop
The design can be ordered from a professional designer. Or you can create it yourself. In the vast majority of cases, you will work with the graphic editor Photoshop or some equivalent. Training to work with them is beyond the scope of our site; this is too extensive a topic. Just remember the basic rules.
- The picture must be large. Choose a source that is at least 1600 pixels wide. Because if it is smaller, then you will have to stretch the picture, and this sharply reduces its quality.
- You can find the source for your work on sites that offer high-quality photographs under a Creative Common license. This means that you can use them in any way you want, even in business, and it will be completely legal. Check out sites like Pixabay, StockSnab and the like.
- As already mentioned, the main semantic element in the picture should be located closer to the center.
- Don't forget about the cover proportions 1590x400. It turns out such a narrow banner. You should try to fit all the information that is important to you into it.
Useful tips
- To make a good cover, find out who your subscribers are, what they like: schoolchildren, students, businessmen. They all react to different colors and images. And it depends on how you design the cover whether they will subscribe to you or not.
- Read the article on how to promote a VKontakte group from A to Z, because the cover is only one of the steps in promotion. Are you creating a group to get more subscribers?
- If you are just thinking about creating a group, then find out how to create it and design it correctly.
- Find out what kind of posts there are and how to publish them, because publications are the main channel of communication with subscribers and keeping them in the group.
Dynamic cover
Let's now return to the second illustration of our article - where we uploaded the picture for the cover. Pay attention to the bottom of this window, to the “Community Live Cover” block. This is a very recent innovation. As you can see, it offers up to five images or videos to upload. Yes, it is now possible to use videos in covers.
The pictures loaded into this block will automatically replace each other, and if you check the box below, then when you hover the mouse over they will slightly enlarge, creating a zoom-in effect. All this adds dynamism to the group design, which is definitely useful.
Setting an icon in a Viber conversation
The icon in the conversation can be changed via a computer or smartphone. Viber understands most formats and automatically compresses photos to save space.
Funny and cool images will help you quickly find the desired conversation on the main screen, and will also make the conversation stand out from the rest. A mini-icon appears to the left of the name on the main screen, and the chat background loads after entering the conversation.
Photos for the background in correspondence can be found through the settings. Viber has built-in pictures; if you wish, you can install your own from the gallery or taken using the camera.
How to change a group or community avatar
For Ava in a chat or community, you can choose your own photo, an original icon or a cool image. You can change avatars an unlimited number of times, all participants will see the update on their smartphones.
Instructions on how to change an avatar in a Viber community or group:
- Go to a conversation, swipe the screen from right to left.
- In the menu that opens, click on the pencil in the top right, tap on the camera icon and select the method for obtaining the image.
- Select a photo from the gallery or take one using the camera.
- Using the frame, you can select the desired area; to confirm, tap on "Save".
The background will change instantly. A corresponding notification will appear in the chat. When choosing photos, you don’t have to take their size into account; the built-in editor allows you to crop with one touch.
Note. If an error appears when installing an image, try downloading the image in a different format.
Where can I download icons
You can find pictures on free photo stocks or using popular search engines Google and Yandex. Let's figure out how to do this via Google:
- Launch your browser and type any query, for example: “animal avatars.”
- Click on "Pictures" to view suitable options.
- To download, tap on the image, hold your finger on the photo, click on the button in the menu that appears "Download image".
The downloaded file can be placed on the group avatar. How to do this is shown in the instructions above.
