What is a cover photo on Facebook?

A cover photo is a large, customizable horizontal image located at the top of every Facebook user's profile page. It is part of Facebook's Timeline redesign, which was introduced in 2011, and gives users a unique way to express themselves and beautify their profiles.

Just like with profile pictures, users take advantage of cover photos to distinguish themselves from other people on Facebook. A user's cover photo is publicly accessible and one of the first things friends notice when they visit his profile page. It also helps Facebook differentiate unique, genuine accounts from fake ones. When uploading a cover photo, the image must have a width of at least 720 pixels.