Profile pictures are gone!

Tania-and-Andrew0
Level 10
Cancún, Mexico

Profile pictures are gone!

Hello,

Last week I noticed that Airbnb introduced (or is testing with some of us) a new way of probably avoiding discrimination; the profile pictures are GONE from the user's profiles and are only available once you accept the bookings.

All my inquiries and booking requests have a gray circule with the guest's initial instead of the photo and my approved bookings are the only ones with photos instead of the circles.

Thoughts?

17 Replies 17
Branka-and-Silvia0
Level 10
Zagreb, Croatia

@Tania-and-Andrew0 

I can understand that ABB is trying to discourage any discrimination but the world isn't perfect and never will be. I think if guest isn't lucky and wants to book a place from a chauvinist host then it is better to find it out before booking then during the check in or during his stay.

At least I would like to know it in advance and book elswhere rather than have an unpleasant surprise at the arrival.

 

Exactly! Excelent point!

I noticed on my version (laptop, Chrome) that these circles are on the message page, but you can click on the guest info on the left that takes you to their profile which (still) has a profile picture. A bit of a work-around, but at least still there.

 

 

Hello @Andrea9,

I am on Chrome/Desktop (Windows) and even by going to the guest's profile I cannot see their photos.

This is probably something that they are testing.

As mentioned before, this will probably unleash worst experiences for travelers, it is worst if they cancel your booking or treat you horribly at the place rather than before they even approve your booking.

@Tania-and-Andrew0

"I am on Chrome/Desktop (Windows) and even by going to the guest's profile I cannot see their photos."

 

Oh dear, that does not bode well. I don't discriminate, but photos are so valuable when knowing which pre-approval or pr-accept questions to ask. The very young tend to hang around into early afternoon: "Did you see I work from home and on weekdays prefer guests who are planning to be out and about from 11am on?". The older than Millenial crowd: "Did you see the many steep Dutch stairs (no elevator in house, but I help with luggage)?" and so on.

 

And photos often tend to say a lot, though not so much the landscapes, flowers, etc. 😉

 

Well, looks like my questions to guests will have become so much longer now!

Andrea9
Level 10
Amsterdam, Netherlands

It's much more impacting when you rent a space in your own home and having to decide about the person who will be underfoot for a while.

Ive always thought the profile pics were part of Airbnbs security clearance procedures but apparently not. In September this year I'll be hosting Snoopy, complete with cartoon chefs hat. I've asked the guest to forward me a pic of himself and his brother but Airbnb 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Linda108
Level 10
La Quinta, CA

Hmmmm.  I am not sure how I feel about this change which hasn't come to my area yet.  On the one hand, if the picture is needed to match the profile with the guest when they arrive, then having it at the time of the booking is sufficient.  And the chances of discrimination are reduced.

 

On the other hand, there are some hosts usually women with shared spaces who do not want to host single men and a first name isn't always a way to get that information.  Asking if a guest is a man or woman can be a bit off-putting.

 

To be truly honest, I like looking at the pictures of potential guests, especially those who a new to Air BNB, and imagine getting to know them just a little bit as I welcome them into my home and shared listing.  If they don't have a real picture, I ask that they upload one and if they don't want to, then I decline the request.  Now, if I don't have the option to see their profile picture and accept the booking and then get a profile picture of a cartoon character, I will not be a happy camper...or host.  Air BNB has been able to reliably require real human pictures, I don't believe, so I think something like this could cause me to rethink my reservation acceptance.

Robin4
Level 10
Mount Barker, Australia

Personally I don't place a lot of importance on the profile picture of an enquiring guest. Some use photos from years ago, the back of their heads, maybe some outrageous costume headgear. We have seen them all.

Even the clearest and most honest headshot does not give any incling as to that persons character.

First and foremost I make a decision by the way they word their enquiry. People who make aggresive enquiring statements will in general turn out to be aggresive and difficult people to host........ 'I have looked at the description of your lovely property and my husband/partner and I would love to book for a weekend away from the kids'....Cool, I don't even want to look any further, I just hit accept!

'We are coming to Mt Barker on ......weekend, do you have offstreet parking, what cooking facilities are available?'..

If I see something like that, I like to know where they have been before, what previous hosts have thought of them and I want to see what they have thought of previous stays before I would make a decision to accept or decline.

I may look at their photo, but I don't think 'Snoopy'.....or just a grey shadow would influence my decision to accept or decline.

Besides, now that most of my bookings are coming through Instant Book the decision has been taken out of my hands anyway!

Cheers.....Rob

Lizzie
Former Community Manager
Former Community Manager
London, United Kingdom

Hello @Tania-and-Andrew0,

 

Thanks for sharing this here. 

 

Just wondering do you think it could it be possible, that these guests are just new to Airbnb and haven't uploaded their profile photo yet, or are you seeing an image as soon as you accept them?

 

Thanks,

 

Lizzie

 

 


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Hello @Lizzie,

As soon as I accept the request the picture then displays; also, I just had a guest cancel a booking, the moment the cancellation was made their profile pic was no longer available. 

I think this is a new feature Airbnb is testing out.

@Lizzie

I have just received a request, and on the received e-mail the profile photo is displayed but when entering (through Chrome or Firefox) it's just a gray circle. The moment I accepted it it magically changed to a photo. It's a new feature.

Cheers!

Lizzie
Former Community Manager
Former Community Manager
London, United Kingdom

Thanks @Tania-and-Andrew0 for the extra information. Aw it is interesting that the profile images are displaying on your email, but not when you are click through. 

 

Thanks for sharing this with us all and do continue to explore further. 🙂

 

 


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Thank you for the last 7 years, find out more in my Personal Update.


Looking to contact our Support Team, for details...take a look at the Community Help Guides.

Elizabeth294
Level 2
Humble, TX

I do not feel comfortable with this feature. I am a single woman, and I am very cautious about who comes to my home. I rarely ever decline requests, and it is mostly because of 3rd party bookings or schedule issues. I declined a request because of the profile picture only once, because it was an image of a minuteman holding an assault weapon. I reported that person to Airbnb for having an inappropriate picture. Now that the images are no longer visible, I don't know who is requesting my place until the reservation is confirmed. If I cancel, then I lose my Superhost status. That is unfair and it is unsafe for hosts.