Solving Missing User Issue in Microsoft 365 Profile Images

Understanding Microsoft 365 User Profiles and Image Sync Issues

The user profile of Microsoft 365 can often seem like an enigma, chiefly comprising of user data from the Active Directory (AD) mirrored onto SharePoint. Not only is it the foundation of Delve, but some extra features that aren't present in the AD come with it too, like credentials relating to personal skills, relevant educational history, and projects. It's noteworthy that Microsoft seems to be in the process of shifting these features over to other platforms and possibly phasing out Delve entirely, although no official announcements support this claim for now.

A commonly recurring issue has been the inability of profile images updated in the Active Directory to sync with SharePoint accurately. As a result of this, users often encounter a disjointed experience where profile images aren't immediately apparent and inconsistencies persist. Microsoft has made strides towards improving this glitch, slowly transitioning their official web parts to use the Graph API for retrieving photos. However, older custom web parts still face issues. Plus, the freedom to use the Graph API in column formatters is currently non-existent, hence it's essential that photos are kept in sync.

The process behind image synchronization isn't without complications of its own. For instance, the user must have an Exchange Online Mailbox for the images to sync, merely having the license doesn't suffice. Besides that, only when a user initiates a request can a photo of themselves be synced from the Azure Active Directory to SharePoint Online. The complicated nature of this sync process can lead to delays, sometimes stretching to a few days, before full sync is achieved.

Moving ahead, to deal with the issue of syncing photos, a manual photo sync operation might be possible, but Microsoft has released an effective tool that points out why a single user's profile image isn't being updated. This tool, found in the Microsoft 365 Admin Center, can come in handy if the problem persists. Visit the Admin Center for more information.

Microsoft's View on Image Syncing

Even though user profiles might be getting phased out gradually, it seems like Microsoft isn't overly enthusiastic about addressing the issue with photo syncing. If you notice your image sync isn't functioning as expected, ensure that the user has a profile image in the Azure Active Directory, isn't a guest, owns an exchange online mailbox, and has accessed SharePoint Online several days post the addition of the photo to the Azure Active Directory. Microsoft's diagnostic tool can be helpful to pinpoint issues, and in certain situations, manual photo syncing around the indigenous sync task may be performed.

However, it is important to bear in mind that leveraging application permissions for setting the PictureURL property on a user profile and updating it on SharePoint is not possible and requires a specific level of authentication control. Therefore, proceed at risk as it's unclear whether this may affect the sync from the Exchange or result in the Exchange overwriting the data after a few days.

Overall, staying mindful of these pointers can prevent common mishaps relating to user profile image syncing in the SharePoint Online universe. Diving deeper into these issues not only enhances understanding but also offers insights into how Microsoft continues to evolve its platforms to meet user needs.

Read the full article Microsoft 365 Profile images - Uncovering the mysteries of the missing user

Learn about Microsoft 365 Profile images - Uncovering the mysteries of the missing user

The realm of user profiles in Microsoft 365 is an intricate landscape that keeps evolving dynamically, and with it brings the challenge of managing user profile avatars. In order to understand this better, one can explore a range of training courses that delve deep into the functioning and utilities of Azure Active Directory (AD), SharePoint Online, Microsoft's Graph API, Exchange and more.

User profiles in Microsoft 365 can be thought of as a database derived from your Azure AD and mirrored onto SharePoint. They form the foundation of Delve, providing the users an opportunity to populate additional fields such as skills, education and projects they have worked on. However, it seems like Microsoft may be shifting these entities to various platforms, almost slowly phasing out Delve.

Profile picture syncing has been a prevalent issue. Administrations often face a disconnect where editing the avatar in the Active Directory doesn't reflect onto SharePoint, leading to inconsistent user experiences. On one hand, you have user details without an image, and on hovering over, their profile cards show a picture. Although Microsoft is slowly migrating official web parts to leverage the Graph API, custom web parts or content generated using column formatters may encounter issues with fetching the right image.

A key prerequisite to sync profile avatars is the requirement that the user not only must have an Exchange Online Mailbox but should also have used it. If you're running in a hybrid environment with Exchange on prem, syncing images might be challenging since there isn't any out of the box sync from Azure AD to SharePoint Online. The path is rather from Azure AD to Exchange to SharePoint, and the sync happens when the user requests their own picture, explaining the delay it sometimes faces.

Although manual syncing is an option, as a first step, Microsoft offers a tool that aids in diagnosing why a user's photo is failing to update. This tool resides in the Microsoft 365 dashboard and can prove to be valuable.

Manual syncing of images is possible too, but primarily as a last resort. The avatars are stored in the document library named 'Profile Picture' in the my-sites site collection of your SharePoint. After populating images here, updating the PictureURL value on their profile makes the image visible on SharePoint in real-time. However, bear in mind that this process calls for legacy ACS authentication with full control on both social and content at the tenant level.

In the end, if the in-built syncing feature does not seem to be functioning as it should, Microsoft's diagnostic tool must be the first point of contact. Failing to resolve via that, one might need to manually sync, taking into account the potential risk it brings along.

• Check if the user has a photo in Azure AD and is not a guest
• Confirm the user possesses an operational mailbox on Exchange Online
• Ensure the user signs into SharePoint Online a few days post the image is added to Azure AD

Refer to these resources for further assistance:

• Official Documentation
• Official help guide for images not syncing

If you've ever struggled with missing user profile pictures in SharePoint Online, you'll relate to the importance of understanding these nuances. Here’s hoping this post helps clear any cloud of confusion!

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