Avatars & profile

Show up the way you want to

Upload a photo or pick one of 1,000 illustrated avatars, set a username friends and strangers see instead of your real name, and decide field by field who gets to see your photo, status, course and interests.

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1,000 presetsacross 7 categories, searchable by name

5 fieldsphoto, status, course, interests and contributions, set per field

No real namesfriends see your chosen name, everyone else your @handle

Block anytimehides your profile from them, both ways

Choosing your look

A photo, or a face that is entirely yours

Nobody has to use a real photo. Pick whichever feels right, and switch any time.

Upload a photo

A JPEG, PNG or WebP image, cropped to a square automatically.

Or pick a preset

1,000 illustrated avatars — animals, birds, sea life, reptiles and bugs, fantasy, robots and space, or nature and things.

Search by name

Type "fox", "dragon" or "robot" to jump straight to it.

Browse by category

Seven tabs, or "All" to scroll everything at once.

Switch any time

One click swaps your avatar everywhere it appears.

Per-field privacy

You decide, field by field

Photo, online status, course, interests and Community Library contributions each have their own setting — not one switch for everything.

Everyone

Choose it if

You want your Library contributions to stand out, or do not mind strangers seeing a field.

You get

Visible to any visitor to your public profile. The default for contributions.

See how it works ↓

Friends

Choose it if

The default for your photo, online status, course and interests.

You get

Only people you are friends with can see it.

See how it works ↓

No one

Choose it if

You would rather keep a field private altogether.

You get

Hidden from everyone, friends included.

See how it works ↓

Blocked

Choose it if

Someone you do not want contact with.

You get

Blocking hides your profile from them in both directions, and they cannot send you a request.

See how it works ↓

Your public profile

What a visitor sees depends who they are

/social/u/:handle renders differently depending on your relationship with whoever is looking.

Shown per your settings

Chosen name or @handlePhoto or preset avatarOnline statusCourse & study stageCommunity Library contributions

A friendFull viewSomeone elseLimited viewSomeone you blockedNothing shown

A friend

Your chosen name, never your real name.
Your photo or preset avatar, and your online status, if you have set them to Friends or Everyone.
Friend, Message and More actions.

Someone else

Your @handle, since they are not a friend.
Only the fields you set to Everyone.
A request button, unless you only accept invites.

Someone you blocked

"You blocked this person. They can’t see your profile or send you requests."

Your study profile

The details that shape what you study

Set once in onboarding, and editable any time from Settings — this is what tells BrightStudy’s AI tools what level and exam to write for.

Field 1

Country & language

UK, US or Australia, each with its own spelling and terms.

Field 2

Study level & qualification

From primary through to postgraduate.

Field 3

Course, year & pathway

Your course or specialty, and which year you are in.

Field 4

Target exam

The named exam you are preparing for, if any.

Field 5

Subjects & exam boards

Each subject with its own exam board, where it applies.

Where it shows up

One profile, several places

Your photo or preset avatar, and the name you chose, travel with you — not everywhere, but in the places that matter.

Your public profile

Name, photo, status, course and your Library contributions, each per your visibility settings.

The avatar picker

Search or browse by category across 1,000 illustrated avatars.

Friends & chats

Your friends list and chat threads show your photo or avatar, with your presence.

The BrightStudy Social friends list with avatars and presence dots

Settings

Your username and a summary of your study profile, with a link to edit it.

How your avatar travels

Pick it once, see it in the right places

Your avatar is not pinned to one screen — it follows you into the places you actually interact with people.

Pick a photo or a preset

Upload an image, or choose from 1,000 illustrated avatars.

Shows on your public profile

Per your Profile photo visibility setting — Everyone, Friends or No one.

Shows to friends and in chats

Your friends list and chat threads carry it, alongside your online status.

Replaces your top-bar initial

Once it loads, it swaps in for the initial in your account menu, and is cached so it appears instantly next time.

Setting it up

Your profile, step by step

A handful of settings, each one optional beyond a username.

1
Set your username
What everyone sees, including the Community Library and leaderboards.
2
Pick a photo or a preset avatar
Search or browse 1,000 illustrated options.
3
Set who sees what
Photo, status, course, interests and contributions, field by field.
4
Fill in your study profile
Country, level, course, year, exam and subjects with their boards.
5
Appear to friends, not strangers
Your chosen name and online status show to friends; everyone else sees your handle.

The Profile tab

Bio, interests and visibility, all in one editor

Your bio, study interests, course and study stage, and every visibility toggle, live in one tab under Social — changes save and apply straight away.

The Profile tab: bio, interests, course and every visibility setting in one place.

FAQ

Questions, answered

What is shown, to whom, and how to change it.

Still have a question?

Try BrightStudy free and upload your first document, or email us at support@brightstudy.ai.

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Can I use a photo of myself?

Yes. Upload a JPEG, PNG or WebP image and BrightStudy crops it to a square automatically, or pick one of 1,000 illustrated avatars instead.

What are the 1,000 preset avatars?

Illustrated characters across seven categories — animals, birds, sea life, reptiles & bugs, fantasy, robots & space, and nature & things — searchable by name.

Does BrightStudy show my real name to other users?

No. Friends see the name you choose to show them; everyone else sees your @handle. Your real name is never shown to other users.

Who can see my photo, online status, course and interests?

You choose, field by field: Everyone, Friends, or No one. Photo, status, course and interests default to Friends; your Community Library contributions default to Everyone.

What happens if I block someone?

They can no longer see your profile or send you a friend request, and the block works both ways.

Where does my avatar actually show up?

Your public profile, your friends list, chat threads, and your account menu in the top bar. It does not appear next to your name in the Community Library, which shows an initial instead.

Can I edit my study profile — country, level, subjects and exam boards?

Yes, any time, from Settings. It is what BrightStudy uses to write flashcards, MCQs and summaries at the right level for your course and exam.

Is a social profile required to use BrightStudy?

No. Studying, uploads, flashcards and MCQs all work without ever touching Social — the profile only matters once you add friends or publish to the Community Library.

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