Need a way to disable profile image for signed-in users

[a.manda]

Hi All,

I’ve finally released my app to a few test users, and one of the issues I’m running into is multiple people thinking that the profile section inside the hamburger menu is where profile images should be uploaded:

My app is a directory of members of a particular group, with app users being those group members as well as members of the public (referred to here as “non-group-members” to avoid confusion w/ Glide’s public option). The app is set to “sign in with email” and directory members have a tab visible to them called “My Profile” where they can edit personal details and upload a profile pic. “My Profile” runs off of the member directory sheet while the above is linked to the user data sheet. (Members also have edit access to the member directory sheet and use it often, so I cannot merge the two)

There is zero reason or functionality for non-group-member users of the app to have a profile photo option - they don’t have profiles within the app. That said, I wouldn’t mind this feature so much IF this picture could be linked to the profile picture within the “My Profile” tab for members. That way directory members could add their photo in either spot. But, Glide doesn’t allow it - I tried setting up a relation in user data to the profile image in the member directory sheet but the profile image above can only reference a basic column:

Is there any way around this? Since I can’t connect the two profile image cells it’s useless and confusing to the directory members. As for the non-group-member users, imagine it’s the 1980s and you get a phone book in the mail and the first thing you do is tape a Polaroid of yourself on the inside cover - that is the functionality I feel is being shown to the non-group-member users and it looks silly!

Appreciate all advice, thank you

[Rosewebstudio]

@a.manda

That said, I wouldn’t mind this feature so much IF this picture could be linked to the profile picture within the “My Profile” tab for members. T

Hi

If the user is signed in and you have enabled them to upload an image then this will reflected within the my profile tab, example below.

https://docs.glideapps.com/all/reference/security-and-per-user-data/user-profiles

[ThinhDinh]

Hi Amanda, I’m trying to understand the context here. So your problem is that if non-group members upload their photo, then there’s no way for them to see a “My Profile” tab that has the image with it?

[Jeff_Hager]

I think what I’m understanding is that she has a user profile sheet for any and all people that sign in and a members only sheet for members. I suppose she is trying to avoid joining the user profile sheet and the member sheet because then there would be a bunch clutter in the member sheet since user profiles auto add newly signed in users.

My only thought would be to eliminate the image from the members sheet, then set up the editing of the member profile to somehow update the image column in the user profile sheet instead. It would be easy to get the image column from the user profile sheet to display in the member sheet. But for editing the image this may require a separate area to update the image apart from the normal editing of the other member profile information. This would allow the member to edit the image either through the side menu, or through a member profile screen. Any non members could still add an image through bthe side menu, but it would clutter the members sheet.

The set column action does allow updating another sheet through a single relation, so that’s a possible option.

[ThinhDinh]

@Jeff_Hager

The set column action does allow updating another sheet through a single relation, so that’s a possible option.

Yes, this should be the way.

[a.manda]

I know this, but it’s useless to me unless that photo could be synced to this one below:

And I’d prefer to not have it period! It’s confusing to those who don’t have profiles on the app. Also it’s impossible to NOT enable this upload option - Glide forces you to select a column for “Image” in the mandatory User Profile tab when using a “public with email” app.

[a.manda]

No, and I’m sorry, I realize my issue is hard to explain. But when you do get it, I think you’ll see my frustration.

I have two problems with the existence of this mandatory profile-photo-opportunity that Glide forces into the hamburger menu when an app is “Public with email”:

1.) Most users of my app are there to find information on directory members. They are not directory members themselves and never will be. They will never have profiles listed on the app. There is no functionality to them having the option to upload a profile photo. Its appearance makes zero sense to their use of the app. It’s…dumb.

2.) App users who are directory members see this section and think that this is where they upload their profile pic for their directory listing. It’s not, and even if I wanted to link the two, Glide doesn’t let me.

So basically if there’s a way to link this image to the profile image on the details screen of the directory listing, I’d be less annoyed (yet still pretty annoyed) that I am forced to have this feature on my app.

Does this explain it better? Apologies for not communicating my issue well, it is weirdly difficult to explain

[Eric_Penn]

I’d also like to control this picture.

The issue I’m having is that I can’t turn off the “upload” option.

I’m using an array formula to bring in the images from another tab. Problem is if the user uploads an image where I have the formula it breaks.

[a.manda]

YES, Jeff I think you get it! You may remember my other thread where I needed to hide the User Profile sheet from the app users - and this is part of that. If I joined the sheets all of the app users would clutter up the shared sheet that directory members constantly access and edit - creating chaos and a breach of privacy for all the email addresses of non-directory-members (Oh man, so glad I got THAT one sorted)

I’ll go play around with the “set column” action - it sounds promising! My one concern going in is how to get the users to click an action button when there’s no way to replace Glide’s own “done” button

As always I’ll report findings for future readers. Thank you for all your help!

There is now a pop-up chastising me for my individual replies. Had no idea that was bad, will adjust on any future posts

[Jeff_Hager]

This may be of some use for your situation.

Visually select a previously uploaded image from within a form!

A fun way to use relations and set columns to create a visual image picker from previously uploaded files from within a form!

PS. The forum has given me grief once before for talking too much. So you’re not the only one.

[a.manda]

@Jeff_Hager I think I’ve found an okay solution, but I did watch the fruit video twice and I think I get it! Will keep that coolness in mind for the future

I have a Welcome tab for onboarding with a submit button, so I added a “Set Column” action to that button which sets that side-menu profile image as a logo for the app. The user could still change this image, but since it looks a bit more official and set, I think this may deter anyone from thinking that this is where they put their profile photo.

I think most people will submit their info on the Welcome tab before checking out the side menu items, so most will only ever see an existing image in that spot now. As I invite more people to test out the app I’ll see how this goes… thanks for this, another tool learned!!

[Mark_Turrell]

I have a related issue to this // use case:

• I have an app that does NOT want users to have a profile photo (there is no need)
• I can control the Profile (from the hamburger menu) as I have my own Profile screen

BUT in the Menu, Glide seems to pick the first image I have in a column (not currently, but at some time in the past) as the default image for everyone.

As below - that is the image in the top left. This is an image from a lookup column.

I want to put in the logo for the app in here as the default instead - would be nicer, right?

Any ideas on how to achieve this? Thanks!

[Darren_Murphy]

I don’t believe that you can stop a user from editing their profile pic, but you could automatically replace it if they do. Knowing what I know about your app, this is what I’d suggest.

• Firstly, add a User Image column to your CollectUser sheet (this seems to have disappeared? - which means that your User Profiles are probably broken - may also explain the seemingly random image)
• Use an arrayformula to populate that column with the URL of the desired image
• Add an event based trigger that will clear the contents of that column if/when a user changes the image (which would allow the arrayformula to do its work)