diff --git a/src/index.ts b/src/index.ts
index 42c19077..3741a802 100755
--- a/src/index.ts
+++ b/src/index.ts
@@ -145,7 +145,9 @@ const server = new ApolloServer({
     let authToken = null;
     let currentUser = null;
     try {
-      authToken = req.headers.authorization;
+      authToken = req.headers.authorization && req.headers.authorization.startsWith("Bearer ")
+        ? req.headers.authorization.split(" ")[1]
+        : req.headers.authorization;
       if (authToken) {
       
         currentUser = await findOrCreateUser(authToken);
diff --git a/src/models/AuthUser.ts b/src/models/AuthUser.ts
index ed8eca8c..52ab58e6 100644
--- a/src/models/AuthUser.ts
+++ b/src/models/AuthUser.ts
@@ -28,6 +28,11 @@ const userSchema = new Schema(
       type: String,
       enum: ["male", "female", "other"],
     },
+    authMethod: {
+      type: String,
+      enum: ["google", "local"],
+      default: "local",
+    },
     applicationPhase: {
       type: String,
       enum: ["Applied", "Interviewed", "Accepted", "Enrolled"],
diff --git a/src/resolvers/loginUserResolver.ts b/src/resolvers/loginUserResolver.ts
index 108f9294..e1783128 100644
--- a/src/resolvers/loginUserResolver.ts
+++ b/src/resolvers/loginUserResolver.ts
@@ -53,6 +53,19 @@ export const loggedUserResolvers: any = {
       const role = await RoleModel.findOne({ _id: user?.role });
       return role;
     },
+    getByFilter: async (_: any, { filter }: { filter: any }) => {
+      const filterQuery: any = {};
+      for (const key in filter) {
+        if (filter[key] !== undefined && filter[key] !== null) {
+          filterQuery[key] = filter[key];
+        }
+      }
+      if (Object.keys(filterQuery).length === 0) {
+        throw new Error("No filter criteria provided.");
+      }
+      const users = await LoggedUserModel.find(filterQuery);
+      return users;
+    }    
   },
   Mutation: {
     async createUser_Logged(
@@ -384,6 +397,36 @@ export const loggedUserResolvers: any = {
       return wasEdited;
     },
 
+    async updateUserSelf(
+      _: any,
+      { ID, editUserInput: { firstname, lastname, gender, code, country, telephone, picture } }: any, ctx: any) {
+        
+      if (!ctx.currentUser) {
+        throw new AuthenticationError('You must be logged in');
+      }
+      if (ctx.currentUser._id.toString() !== ID) {
+        throw new AuthenticationError('You are only authorized to update your own account.');
+      }
+    
+      const updateFields: any = {};
+      if (firstname) updateFields.firstname = firstname;
+      if (lastname) updateFields.lastname = lastname;
+      if (gender) updateFields.gender = gender;
+      if (code) updateFields.code = code;
+      if (country) updateFields.country = country;
+      if (telephone) updateFields.telephone = telephone;
+      if (picture) updateFields.picture = picture;
+    
+      const wasEdited = (
+        await LoggedUserModel.updateOne(
+          { _id: ctx.currentUser._id },
+          { $set: updateFields } 
+        )
+      ).modifiedCount;
+    
+      return wasEdited > 0; 
+    },       
+
     assignRoleToUser: async (
       _: any,
       { ID, roleID }: { ID: string; roleID: string },
diff --git a/src/schema/loggedUser.ts b/src/schema/loggedUser.ts
index d0aee40e..4e9242d6 100644
--- a/src/schema/loggedUser.ts
+++ b/src/schema/loggedUser.ts
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ export const LoggedUserSchema = gql`
     picture: String
     country: String
     gender: String
+    authMethod: String
     telephone: String
     password: String
     token: String!
@@ -53,6 +54,15 @@ export const LoggedUserSchema = gql`
     role: String
     applicationPhase: String
   }
+  input EditUserSelfInput_Logged {
+    firstname: String
+    lastname: String
+    email: String
+    code: String
+    telephone: String
+    gender: String
+    country: String
+  }
   input EditUserInput_Logged {
     firstname: String
     lastname: String
@@ -68,10 +78,21 @@ export const LoggedUserSchema = gql`
     email: String
   }
 
+  input UserFilterInput {
+  email: String
+  firstName: String
+  lastName: String
+  country: String
+  telephone: String
+  gender: String
+  authMethod: String
+  isActive: Boolean
+ }
   type Query {
     user_Logged(ID: ID!): User_Logged!
     getUsers_Logged(amount: Int): [User_Logged]
     checkUserRole(email: String): Role!
+    getByFilter(filter: UserFilterInput!): [User_Logged]!
     getCohort(id: ID!): cohort
 		getAllCohorts: [cohort!]!
   }
@@ -84,6 +105,7 @@ export const LoggedUserSchema = gql`
     updateUser_Logged(ID: ID!, editUserInput: EditUserInput_Logged): Boolean
     assignRoleToUser(ID: ID!, roleID: ID!): User_Logged
     updateUserStatus(ID: ID!): Boolean
+    updateUserSelf(ID: ID!, editUserInput: EditUserSelfInput_Logged): Boolean
     updateApplicationPhase(userID: ID!, newPhase: String!, cohortID: ID): User_Logged
   }
 `;
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/utils/controllers/userController.ts b/src/utils/controllers/userController.ts
index 41b455d9..f2be4b8d 100644
--- a/src/utils/controllers/userController.ts
+++ b/src/utils/controllers/userController.ts
@@ -14,7 +14,6 @@ export const findOrCreateUser = async (token: any) => {
     }
   }
   const googleUser = await verifyAuthToken(token);
-  //check existance of user
   user = await checkIfUserExists(googleUser?.email);
 
   return user ? user : createNewUser(googleUser);
@@ -37,7 +36,7 @@ const checkIfUserExists = async (email: any) =>
   await LoggedUserModel.findOne({ email }).exec();
 
 const createNewUser = async (googleUser: any) => {
-  const { given_name, family_name, email, picture, isActive } = googleUser;
+  const { given_name, family_name, email, picture } = googleUser;
   const superAdminEmail = process.env.SUPER_ADMIN_EMAIL;
   const adminEmail = process.env.ADMIN_EMAIL;
   const applicantRole = await RoleModel.findOne({ roleName: 'applicant' });
@@ -78,15 +77,25 @@ const createNewUser = async (googleUser: any) => {
       ? adminRole?._id || createAdminRole()
       : applicantRole?._id || createApplicantRole();
 
+  // Fallback values for fields missing in Google data
   const user = {
     firstname: given_name,
     lastname: family_name,
     email,
-    picture,
+    picture: picture || process.env.DEFAULT_AVATAR,  
     role: roleId,
-    isActive,
+    code: '+250', 
+    password: 'GOOGLE_SIGN_IN',  
+    country: '',           
+    telephone: '',                
+    gender: 'other',
+    authMethod: 'google',            
+    isActive: true,
+    isVerified: false,
+    isEmailVerified: true,        
     createdAt: new Date().toISOString(),
   };
+
   const newUser = await new LoggedUserModel(user).save();
   const userWithRole = await LoggedUserModel.findById(newUser._id).populate(
     'role',