Facebook lets you change your birth date, but the process depends on how old your account shows you are right now

If your Facebook profile lists the wrong birth date, you can update it yourself through your account settings. The steps are straightforward, but Facebook has different rules depending on whether you are currently listed as under 18 or 18 and older. If you are under 18 on your profile, you can change your age once every 60 days. If you are 18 or older, you can change it as often as you need to, but Facebook limits how far back you can move your birth date — you cannot make yourself younger than 13, since that is Facebook's minimum age requirement.

The change takes effect when ready on your profile, though it may take a few minutes to show up everywhere on the site. Your friends will not be notified that you changed it, and the old date does not appear in your activity log.

Key Takeaways

  • You can change your birth date through Settings and Privacy, then Settings, then Personal Information — the whole process takes under a minute.
  • If your profile currently shows you are under 18, you can only change your age once every 60 days.
  • If your profile currently shows you are 18 or older, you can change your birth date as many times as you want.
  • Facebook will not let you set a birth date that would make you younger than 13 years old.

How to change your birth date on Facebook

Open Facebook and click the downward arrow in the top right corner of your screen. Select Settings and Privacy, then click Settings. On the left side, click Personal Information. You will see a section labeled Basic Information — click the pencil icon next to your birth date.

A box will open showing your current month, day, and year. Click on each field to change it. Once you have entered the correct date, click Save Changes. The new birth date will appear on your profile right away. If you are using Facebook on your phone, the steps are the same: tap the menu icon (three horizontal lines), scroll down to Settings and Privacy, tap Settings, tap Personal Information, and tap the pencil next to your birth date.

Why Facebook limits how often you can change your age

Facebook restricts age changes for accounts under 18 to once every 60 days because the platform uses your birth date to enforce its own rules. Accounts listed as under 18 have different privacy settings by default — your posts are more restricted, fewer people can contact you, and you cannot see certain ads. If someone could change their age every day, they could switch between these protections and full adult settings without limit, which would defeat the purpose of the age-based safeguards.

Accounts 18 and older do not have these restrictions, so Facebook does not limit how often you can update the birth date. However, you still cannot set a date that would make you younger than 13, because 13 is the legal minimum age for having a Facebook account in most countries.

What happens if you cannot change your age right now

If you see a message saying you cannot change your birth date, it is almost always because you are under 18 on your profile and you have already changed it within the last 60 days. Wait until the 60-day window has passed, then try again. The date you last changed your age is not shown to you, so if you are unsure, you can try changing it — Facebook will tell you exactly how many days you have to wait.

If you get a different error message, or if you cannot access the Personal Information section at all, your account may have a restriction on it. This sometimes happens if Facebook detected unusual activity or if your account was temporarily locked. Try logging out completely, waiting 15 minutes, and logging back in. If the problem continues, you can report it to Facebook through the Help Center by clicking the question mark icon in the top right, selecting Help and Support, and then Report a Problem.

Privacy and who can see your birth date

Your birth date is stored in your Personal Information section, and you control who sees it through your privacy settings. By default, only your friends can see your full birth date. If you want to hide it completely, go back to Personal Information, click the audience icon next to your birth date (it usually shows a silhouette or a group of people), and select Only Me. You can also choose to show only your month and day without the year, which lets people know when your birthday is without revealing your age.

Changing your birth date does not change who can see it — the privacy setting stays the same. So if your birth date was visible to friends before you changed it, it will still be visible to friends afterward.

Changing your age if you cannot access your account

If you cannot log into your Facebook account, you cannot change your birth date through the normal settings. You will need to recover access to your account first. Go to facebook.com and click Forgotten Password. Enter the email address or phone number linked to your account. Facebook will send you a link to reset your password — click it, create a new password, and log back in. Once you are logged in, follow the steps above to change your birth date.

If you do not have access to the email or phone number on your account, you can use Facebook's identity verification process. Click Forgotten Password again, and when Facebook asks how you want to receive your recovery code, select No longer have access to these? at the bottom. Facebook will ask you to upload a photo of your ID to confirm you are the account owner. This process can take a few days, but once your identity is confirmed, you will regain access and can change your birth date.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I change my birth date if I just created my account?

Yes. You can change your birth date when ready after creating your account, even if you are under 18. The 60-day restriction only applies to subsequent changes — your first change is always allowed right away.

Will my friends know I changed my age?

No. Changing your birth date does not show up in your friends' news feeds or activity logs. Only you and Facebook know that you changed it. Your friends will only see the new age if they visit your profile and look at your birth date directly.

What if I set my birth date wrong when I created my account?

You can change it using the same steps described above. If you are under 18, you can change it once every 60 days. If you are 18 or older, you can change it whenever you want. There is no penalty for having entered the wrong date originally.

Can I hide my birth date completely from my profile?

Yes. Go to Personal Information, click the audience icon next to your birth date, and select Only Me. Your birth date will then be visible only to you. You can also choose to show only your month and day by clicking the same icon and selecting that option.

Does changing my age affect my Facebook memories or old posts?

No. Changing your birth date does not change any of your posts, photos, or memories. It only updates the birth date shown on your profile and in your Personal Information section. All your old content stays exactly as it was.