Turn on birthday reminders in your notification settings
Facebook can send you notifications when your friends have birthdays, but the feature is not turned on by default. You control this in your notification preferences, which take about two minutes to adjust. Once enabled, you will see a notification on the day of each friend's birthday, and Facebook will also show a list of upcoming birthdays on your home feed.
The steps differ slightly depending on whether you use Facebook on a computer or a phone, but both routes lead to the same setting. Start with whichever device you use most often — you only need to change the setting once, and it will explore across all your devices.
Key Takeaways
- Birthday notifications are off by default and must be turned on in your notification settings, not in your privacy controls.
- On a computer, go to Settings and Privacy, then Settings, then Notifications, then find the Birthday section.
- On a phone, open your menu, tap Settings and Privacy, then Settings, then Notifications, then Birthday.
- Once enabled, you will receive a notification each day someone in your friends list has a birthday.
- You can turn off birthday notifications at any time by returning to the same setting and switching it back off.
Enable birthday notifications on a computer
Open Facebook in your web browser and look for the downward-pointing arrow or three horizontal lines in the top right corner of the page. Click it to open a menu. From that menu, select Settings and Privacy, then click Settings.
On the left side of the page that opens, you will see a column of options. Scroll down until you find Notifications and click it. The page will show different notification categories. Look for the section labeled Birthday — it may be near the bottom of the list. Click on it to expand the options.
You will see a toggle or checkbox next to "Birthday notifications" or similar wording. Make sure it is turned on (the toggle will be blue or the box will be checked). If it is already on, you are done. If it is off, click it once to turn it on. Facebook will confirm the change when ready.
Enable birthday notifications on a phone or tablet
Open the Facebook app and tap the three horizontal lines (called a menu icon) in the bottom right corner of the screen. On an iPhone, this may appear in the bottom right; on Android, it is usually in the top right. Scroll down and tap Settings and Privacy, then tap Settings.
Scroll down the settings page until you see Notifications and tap it. You will see a list of notification types. Find Birthday in that list and tap it. The next screen will show the birthday notification option. Make sure the toggle next to it is turned on (it will show blue or green when active).
Once the toggle is on, you can go back to your home feed. The setting is saved automatically, and you will start receiving birthday notifications right away.
What happens after you turn on birthday notifications
When a friend's birthday arrives, Facebook will send you a notification — the exact form depends on your device. On a computer, you may see a small alert in the top left corner or a number badge on the notification icon. On a phone, you will receive a push notification that appears on your lock screen or in your notification center.
You will also see a list of upcoming birthdays on your Facebook home feed, usually in a sidebar or dedicated section. This list shows the next several birthdays coming up, so you can see them even if you miss the notification. Clicking on a friend's name in the birthday list takes you to their profile, where you can write on their wall or send them a message.
Turn off birthday notifications if you change your mind
If you decide you do not want birthday notifications, you can turn them off just as easily. Follow the same steps you used to turn them on — go to Settings and Privacy, then Settings, then Notifications, then Birthday. This time, click the toggle to turn it off. The setting changes when ready, and you will stop receiving birthday notifications.
Turning off the setting does not affect your friends or their privacy. It only stops notifications from reaching you. You can turn the feature back on at any time by returning to the same setting.
Birthday notifications and your privacy
Turning on birthday notifications does not change who can see your birthday or when it appears on Facebook. Your birthday visibility is controlled separately in your privacy settings. Birthday notifications are purely about what you receive — they do not broadcast your own birthday to anyone or change how your information is shared.
If you have hidden your birthday from certain friends or the public, those friends will still see a notification when other friends have birthdays. The notification setting and the privacy setting work independently.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will my friends know if I get a birthday notification about them?
No. Birthday notifications are private — they only appear on your device. Your friends cannot see whether you received a notification or whether you chose to message them on their birthday. The notification is between you and Facebook.
Can I get birthday notifications for only certain friends?
Facebook does not offer a way to pick and choose which friends trigger birthday notifications. The setting is all-or-nothing — when you turn it on, you receive notifications for every friend's birthday. If you want to remember specific birthdays without notifications, you can add them to your phone's calendar instead.
What if I do not see the Birthday section in my Notifications settings?
The Birthday option may not appear if you have already turned it off, or if your account is very new. Try scrolling down in the Notifications section to make sure you are not missing it. If it still does not appear, sign out of Facebook completely, wait a few minutes, and sign back in. This sometimes refreshes the settings menu.
Do birthday notifications work the same way on Facebook Lite?
Facebook Lite has a simpler interface, but birthday notifications work the same way. Open the app, tap the menu icon, go to Settings and Privacy, then Settings, then Notifications, and look for Birthday. The toggle works identically to the full Facebook app.
Can I change what time I get birthday notifications?
Facebook does not let you schedule birthday notifications for a specific time. Notifications arrive whenever Facebook sends them, which is usually sometime during the day of the birthday. You can control whether you receive push notifications at all through your phone's notification settings, but not the exact timing from Facebook itself.