You can change your date of birth in Facebook settings, but Facebook limits how often you can do it

To change your date of birth on Facebook, go to your profile, click the three-line menu, select Settings and Privacy, then Settings. Find Personal Information and click Date of Birth. You can edit the month, day, and year there. Facebook allows you to change this information, but the platform restricts how frequently you can make changes — typically once every 60 days — to prevent misuse of accounts.

The process takes less than a minute on both desktop and mobile. However, what you change and when you change it affects what Facebook shows publicly and how the platform treats your account. Understanding these limits before you start prevents frustration if you need to make another change soon.

Key Takeaways

  • Your date of birth can be changed through Settings and Privacy > Settings > Personal Information > Date of Birth on both desktop and mobile versions of Facebook.
  • Facebook restricts date of birth changes to once every 60 days, so plan ahead if you need to correct multiple pieces of information.
  • You can control who sees your birth date by adjusting privacy settings — only you, friends, or everyone — independently of whether you change it.
  • If you created your account with an incorrect age, changing your birth date now does not retroactively change what Facebook recorded about your account history.
  • Some accounts, particularly those flagged for suspicious activity, may face additional restrictions on changing personal information.

Step-by-step process on desktop

Open Facebook in a web browser and log in to your account. Click the downward-facing arrow or three-line menu in the top right corner of the page. From the dropdown menu, select Settings and Privacy, then click Settings.

On the left side of the page, you will see a menu with several options. Click Personal Information. You will see a section labeled Date of Birth with your current information displayed. Click on the date field to edit it. A calendar or text entry box will appear where you can select or type the correct month, day, and year. After you enter the new date, click Save or Confirm (the button label varies slightly by region). Facebook will show a confirmation message indicating the change was successful.

Step-by-step process on mobile

Open the Facebook app on your phone and tap the three-line menu icon (called a hamburger menu) at the bottom right of the screen on iPhone or top right on Android. Scroll down and tap Settings and Privacy, then tap Settings.

Scroll down to find Personal Information and tap it. Tap Date of Birth to open the editing screen. Use the date picker or text fields to enter your correct birth month, day, and year. Tap Save or Done. The app will confirm the change when ready. If you do not see the change reflected right away, close the app completely and reopen it to refresh your profile information.

Why Facebook limits how often you can change your date of birth

Facebook restricts date of birth changes to once every 60 days as a security measure. Frequent changes to core identity information can indicate account compromise or someone else accessing your account without permission. By limiting changes, Facebook reduces the window in which a hacker could alter your account details and lock you out.

This restriction also prevents people from repeatedly changing their age to bypass Facebook's age-based restrictions. For example, someone under 13 cannot legally have a Facebook account in most countries, and someone under 18 has different privacy defaults. Limiting changes makes it harder to circumvent these rules. If you have already changed your date of birth recently and need to change it again, you will have to wait until the 60-day window closes before Facebook allows another edit.

Controlling who can see your birth date

Your date of birth and your privacy settings for that information are separate controls. You can change your birth date without changing who sees it, and vice versa. To adjust privacy settings, go to Personal Information in Settings (following the same steps as above), find Date of Birth, and look for a privacy icon — usually a globe, lock, or people symbol next to the date.

Click that icon to choose who can see your birth date: Only Me (private), Friends, or Public (everyone on Facebook). Many people set this to Only Me to keep their birth date private while still maintaining an accurate date of birth on their account. Facebook uses your birth date internally for account security and age verification, regardless of the privacy setting you choose.

What happens if you created your account with the wrong age

If you signed up for Facebook years ago and entered an incorrect birth year — for example, you were 12 and entered a birth year that made you 18 — changing your date of birth now does not erase that history. Facebook's internal records still show when your account was created and what information was on file at that time. However, changing it now ensures that your current profile reflects accurate information going forward.

If your account was created when you were underage and Facebook discovers this, the platform may restrict or disable the account, depending on its policies at the time. Correcting your birth date now is the right step, but it does not undo past violations of Facebook's age policy. If you are concerned about an account created when you were underage, you can contact Facebook's support team to discuss your specific situation.

Troubleshooting if you cannot change your date of birth

If you see an error message or the Save button does not work, first check whether you have already changed your date of birth within the last 60 days. If you have, you will need to wait until that window closes. Facebook will sometimes display a message telling you when you can make the next change.

If the 60-day window has passed and you still cannot change your date of birth, your account may be flagged for suspicious activity or policy violations. Try logging out completely, clearing your browser cache, and logging back in. If the problem persists, use Facebook's Help Center to report the issue. You can also try accessing Settings from a different device or browser to see if the problem is device-specific. If none of these steps work, contact Facebook Support through the Help Center and explain that you cannot edit your personal information.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I change my date of birth if I do not remember what I entered when I created my account?

Yes. You can change your date of birth to whatever is correct now, regardless of what you entered originally. Facebook will accept the new date as long as you are not changing it more frequently than once every 60 days. If you are unsure of your exact birth date, enter the correct one — Facebook does not verify this information against government records.

Will changing my birth date affect my Facebook memories or old posts?

No. Changing your birth date does not alter any posts, photos, or memories you have already shared. Facebook will not retroactively change the dates on your content or reorganize your timeline. The change only affects your profile going forward and how Facebook displays your age-related information.

What if someone else has access to my account and changed my birth date?

If you believe your account has been compromised, change your password when ready and review your login activity in Settings > Security and Login. You can see which devices are logged into your account and log out any unrecognized sessions. Once you have secured your account, you can change your birth date back to the correct information. If you cannot regain control of your account, use Facebook's account recovery process.

Does changing my birth date on Facebook change it on other platforms like Instagram?

If your Instagram account is linked to the same email address as your Facebook account and you use Facebook Login to access Instagram, the platforms may share some information. However, birth date changes on Facebook do not automatically update Instagram. You would need to change your birth date separately in Instagram's settings if you want both accounts to reflect the same information.

Can I hide my birth date completely instead of changing it?

Yes. You can set your birth date privacy to Only Me so that no one else can see it, but Facebook still requires you to have a birth date on file for account verification purposes. You cannot remove the birth date field entirely, but you can make it invisible to everyone except yourself by adjusting the privacy setting to Only Me.