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

To change your age on Facebook, go to your profile, click the three-line menu, select Settings and Privacy, then Settings. Find Personal Information and click Birth Date. You can edit the month, day, and year there. Facebook lets you change your birth date once every 60 days — if you try to change it more often, you will see a message saying you have to wait.

The reason for this limit is that Facebook uses your birth date to enforce age restrictions on certain features and ads. Changing it too frequently looks suspicious to their systems, so they built in a cooldown period. If you made a mistake when you first set up your account, you may have to wait before correcting it.

Your birth date controls what features you can access. If you are under 18, you cannot use certain advertising tools or see some content. If you are under 13, Facebook should not have let you create an account in the first place — but if you did, changing your age to 13 or older is how you unlock the full platform.

Key Takeaways

  • Change your birth date through Settings and Privacy > Settings > Personal Information > Birth Date on any device where you are logged in.
  • Facebook enforces a 60-day waiting period between changes, so you cannot correct a mistake when ready if you changed it recently.
  • Your birth date determines which features, ads, and content you can access, so accuracy matters for your account to work properly.
  • If your account was created with a false age to bypass Facebook's 13-year minimum, changing it to your real age may trigger a review.
  • You can hide your birth date from other users even after you set it, so your age does not have to be visible on your profile.

Why Facebook limits how often you can change your age

Facebook's 60-day rule exists because your birth date is tied to legal requirements. In most countries, Facebook must verify that users are old enough to have an account. If someone changes their age every week, Facebook's systems flag it as potential fraud — either someone trying to hide their real age or someone accessing an account that is not theirs.

The limit also protects younger users. If a 14-year-old could when ready change their birth date to 18, they could bypass parental controls and age-restricted features. The waiting period makes it harder to do that without planning ahead.

If you are locked out of a change because of the 60-day wait, you have two options: wait until the period expires, or contact Facebook support and explain why you need to change it sooner. Facebook rarely overrides the limit, but they will listen if you have a legitimate reason — like correcting a typo on a brand new account.

How to find and edit your birth date on different devices

On a phone or tablet, open the Facebook app, tap the three-line menu at the bottom right, scroll down to Settings and Privacy, then tap Settings. Look for Personal Information and tap Birth Date. You will see three fields for month, day, and year. Tap each one to change it, then tap Save.

On a computer, click the downward arrow in the top right corner of Facebook, select Settings and Privacy, then Settings. On the left side, click Personal Information. Find Birth Date and click the pencil icon next to it. Change the month, day, or year, then click Save Changes.

If you cannot find Personal Information in Settings, you may be looking at the wrong menu. Make sure you are in Settings and Privacy, not just Privacy. Some older accounts or accounts in certain regions have slightly different layouts, but the path is always Settings > Personal Information > Birth Date.

What happens if you try to change your age too soon

If you attempt to change your birth date before 60 days have passed since your last change, Facebook will show you a message saying something like "You can only change your birth date once every 60 days." The change will not go through, and you will have to wait. Facebook does not tell you the exact date you can try again, so you may need to wait a few extra days to be safe.

This restriction applies even if you are changing it back to what it was before. If you changed your age by mistake and want to fix it when ready, you still have to wait. The only exception is if you contact Facebook support and they manually override the limit, which happens rarely.

If you are locked out and need to change your age urgently — for instance, because you turned 18 and need to access age-restricted features for work — explain that to Facebook support. They can sometimes help, though there is no may provide.

How to hide your birth date from other users

Your birth date does not have to be visible on your profile. In the same Personal Information section where you edit your birth date, you will see privacy settings next to it. Click the audience selector (it usually shows "Public," "Friends," or "Only Me") and choose who can see your birth date. Select "Only Me" if you want to keep it completely private.

Many people set their birth date to "Only Me" for safety reasons. Your age is personal information, and sharing it publicly gives strangers more details about you. Facebook still uses your real birth date internally to enforce age rules and show you age-appropriate ads — hiding it from others does not change that.

You can also hide just your year of birth while showing the month and day. This way, people can still wish you happy birthday without knowing how old you are. The privacy controls let you choose exactly what is visible.

What to do if you created your account with the wrong age

If you set up your Facebook account when you were younger than 13 and lied about your age to get in, you should update it to your real age now. Facebook's systems may flag very old accounts with suspicious birth dates, and having the wrong age on file can cause problems later — like being locked out of features or having your account reviewed.

When you change your age to the correct one, Facebook may ask you to verify your identity. They might request a photo of your ID or ask you to confirm your email address. This is normal and is how they prevent fraud. Have your ID ready if you are changing a significantly incorrect age.

If your account gets flagged during the process, do not panic. Facebook support can help you verify that the account is really yours. Respond to any messages they send you, provide the information they ask for, and explain that you are correcting an old mistake.

Why your birth date matters on Facebook

Your birth date controls what you can do on Facebook. If you are under 18, you cannot create or manage Facebook ads, and you see fewer targeted ads overall. If you are under 13, you should not have an account at all — but if you do, you are locked out of many features until you turn 13 or update your age.

Facebook also uses your birth date to show you age-appropriate content. Certain groups, pages, and events are restricted to adults only. Your birth date is how Facebook enforces those restrictions automatically.

Additionally, your birth date helps Facebook's systems detect account takeovers. If someone hacks your account and changes your age drastically, that is a red flag that something is wrong. Keeping your real birth date on file makes your account more find, not less.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I change my birth date more than once every 60 days?

No. Facebook enforces a strict 60-day waiting period between changes. If you try to change it sooner, the change will not go through. You can contact Facebook support to request an override, but they rarely grant them unless you have a strong reason — like correcting a typo on a brand new account.

What if I forgot my real birth date and put a fake one on my account?

Change it to your real birth date as soon as you can. Facebook may ask you to verify your identity by uploading a photo of your ID. Have that ready before you make the change. If your account gets flagged, respond to Facebook's messages and provide the information they request.

Does hiding my birth date from others affect how Facebook uses it?

No. Hiding your birth date from your profile only controls who can see it — Facebook still uses your real birth date internally to enforce age rules and show you appropriate ads. Your privacy setting does not change how the platform treats your age.

Can I change my birth date on Facebook if I am under 13?

You can try, but Facebook's systems are designed to prevent accounts for users under 13. If you created an account with a false age and want to correct it to your real age, Facebook may ask you to verify your identity or may disable the account. Contact Facebook support for guidance on your specific situation.

What happens if someone else changes my birth date without permission?

That is a sign your account may have been hacked. Change your password when ready, enable two-factor authentication, and check your login activity to see if someone accessed your account from an unfamiliar location. Then change your birth date back to the correct one. If you cannot regain control, report the account to Facebook support.