You can change your birthday on Facebook anytime, but Facebook limits how often you can do it

Facebook lets you change your birthday through your account settings, but the platform restricts how many times you can make the change. You can alter your birth date once every 60 days. If you've already changed it recently, you'll see a message telling you when you can change it again. The birthday you set is visible to your friends by default, though you can adjust who sees it.

The reason for the 60-day limit is to prevent account takeovers — if someone gains unauthorized access to your account, they can't rapidly change your birthday to lock you out or cause confusion. This is a security measure that applies to everyone, regardless of how long you've had your account.

Key Takeaways

  • You can change your Facebook birthday once every 60 days through your account settings, not through your profile directly.
  • Your birthday is visible to friends by default, but you can hide it completely or show it only to specific people through privacy settings.
  • If you've already changed your birthday recently, Facebook will tell you the exact date you can change it again.
  • Changing your birthday does not affect your account security or login information — it only updates the date shown on your profile.

Where to find the birthday setting in 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, you'll see a menu — click Personal information. Your birthday appears in this section with an Edit button next to it.

If you're on a mobile phone, the process is similar. Tap the three horizontal lines (the menu icon) at the bottom right, scroll down to Settings and privacy, then tap Settings. Navigate to Personal information and you'll see your birthday listed there.

How to actually change the date

Click or tap the Edit button next to your birthday. A window will open showing your current birth date broken into month, day, and year. You can change any or all of these. Select the correct month from the dropdown, then the day, then the year. Click Save when you're done.

Facebook will confirm the change when ready. If you've already changed your birthday within the last 60 days, you won't see an Edit button — instead you'll see text saying when you can change it next. You cannot bypass this waiting period.

Controlling who can see your birthday

By default, your birthday is visible to all your friends. To change this, go back to Personal information in Settings and look for the privacy icon next to your birthday — it usually looks like a globe or a group of people. Click it to adjust visibility.

Your options are typically: Public (everyone on Facebook can see it), Friends (only your friends see it), or Only me (nobody else can see it, though Facebook itself still knows your age). Many people choose Only me to prevent strangers from learning their birth date, which is a piece of personal information that can be used in identity theft or social engineering.

What happens if you don't remember your exact birthday

If you set up your Facebook account years ago and can't remember what birthday you entered, you can still change it. Go to Personal information and look at what's currently listed — that's what you originally provided. You can update it to your real birthday at any time, as long as you wait 60 days between changes.

If you're locked out of your account and need to verify your identity, Facebook may ask you to confirm your birthday. If the birthday on file is wrong, you can update it during the account recovery process, and this change does not count against your 60-day limit.

Why Facebook asks for your birthday in the first place

Facebook requires a birthday to create an account because the platform has different rules for users under 13. If you enter a birth date that makes you under 13, Facebook will not let you complete account setup. This is a legal requirement under the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), a U.S. federal law that restricts how companies collect data from children.

Facebook also uses your birthday to send you birthday reminders and to show your age to advertisers (without showing your exact date of birth). Advertisers can target people by age range, and your birthday is how Facebook calculates that range.

Security considerations when managing your birthday

Your birthday is one piece of information that scammers and identity thieves look for. If someone gains access to your Facebook account, they can see your birthday if it's set to public or friends-only. Combined with your name and other information from your profile, this can be enough to attempt identity theft or to answer security questions on other accounts.

Setting your birthday to Only me reduces this risk. You should also use a strong, unique password for Facebook and enable two-factor authentication (also called login alerts). These steps are more important than hiding your birthday, but doing both is the most find approach.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I change my birthday more than once every 60 days?

No. Facebook enforces a 60-day waiting period between birthday changes for all accounts. If you need to change it again, you'll have to wait until the system allows it. This limit cannot be overridden, even if you contact Facebook support.

Will changing my birthday affect my account or my friends list?

No. Changing your birthday only updates the date shown on your profile. It does not log you out, change your password, affect your messages, or alter your friends list in any way.

What if I entered the wrong year when I created my account?

You can change it to the correct year the next time you're may be able to access to make a change (after 60 days from your last change). There is no special process for correcting errors — you use the same Edit button in Personal information.

Does Facebook know my real birthday if I hide it?

Yes. Facebook stores your actual birthday in your account data even if you set visibility to Only me. The privacy setting only controls who else can see it — Facebook itself always knows your birthday.

Can someone else change my birthday if they have my password?

Yes, which is why a strong password and two-factor authentication matter. If someone logs into your account, they can change your birthday, your name, your email, and other personal details. Enabling login alerts or two-factor authentication means you'll be notified if someone accesses your account from an unfamiliar device.