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

Facebook lets you update your birthday through your profile settings. You can change it once every 60 days — if you try to change it more frequently, Facebook will block the change and tell you to wait. The birthday you enter is visible to your friends by default, though you can adjust who sees it. If you've never added a birthday to Facebook, you can add one without hitting this limit.

The reason for the 60-day limit is to prevent account takeovers. If someone gains unauthorized access to your account, they can't rapidly cycle through different birthdates to confuse your account recovery process or hide their activity. It's a friction point that protects you more than it inconveniences you.

Key Takeaways

  • You can change your birthday once every 60 days through your profile settings on Facebook's website or mobile app.
  • Your birthday is visible to friends by default, but you can change the privacy setting to show it only to you or to a custom list.
  • If you've never added a birthday, you can add one without waiting — the 60-day limit only applies to changes.
  • Facebook uses the 60-day limit to prevent account takeovers, so the restriction exists for your security, not to frustrate you.

How to change your birthday on the Facebook website

Open Facebook and click the downward arrow in the top right corner. Select "Settings and privacy," then "Settings." On the left side, click "Personal information." You'll see a section labeled "Basic information" — click "Edit" next to it.

Find the "Birthday" field and click on it. You can now change the month, day, and year. After you've entered the new date, click "Save changes" at the bottom of the screen. Facebook will confirm the change and show you when you'll be able to change it again.

How to change your birthday on the Facebook mobile app

Open the Facebook app and tap the three horizontal lines (the menu icon) in the bottom right corner on iPhone, or the top right on Android. Scroll down and tap "Settings and privacy," then "Settings." Tap "Personal information," then "Basic information."

Tap the "Birthday" field to open the date picker. Select your new month, day, and year, then tap "Save" or "Done" depending on your device. The app will confirm the change and display the date when you can change it again.

Controlling who can see your birthday

By default, Facebook shows your birthday to all your friends. If you want to limit this, go back to "Basic information" in your Personal information settings. Next to the birthday field, you'll see a privacy icon — it usually looks like a globe or a group of people.

Click or tap that icon to change who sees your birthday. Your options are "Public" (everyone on Facebook), "Friends" (your friends only), "Friends except..." (friends minus a specific list), "Specific people" (only people you choose), or "Only me" (no one else can see it). Choose whichever setting matches your comfort level. Some people hide their birthday entirely to reduce the amount of personal information visible on their profile.

What happens if you hit the 60-day limit

If you try to change your birthday before 60 days have passed since your last change, Facebook will show you an error message saying you can't change it yet. The message will tell you the exact date when you'll be able to change it again. You cannot bypass this limit — there's no way to request an exception or change it sooner.

If you made a mistake entering your birthday and need to fix it urgently, your only option is to wait until the 60 days are up. This is why it's worth double-checking the date before you save it the first time.

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 birthdate that makes you under 13, Facebook won't let you complete the account setup. For users 13 and older, the birthday is optional to display publicly, but Facebook stores it on your account for age verification and account recovery purposes.

Facebook also uses your birthday to send you birthday reminders and let your friends know it's your birthday — this is the feature that generates birthday posts on your timeline. If you don't want birthday notifications, you can turn them off in your notification settings without changing your actual birthday.

Privacy considerations when sharing your birthday

Your birthday is personally identifiable information. Combined with your name and other details on your profile, it can be used to impersonate you, answer security questions on other accounts, or commit identity theft. For this reason, many security experts recommend keeping your birthday visible only to yourself or a very small group of trusted people.

If you've already shared your birthday publicly on Facebook for years, changing the privacy setting now won't erase the information from people who already saw it or from cached versions of your profile. But going forward, new visitors to your profile won't see it. You can also remove your birthday entirely by leaving the field blank, though this may cause issues if Facebook ever needs to verify your age for account recovery.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I delete my birthday from Facebook instead of just hiding it?

You can't fully delete your birthday — Facebook requires it to be on file for account verification. You can hide it from everyone by setting the privacy to "Only me," but the date will remain in your account settings. If you want to change it to a fake date, you can do that, though Facebook may ask you to verify your real age if you ever need account recovery help.

What if I don't remember my real birthday and Facebook is asking me to verify it?

If Facebook asks you to verify your birthday during account recovery and you can't remember what you entered, you can upload a photo of your ID. Facebook will check the ID against the birthday on your account. If they don't match, you may need to contact Facebook support to resolve it, though response times vary.

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

No. Changing your birthday doesn't alter any posts, photos, or memories you've created. It only changes the date Facebook uses for birthday notifications and age verification going forward. Your old posts stay exactly as they are.

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

Yes, if someone has your password, they can change your birthday along with other profile information. This is one reason to use a strong, unique password for Facebook and to enable two-factor authentication, which requires a second verification step even if someone knows your password.