How to change your relationship status on Facebook
You can change your relationship status on Facebook from your profile page in about 30 seconds. Open your profile, click the "About" tab below your cover photo, scroll to the "Relationship" section, and click "Edit." Choose your new status from the dropdown menu — single, in a relationship, engaged, married, or in a civil partnership — then click "Save Changes." Facebook will ask whether you want to announce the change to your friends; you can post it publicly, share it with specific people, or keep it private.
The real decision is not how to change it, but whether to change it at all, and who gets to see it. Your relationship status is visible to whoever can see your profile — which might be everyone on Facebook, just your friends, or a custom list you create. Before you update, think about who you want to know, and whether you want a notification sent to your network.
Key Takeaways
- Your relationship status lives in the "About" section of your profile, and you can change it in seconds without needing to contact Facebook support.
- When you change your status, Facebook offers to post an announcement to your timeline — you can choose to announce it, keep it quiet, or share it with only certain people.
- Your relationship status is visible to whoever can see your profile, so check your profile privacy settings before updating if you want to limit who knows.
- If you are in a relationship, the other person does not automatically see the change unless you tag them or they check your profile themselves.
- You can remove your relationship status entirely by selecting "Prefer not to say" or leaving the field blank, which keeps the information private.
Where to find the relationship status field
Open Facebook and go to your profile by clicking your name or profile picture in the top left corner. Below your cover photo, you will see several tabs: "Posts," "About," "Friends," "Photos," and others. Click "About." This page shows your basic information — birthday, phone number, email, work history, and education. Scroll down until you see the "Relationship" section. It will show your current status if you have set one, or be blank if you have not.
If you do not see a "Relationship" section at all, scroll further down. On some profiles it appears lower on the page. If it still does not appear, your privacy settings may be hiding it from your own view — this is rare, but you can check by going to Settings and Privacy, then Settings, then Privacy, and making sure your profile is not set to hide information from you.
Choosing what status to display
Facebook offers six relationship status options: single, in a relationship, engaged, married, in a civil partnership, and "Prefer not to say." You can also leave the field blank, which is functionally the same as "Prefer not to say" — the information straightforward will not appear on your profile. Choose the option that matches your situation. If none of the standard options fit your relationship, "Prefer not to say" is the closest choice.
Some people update their status to match a major life event — a wedding, an engagement, or a breakup. Others never fill it in at all. There is no requirement to have a relationship status on your profile. If you do not want the information visible, you can leave it blank or select "Prefer not to say," and no one will see it.
Deciding who can see your relationship status
Your relationship status is visible to whoever can see your profile. If your profile is public, everyone on Facebook can see it. If your profile is visible only to friends, only your friends can see it. You can also set a custom audience — for example, you might want close friends to see it but not coworkers or extended family.
To change who sees your relationship status, go to your "About" page, find the "Relationship" section, and look for a small audience icon (usually a globe, a friends icon, or a lock) next to your status. Click that icon to change the audience for just that field. You can set it to public, friends only, specific people, or exclude specific people. This audience setting is separate from your overall profile privacy — you can have a public profile but keep your relationship status visible only to friends.
What happens when you announce a change
When you update your relationship status, Facebook asks: "Would you like to post about this?" If you click "Post," a notification goes to your timeline and appears in your friends' news feeds. The notification will say something like "[Your name] is now in a relationship" or "[Your name] is now married." Your friends will see it depending on their own feed settings and how often they check Facebook.
If you do not want an announcement, click "Skip" or "Don't Post." Your status will update on your profile, but no notification will go out. Your friends will only see the change if they visit your profile and notice it themselves. You can also choose to announce it to a specific group — for example, you might post it to close friends but not to coworkers. Facebook will show you these options when you update.
Tagging your partner and managing couple information
If you are in a relationship or married, you can tag your partner in your status. When you update your relationship status, Facebook will ask if you want to add the other person's name. If you do, Facebook will send them a notification asking them to confirm the relationship. They can accept, decline, or ignore the notification. Until they confirm, the status on your profile will show as "in a relationship" but will not display their name.
If your partner confirms, your profiles will be linked. Both of your profiles will show the relationship, and Facebook may suggest you in each other's "People You May Know" sections or show couple-related features. You can remove the tag at any time by going back to your relationship status and deleting their name. This does not end the relationship on their profile — it only removes the link from yours.
Changing or removing your relationship status later
You can change your relationship status as many times as you want. Go back to your "About" page, click "Edit" next to your relationship status, and select a new option. If you want to remove it entirely, select "Prefer not to say" or click the X to clear the field. When you save, Facebook will again ask whether you want to post about the change. You can announce it, skip the announcement, or post it to a limited audience.
If you are removing a status because of a breakup or divorce, you do not have to announce it. Many people straightforward delete the status and let it disappear from their profile without posting about it. This keeps the information private and avoids a public announcement that friends might see and comment on.
Privacy and safety considerations
Your relationship status is personal information, and you should think about who you want to have it before you post it. If your profile is public, anyone on Facebook — including people you do not know — can see your relationship status. This information can be used to target you with scams, unwanted contact, or other harassment. If you are concerned about your safety or privacy, consider setting your relationship status to visible only to close friends, or not displaying it at all.
If you are in a relationship with someone you met online or are still getting to know, be cautious about tagging them or announcing the relationship publicly until you are sure about the person. Scammers sometimes use relationship status changes to build trust or to appear more legitimate. If something feels off about the relationship, you can always change your status back or remove the tag without explaining yourself to anyone.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does my partner get notified when I change my relationship status?
Only if you tag them in the status. If you straightforward change your status to "in a relationship" without adding their name, they will not get a notification — they will only know if they visit your profile and see it. If you tag them, Facebook sends them a notification asking them to confirm the relationship.
Can I hide my relationship status from certain people?
Yes. Go to your relationship status on your "About" page, click the audience icon next to it, and choose who can see it. You can set it to public, friends only, specific people, or exclude specific people. This works independently of your overall profile privacy settings.
What if I change my status and then want to undo the announcement?
You cannot undo a post that has already been made to your timeline, but you can delete it. Go to your timeline, find the relationship status post, click the three dots in the corner, and select "Delete." This removes the announcement from your timeline and your friends' feeds, though people who saw it before deletion may remember it.
Does changing my relationship status affect my privacy settings?
No. Your relationship status privacy is separate from your overall profile privacy. You can have a public profile but keep your relationship status visible only to friends, or vice versa. Changing one does not change the other.
Can I change my relationship status on the Facebook app?
Yes. Open the app, tap your profile picture, tap "About," scroll to "Relationship," and tap "Edit." The process is the same as on a computer, just with touch controls instead of clicks.