Where to find and change your birthday
Your birthday on Facebook lives in your profile information, not in your account settings. To change it, go to your profile by clicking your name or profile picture anywhere on Facebook, then look for the "About" section — usually on the left side of your profile on desktop, or further down the page on mobile.
Click "About" and scroll down until you see "Basic Information." Your birthday appears there along with your phone number, email, and other personal details. Click the pencil icon next to your birthday to edit it. Facebook will open a small window where you can change the month, day, and year.
If you do not see a pencil icon, it means your birthday is hidden from editing — this happens if you have not set one yet, or if you set it years ago and Facebook locked it. In that case, scroll down in the Basic Information section to find "Contact Information" or "Personal Information" and look for an edit option there instead.
Key Takeaways
- Your birthday is stored in the About section of your profile under Basic Information, not in account settings.
- You can change your birthday by clicking the pencil icon next to it and selecting a new month, day, and year.
- Facebook limits how often you can change your birthday — typically once every 60 days — to prevent misuse.
- Your birthday visibility (who can see it) is separate from the birthday itself and can be adjusted to friends only, public, or hidden.
- If you cannot find an edit option, your birthday may be locked, and you may need to contact Facebook support to change it.
What happens when you change your birthday
When you update your birthday, Facebook does not send a notification to your friends or change when your birthday reminder appears on their calendars. The change takes effect when ready on your profile, but only people who visit your About section will see the new date. If your birthday was already visible to friends, they will see the updated version the next time they look at your profile.
Facebook will not re-send birthday reminders for the new date in the current year. If you change your birthday from March to December, your friends will not get a December reminder that year — they will only see the reminder next December when the date comes around again. This is why changing your birthday close to your actual birthday date can feel like it disappears from Facebook that year.
The 60-day rule and when you cannot change it
Facebook limits birthday changes to once every 60 days. If you changed your birthday recently, you will see a message saying you cannot change it again until a specific date. This limit exists to prevent people from repeatedly changing their age or birthday to evade other Facebook rules or to confuse their network.
The 60-day timer starts from the last time you changed your birthday, not from when you first set it. If you set your birthday five years ago and never changed it, you can change it now — the timer only applies to edits you make after that first change. If you are locked out and need to change it urgently, you will have to wait until the 60 days pass.
Controlling who sees your birthday
Your birthday visibility is separate from the birthday itself. You can have a birthday set but hide it from everyone, show it only to friends, or make it public. To change who sees your birthday, go to your About section and find your birthday in Basic Information. Next to the pencil icon, there is usually a privacy icon (a circle with lines, a lock, or similar symbol) — click that to change visibility.
Facebook gives you three main options: public (everyone can see it), friends (only your friends can see it), or only you (hidden from everyone). If you choose "only you," your birthday will not appear on your friends' birthday reminders, and people visiting your profile will not see it. This is useful if you want to keep your age private but still have your birthday stored in your account for your own records.
Reasons you might not be able to edit your birthday
If you cannot find an edit option for your birthday, several things could be blocking you. The most common reason is that you set your birthday a very long time ago — Facebook occasionally locks old birthdays to prevent accidental changes. Another reason is that your account may have restrictions due to age verification or account security issues.
If you created your Facebook account as a minor and set your birthday then, Facebook may have locked it to prevent you from changing your age status. Some accounts also have editing restrictions if Facebook detected unusual activity or if you recently changed your birthday multiple times. In these cases, you will need to contact Facebook support through the Help Center and explain why you need to change it. Facebook support can manually unlock your birthday for editing, though the process can take several days.
Changing your birthday on mobile
On the Facebook mobile app, the process is nearly identical but the layout is slightly different. Open the app, tap your profile picture or name to go to your profile, then tap "About." Scroll down to "Basic Information" and look for your birthday. Tap the pencil icon next to it to edit, then select your new month, day, and year from the dropdown menus.
The mobile app sometimes hides the privacy icon for your birthday in a different location. If you cannot find it next to your birthday, try tapping the three dots or "Edit" button near your birthday entry — this often opens a menu where you can change both the date and who can see it. The 60-day rule applies on mobile just as it does on desktop, so you will see the same lockout message if you have changed your birthday recently.
What to do if you set the wrong birthday by accident
If you set your birthday incorrectly and cannot change it because of the 60-day rule, you have a few options. The simplest is to wait out the 60 days, but if you need to change it sooner, you can contact Facebook support. Go to the Help Center, search for "birthday," and look for the option to report a problem with your profile information. Explain that you set your birthday incorrectly and ask if they can reset the timer or make the change for you.
Facebook support does not always grant these requests, but they are more likely to help if your birthday is significantly wrong (for example, you set it to 1950 instead of 1990) or if you can show that you made the change by mistake. Provide as much detail as possible about when you made the mistake and why you need it changed. Response times vary, but support typically replies within a few days to a week.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will my friends get notified if I change my birthday?
No, Facebook does not send notifications when you change your birthday. Your friends will only see the new date if they visit your About section on your profile. If your birthday was already visible to them, they will straightforward see the updated date next time they look.
Can I hide my birthday from specific people?
Facebook does not let you hide your birthday from specific friends — you can only choose to show it to everyone, to friends only, or to no one. If you want certain people not to see your birthday, you would need to set it to "only you" (hidden) and tell those people your birthday separately.
What if I do not remember my real birthday?
If you cannot remember your exact birthday, you can set an approximate one and change it later once you confirm the correct date. Facebook will not verify your birthday against any government records, so you can enter any date. Just remember you will be locked into that date for 60 days before you can change it again.
Does changing my birthday affect my age on Facebook?
Yes, your age on Facebook is calculated from your birthday. If you change your birthday from 1990 to 1995, Facebook will update your age accordingly. This affects how Facebook categorizes you for targeted ads and other features, so changing your birthday significantly can change what you see on the platform.
Can I delete my birthday instead of changing it?
You cannot completely delete your birthday from Facebook, but you can hide it by setting the privacy to "only you." This removes it from your friends' birthday reminders and hides it from your profile while keeping it stored in your account. If you want it completely gone, you would need to contact Facebook support and request deletion, though they may not honor this request.