Where to find your birthday settings on Facebook

Your birthday on Facebook lives in your profile information, not in account settings. To reach it, click your profile picture in the top right corner, then select "Profile" from the menu. On your profile page, look for the "About" section — this is where Facebook stores your birth date along with other personal details like your phone number and email address.

Once you're in the About section, you'll see different categories listed on the left side: Work and Education, Places You've Lived, Contact Information, Basic Information, and Life Events. Your birthday appears under "Basic Information." Click on that category to see your current birth date and the option to edit it.

Key Takeaways

  • Your birthday is stored in the Basic Information section of your About page, not in account or privacy settings.
  • You can change how much of your birthday is visible — show only the month and day, hide it completely, or make it visible to everyone.
  • Facebook does not let you change your birth year more than once every 60 days, and some accounts have stricter limits.
  • If you entered your birthday incorrectly when you created your account, you may need to contact Facebook support to change the year by more than a few years.

Steps to edit your birthday

Click the pencil icon next to your birth date in the Basic Information section. A box will appear showing your current date broken into month, day, and year. You can edit any of these fields. Use the dropdown menus to select the correct month and day, and type the year directly into the year field.

After you make your changes, click outside the box or press Enter to save. Facebook will update your birthday immediately. If you're changing your birth year, Facebook may ask you to confirm the change or may require you to wait before making another year change — this is a security measure to prevent account takeovers.

Controlling who sees your birthday

Next to your birth date, you'll see a privacy icon (usually a globe, lock, or people symbol). Click this icon to choose who can see your birthday. Your options are typically: Everyone, Friends, Only Me, or Custom. If you select Custom, you can choose specific people or groups who can view it.

Many people set their birthday to "Friends Only" or "Only Me" for privacy reasons. If you hide your birthday completely, Facebook will not send birthday notifications to your friends, and your birthday will not appear on the birthday calendar. You can change this privacy setting as often as you want — there is no waiting period.

What happens if you cannot change your birth year

Facebook limits how often you can change your birth year to once every 60 days. If you try to change it more frequently, you'll see a message saying you must wait before making another change. This rule applies to all accounts.

If you entered your birth year very differently from your actual age when you created your account — for example, you said you were born in 1950 but you're actually 25 — Facebook may not let you change it through the normal edit screen. In this case, you'll need to contact Facebook support through the Help Center. Go to Help & Support, search for "birthday," and select the option to report a problem with your birthday information. Explain the situation and provide any documents Facebook requests to verify your actual birth date.

Changing your birthday on mobile devices

On the Facebook app for iPhone or Android, tap the menu icon (three horizontal lines) at the bottom right, then tap your name to go to your profile. Tap "About," then "Basic Information." Tap the pencil icon next to your birthday to edit it. The process is the same as on a computer — select the month and day from dropdowns, type the year, and save by tapping outside the box.

Mobile users sometimes find the privacy icon harder to locate. After you edit your birthday, look for a small circle or icon to the right of the date field. Tap it to change who can see your birthday. If you don't see it immediately, try scrolling slightly or closing and reopening the About section.

Why Facebook asks for your birthday

Facebook requires a birth date when you create an account to verify you are at least 13 years old — this is a legal requirement in most countries. Your birthday is also used to send birthday reminders to your friends and to show your age on your profile if you choose to display it. Facebook does not use your birthday for advertising targeting in the same way it uses other information, though it may use age ranges for some ad categories.

If you're concerned about privacy, remember that you control who sees your birthday through the privacy settings described above. You cannot remove your birthday entirely from your account — Facebook requires it — but you can hide it from everyone except yourself.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hide my birthday from specific people?

Yes, if you select "Custom" from the privacy dropdown, you can choose which friends or groups can see your birthday. Type their names into the field to add them to the list of people who can view it, or use the "Don't show to" option to hide it from specific people while showing it to everyone else.

What if I forgot my birth year?

If you're not sure of your exact birth year, you can edit it to your best estimate. Facebook does not verify your birth date against government records unless you're trying to change it by many years or you contact support. If you need to correct it later, you can change it again after 60 days have passed.

Does changing my birthday affect my account security?

Changing your birthday does not affect your password or login information. However, if someone has access to your account, they could change your birthday to lock you out of recovery options. If you suspect your account has been compromised, change your password immediately and review your login activity in Settings.

Can I change my birthday on someone else's profile?

No. Only the account owner can edit their own birthday. If you're trying to correct someone else's birthday information, you cannot do it directly. You can only suggest they update it themselves, or contact Facebook support if you believe the profile is fake or being impersonated.

Will my friends be notified if I change my birthday?

No. Changing your birthday does not send a notification to your friends. If you change your birthday to a different date, your friends will not receive a new birthday reminder for the new date unless you change it to a date that hasn't passed yet in the current year.