You can change your birth date in Facebook settings, but Facebook limits how often you can do it

Facebook lets you change your birth date through your account settings. The process takes about two minutes. However, Facebook restricts how often you can make this change — you can only modify your birth date once every 60 days. If you need to change it more frequently than that, you'll have to wait for the cooldown period to expire.

The birth date you provide affects what you see on Facebook (ads, content recommendations, age-gated features) and who can see your age. You control the visibility of your birth date separately from the date itself, so you can change the date without changing who sees it.

Key Takeaways

  • Open your Facebook settings, go to Personal Information, and select Birth Date to make the change yourself.
  • Facebook enforces a 60-day waiting period between birth date changes, so plan ahead if you need to correct an error.
  • You can hide your birth date from your profile entirely, or show only the month and day without the year.
  • If you cannot access your account or believe your age was changed without permission, contact Facebook support through your account settings.

Steps to change your birth date on Facebook

Start by opening Facebook and going to the menu in the top right corner (the downward arrow or three horizontal lines, depending on your device). Select Settings and privacy, then Settings. On the left side, click Personal information.

Find the Birth date field and click on it. Enter your correct birth date using the dropdown menus for month, day, and year. Click Save changes when you're done. Facebook will confirm the change when ready, and your new birth date takes effect right away.

If you see a message saying you cannot change your birth date, you've hit the 60-day limit. Facebook will tell you when you can change it again. There is no way to bypass this waiting period.

Controlling who sees your birth date

After you update your birth date, you can control its visibility separately. In the same Personal Information section, look for the privacy icon next to your birth date — it usually shows a circle with lines or a lock symbol. Click it to choose who can see your full birth date.

Your options are typically Public (everyone can see it), Friends (only your Facebook friends), or Only me (hidden from everyone). You can also choose to show only your month and day, hiding the year entirely. This is useful if you want to receive birthday notifications from friends without revealing your age.

What happens if you cannot change your birth date

If you get an error message or the birth date field is locked, the most common reason is the 60-day cooldown. Facebook enforces this to prevent account takeovers and fraud. Check the error message — it will tell you the exact date you can change it again.

If you see a different error, or if you believe someone else changed your birth date without permission, go to Settings and privacy > Settings > Security and login. Review your recent login activity to see if your account was accessed from an unfamiliar location or device. If you spot suspicious activity, change your password when ready and consider enabling two-factor authentication.

Changing your age if you cannot access your account

If you're locked out of your Facebook account and need to change your birth date, you'll need to regain access first. Go to facebook.com and click Forgotten password? on the login screen. Facebook will walk you through recovering your account using your email address or phone number.

Once you're back in, follow the steps above to update your birth date. If you cannot recover your account through the standard process, Facebook has a support form for account access issues. You can reach it by going to the Help Center (the question mark icon) and searching for "I can't log in to my account."

Why Facebook limits birth date changes

The 60-day restriction exists because birth date is tied to account security and age verification. Fraudsters sometimes take over accounts and change the birth date to make the account harder to recover or to bypass age restrictions on certain features. By limiting changes, Facebook makes it harder for someone else to lock you out of your own account.

Birth date also determines whether you can use certain features — for example, you must be at least 13 years old to have a Facebook account. If your account was created with an incorrect age, the restriction prevents rapid changes that could circumvent these rules.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I change my birth date more than once every 60 days?

No. Facebook enforces a hard 60-day waiting period between changes. If you need to correct an error, you'll have to wait until the cooldown expires. Plan your change carefully the first time.

Will changing my birth date affect my Facebook memories or posts?

No. Your posts, photos, and memories stay exactly where they are. Changing your birth date only affects your profile information and the content Facebook recommends to you going forward.

What if I entered my birth date wrong when I created my account?

You can change it using the steps above, but you'll have to wait 60 days between changes if you need to correct it again. If your account is very new (within a few days of creation), contact Facebook support — they may be able to help you bypass the restriction for a genuine error.

Does hiding my birth date affect my age on Facebook?

No. Hiding your birth date from your profile only controls visibility — it doesn't change your actual age in Facebook's system. Facebook still uses your real birth date for ads, content filtering, and feature access, even if nobody can see it on your profile.

Can I change my birth date on the Facebook app instead of the website?

Yes. Open the app, tap the menu icon (three horizontal lines), go to Settings and privacy > Settings > Personal information, and follow the same steps. The process is identical on mobile and desktop.