Change Your Location in Your Facebook Profile

You can change the location shown on your Facebook profile by editing your profile information. Open Facebook, click your profile picture in the top right corner, and select "Profile." On your profile page, click the pencil icon next to your basic information section (or click "Edit profile" if you see that button). Find the "Location" field, click it, and type in the city or town where you want your profile to show you are located. Facebook will suggest matches as you type — select the one you want, then click outside the field or press Enter to save.

The location you set here is what appears on your profile for other people to see. It does not change your account settings or affect which ads you receive. If you do not see a location field in your basic information, scroll down in the edit profile section — it may be further down the page.

Key Takeaways

  • Your profile location is edited through your profile page by clicking the pencil icon next to your basic information and typing a new city or town.
  • The location you set on your profile is visible to other Facebook users and is separate from your account's actual location settings.
  • Facebook suggests matching locations as you type, so you can select from real cities and towns rather than typing freely.
  • Changing your profile location does not affect which ads you see or change your privacy settings.
  • You can leave the location field blank if you do not want any location displayed on your profile.

Why Your Profile Shows a Location

Facebook displays a location on your profile because it helps other users know where you are from or where you live. This is part of your public profile information — the details that appear when someone visits your profile page. The location you set is separate from the location Facebook tracks for ads and other features, which is based on your device's IP address and other signals.

Some people set their profile location to their hometown even if they no longer live there, while others set it to their current city. You control what appears here, and you can change it as often as you want. If you prefer not to show a location at all, you can delete the information and leave the field empty.

Difference Between Profile Location and Device Location

Your profile location — the city or town you set in your profile information — is what other users see when they visit your profile. Your device location is different. Facebook also tracks your approximate location based on your phone or computer's IP address, GPS data if you have location services turned on, and other information. This device location is used for things like showing you local ads and letting you tag posts with where you are.

Changing your profile location does not change your device location, and vice versa. If you want to control what location Facebook uses for ads and other features, you need to adjust your location settings separately. On mobile, go to Settings & Privacy > Settings > Location, and toggle location services on or off. On a computer, you can manage location permissions in your browser settings.

Editing Location on Mobile Versus Desktop

On a mobile phone, the steps are similar but the buttons look slightly different. Open the Facebook app, tap the menu icon (three horizontal lines) at the bottom right, scroll down and tap "Settings & Privacy," then tap "Settings." Scroll to find "Personal Information" and tap it. Look for "Basic Information" or "About" — tap it, then find the location field. Tap the location, type your new city, select it from the suggestions, and the change saves automatically.

On a desktop computer, the process is faster. Go to your profile, click "Edit profile," find the location field in the basic information section, and type your new location. The change saves when you click away from the field. Both methods work the same way — you are just changing the text that appears on your profile for others to see.

What Happens When You Change Your Location

When you change your profile location, the new location appears on your profile page when ready. Anyone who visits your profile will see the updated location. If you had previously listed a different city, that old location is replaced. The change does not notify your friends or appear in their news feed — it is a quiet update to your profile information.

Changing your profile location does not affect your privacy settings, your friends list, or any of your posts. It also does not change which ads you see, because Facebook's ad targeting is based on your device location, not your profile location. If you change your profile location frequently or want to hide it entirely, you can do that without any impact on how Facebook works for you.

Hiding Your Location Entirely

If you do not want any location displayed on your profile, you can remove it. When you are editing your profile and you see the location field, straightforward delete all the text and leave it blank. Your profile will then show no location information. Other users visiting your profile will not see a location listed, though they may still be able to infer where you are from other information you have shared.

You can also control who sees your location by adjusting your privacy settings. Go to Settings & Privacy > Settings, click "Privacy," and look for options about who can see your profile information. You can set your profile to be visible only to friends, or you can make certain fields visible only to specific groups of people. This gives you more control than straightforward hiding the location — you can show it to friends but hide it from strangers, for example.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does changing my profile location affect my privacy or security?

No. Your profile location is just text you control — changing it does not affect your privacy settings or security. However, if you set your profile location to a real place where you actually live, other users can see that information. If you are concerned about privacy, you can set your location to a different city or leave it blank.

Will my friends be notified if I change my location?

No. Changing your profile location does not send a notification to your friends or post anything to your news feed. The change is visible only if someone visits your profile page and looks at your basic information.

Can I set my location to somewhere I do not actually live?

Yes. Your profile location is whatever you type into the field — Facebook does not verify whether you actually live there. You can set it to your hometown, a place you visit often, or anywhere else. It is purely informational and under your control.

Why does Facebook show me ads for a different location than my profile location?

Facebook uses your device location for ads, not your profile location. Your device location comes from your IP address, GPS data if location services are on, and other signals. If you want to change which location Facebook uses for ads, adjust your location services in your phone or browser settings, not your profile information.

Can I set different locations for different people to see?

Your profile location is the same for everyone who can see your profile. However, you can control who sees your profile at all by adjusting your privacy settings. You can make your profile visible only to friends, or you can hide specific information from certain groups of people.