Facebook lets you change your birth date in your profile settings, but the rules depend on whether you've changed it before
You can change your age on Facebook by going to your profile, opening settings, and editing your birth date. The process takes about two minutes. However, Facebook limits how often you can make this change — you can only update your birth date once every 60 days. If you've never changed it before, you have more flexibility. If you're trying to correct an error you made when you first signed up, the steps are the same, but you may need to wait if you've already made a recent change.
The 60-day waiting period is a hard limit that applies to everyone. There's no way around it, and contacting Facebook support won't override it. The timer starts the moment you save your change, not when you start editing. This means you should plan your update carefully if you know you might need to adjust it again soon.
Key Takeaways
- You can change your birth date through Settings & Privacy, then Settings, then Personal Information on any device.
- Facebook enforces a 60-day waiting period between changes, so plan ahead if you need to update your age again soon.
- If you entered your birth date incorrectly when you created your account, you can fix it the same way as any other change.
- Your birth date visibility is separate from the change itself — you control who sees it through your privacy settings.
Steps to change your birth date on Facebook
Open Facebook on any device — phone, tablet, or computer. The steps are the same everywhere. Tap or click the menu icon (three horizontal lines on mobile, or the downward arrow on desktop in the top right corner). Scroll down and select Settings & Privacy, then tap or click Settings.
Once you're in Settings, look for Personal Information in the left menu (on desktop) or scroll down to find it (on mobile). Tap or click on it. You'll see a section labeled Basic Information — your birth date appears there. Click or tap the pencil icon next to your birth date to edit it. Select the correct month, day, and year, then click or tap Save Changes. Facebook will confirm the update when ready.
Who can see your birth date on Facebook
Your birth date visibility is separate from the ability to change it. Even after you update your age, you control who sees it. By default, Facebook shows your birth date only to you — it's private. You can change this in the same Personal Information section by clicking the privacy icon next to your birth date and choosing who can see it: only you, friends, or everyone.
Many people keep their birth date private or visible to friends only. Your age appears on your profile, but the full date doesn't have to. You can also hide your birth year entirely while keeping the month and day visible, which is useful if you want Facebook to remind friends of your birthday without showing your age.
What to do if you can't find the birth date option
If you're looking at Personal Information and don't see a birth date field, you may not have entered one when you created your account. You can add one by clicking Add or Edit in the Basic Information section. If you see your birth date but the pencil icon isn't appearing, try refreshing the page or logging out and back in.
On mobile, make sure you're using the official Facebook app, not a browser. The mobile app sometimes displays settings differently than the mobile website. If you're still stuck, try accessing Settings on a computer instead — the desktop version is usually more straightforward for editing personal details.
Reasons you might need to change your age
The most common reason is a typo when you first signed up — you meant to enter 1990 but typed 1900, or you selected the wrong month. Facebook doesn't verify your birth date, so these mistakes happen often. Another reason is privacy: you may have entered a fake birth date years ago and now want to update it to your real one, or vice versa.
If you're changing your age because you've actually had a birthday, you don't need to do anything — Facebook will automatically update your age on your birthday based on the birth date you've already entered. You only need to manually change it if the birth date itself is wrong.
What happens after you change your age
The change takes effect when ready. Your profile will show your new age right away. If your birth date is visible to friends, they'll see the update. Facebook doesn't send a notification to your friends when you change your age — it's a silent update that only appears if they visit your profile.
Your age may affect which ads you see and which features are available to you. For example, if you change from under 18 to over 18, you'll gain access to features that Facebook restricts for younger users. If you change from over 18 to under 18, some features will become unavailable. These changes happen automatically when you update your birth date.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I change my age more than once?
Yes, but only once every 60 days. After you make a change, you'll have to wait two months before you can change it again. This limit applies to everyone, and there's no way to request an exception.
What if I entered a fake birth date when I signed up?
You can change it to your real birth date using the same steps. Facebook doesn't verify birth dates, so you can update it whenever you want — just remember the 60-day waiting period applies to your next change.
Will my friends be notified if I change my age?
No. Facebook doesn't send notifications when you update your birth date. The change appears on your profile, but only people who visit your profile will see it.
Does changing my age affect my account security?
No. Changing your birth date doesn't affect your password, login information, or account security in any way. It's purely a profile detail.
Can I hide my birth date entirely?
Yes. In Personal Information, click the privacy icon next to your birth date and select "Only me". You can also choose to show only the month and day, hiding the year, so friends see your birthday reminder without knowing your age.