Where to find the relationship status setting

Your relationship status lives in the "About" section of your Facebook profile, not in your main settings. To reach it, open your profile by clicking your name or profile picture anywhere on Facebook, then click the "About" tab below your cover photo.

Once you're on the About page, look for the "Family and relationships" section on the left side. If you don't see it, scroll down — Facebook sometimes collapses sections you haven't filled in yet. Click "Add" or the pencil icon next to "Family and relationships" to open the editor.

Key Takeaways

  • Your relationship status is stored in the About section of your profile under "Family and relationships," not in general settings.
  • You can set your status to Single, In a relationship, Engaged, Married, It's complicated, In an open relationship, Widowed, or Divorced.
  • When you change your status, Facebook asks whether you want the change visible to your friends — you can hide it if you prefer privacy.
  • If you're adding a partner's name, they will receive a notification and can accept or ignore the connection you've made.
  • You can change or remove your relationship status at any time without notifying anyone.

The status options Facebook offers

Facebook gives you eight choices for relationship status: Single, In a relationship, Engaged, Married, It's complicated, In an open relationship, Widowed, and Divorced. Select the one that matches your situation.

If you choose Single, In a relationship, Engaged, Married, or It's complicated, Facebook will ask if you want to add your partner's name. You can search for their Facebook profile and link to them, or you can leave the field blank and just set the status without naming anyone. Leaving it blank is useful if you want to update your status but aren't ready to make the connection public or don't want to notify your partner.

What happens when you add a partner's name

When you search for and select your partner's profile, Facebook sends them a notification that you've added them to your relationship status. They then have the choice to accept the connection, ignore it, or delete it. Until they accept, the connection appears only on your profile — it won't show on theirs.

Once they accept, the relationship appears on both profiles. If they ignore or delete the request, the status stays on your profile but the partner link disappears. You can remove the partner's name at any time without sending them another notification — they'll straightforward see the change when they look at your profile.

Controlling who sees your relationship status

After you select your status, Facebook asks "Who should see this?" You can choose Public (everyone), Friends, Only Me, or a custom audience. Most people set it to Friends so their network knows but strangers cannot see it.

If you choose "Only Me," the status appears on your About page but no one else can see it — not even your friends. You can change this setting later by editing the status again and selecting a different audience. The privacy level you choose applies only to the relationship status itself, not to other information on your About page.

Changing or removing your status later

You can update your relationship status as many times as you need to. Return to the About section, find "Family and relationships," and click the pencil icon next to your current status. Select a new status, add or remove a partner's name, and choose your privacy level again.

To remove your relationship status entirely, go back to the same editor and select "Remove." This deletes the status from your profile completely. If you had linked a partner, that connection is also removed from your profile, though it may remain on theirs until they delete it.

What your friends see when you change your status

When you change your relationship status, it may appear in your friends' News Feeds as an activity update — for example, "David is now married." Whether it shows up depends on your privacy settings and Facebook's algorithm. If you set the status to "Only Me," it won't appear in anyone's feed.

If you're concerned about the announcement, you can change your status and then adjust the privacy level afterward. The change itself is not reversible, but you can make it invisible to your friends by setting it to "Only Me" or deleting it entirely.

Troubleshooting common problems

If you cannot find the "Family and relationships" section, it may be hidden because you haven't filled it in yet. Scroll all the way down the About page — sections you haven't used are often collapsed at the bottom. You can also try refreshing the page or logging out and back in.

If you're trying to link a partner but their profile doesn't appear in the search, make sure you're spelling their name correctly and that their profile is set to be searchable. Some people restrict their privacy settings so they don't show up in searches. If that's the case, you can still set your status without linking them — just leave the partner field blank.

If your partner accepted your relationship request but it's not showing on their profile, ask them to check their About section. They may have set the relationship status to "Only Me" or a custom audience that doesn't include you.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I change my relationship status without telling my partner?

Yes. You can change your status at any time without notifying your partner. If you add their name and they haven't accepted yet, the connection appears only on your profile. If you remove their name or delete the status, they won't receive a notification — they'll only see the change if they visit your profile.

What if my partner and I have different relationship statuses?

Facebook allows each person to set their own status independently. You might be "Married" while your partner is still "Single" if they haven't updated theirs yet. Once you link to each other and they accept, the connection shows on both profiles, but each of you controls your own privacy level for that connection.

Can I hide my relationship status from certain people?

You can set your status to "Only Me" so no one sees it, or use the custom audience option to show it to specific friends or lists. However, Facebook does not allow you to hide it from one person while showing it to others — your privacy choice applies to everyone outside your chosen audience.

Does changing my status delete old announcements from my friends' feeds?

No. If your status change appeared in your friends' News Feeds, that post remains there even if you later change or remove your status. Your friends can still see the old announcement, but your current profile will show your new status.

What if I don't want Facebook to announce my relationship change?

Set your status to "Only Me" when ready after changing it. This prevents the announcement from appearing in your friends' feeds. You can also change your status and then adjust the privacy level to "Only Me" afterward — the announcement may have already appeared, but you can control future visibility.