The quickest way to change your Facebook birthday
Open Facebook and go to your profile. Click the three dots next to your name, then select "Edit profile." Scroll down to the "Basic information" section and click next to your birthday. Change the month, day, and year, then click "Save changes." Your new birthday is live when ready.
If you're on the Facebook app for iPhone or Android, tap the menu icon (three horizontal lines), scroll to "Settings & privacy," then "Settings." Tap "Personal information" and select "Birthday." Update the date and tap "Save."
You can change your birthday as many times as you want. Facebook doesn't limit how often you update it, and the change takes effect right away. No one is notified when you change it unless you had previously made your birthday visible to friends.
Key Takeaways
- On desktop, go to your profile, click the three dots, select "Edit profile," find "Basic information," and update your birthday in the dropdown menus.
- On the Facebook app, tap the menu icon, go to "Settings & privacy" then "Settings," select "Personal information," and change your birthday there.
- Your birthday change takes effect when ready and you can update it whenever you want without any limit.
- Changing your birthday does not affect your account security or login information.
- If your birthday was visible to friends before, they will see the new date the next time they visit your profile.
What happens to birthday reminders when you change the date
If you change your birthday, Facebook will send birthday reminders to your friends on the new date you set, not the original one. Friends who have already received a reminder for your old birthday will not get another one for the new date until the following year.
If you change your birthday to a date that has already passed this year, your friends will not see a birthday reminder until next year on that new date. For example, if you change your birthday from July 15 to March 10 and it's already past March 10 in the current year, the reminder goes out next March.
Controlling who can see your birthday
When you update your birthday, you can also control who sees it. In the same "Edit profile" section where you change the date, look for the privacy icon next to your birthday—it usually looks like a globe or a lock. Click it to choose whether your birthday is visible to everyone, friends only, or only you.
If you set your birthday to "Only me," no one will see it on your profile and you won't receive birthday reminders from friends. If you choose "Friends," only people on your friends list can see it. "Public" means anyone on Facebook can see your birthday.
Hiding your birthday entirely from your profile
You can hide your birthday so it doesn't appear on your profile at all. Go to "Edit profile," find your birthday in "Basic information," and click the privacy icon next to it. Select "Only me" from the dropdown menu. This hides the birthday from your profile while keeping it on file with Facebook.
Even if you hide your birthday from your profile, Facebook still uses it internally for account security and age verification. You can still see your own birthday in your settings, and you can change it at any time.
Why Facebook might ask you to confirm your birthday
If you change your birthday significantly—especially if you change it to a much younger or older age—Facebook may ask you to confirm the change. This is a security measure to prevent account takeovers. You may be asked to upload a photo of your ID or answer security questions to verify the new birthday.
If Facebook asks for verification, follow the prompts on screen. The verification process usually takes a few minutes. Once confirmed, your new birthday is saved and you won't be asked again unless you make another major change.
Changing your birthday if you forgot what you originally entered
Go to your profile and click "Edit profile." Your current birthday is already filled in under "Basic information." You can see what you originally entered and change it from there. If you don't remember your original birthday, you can straightforward enter the correct one and save it.
Facebook does not restrict how many times you change your birthday or how far back you can go. You can update it to any date you want, though very old dates (more than 120 years ago) may trigger a verification request.
What to do if you can't find the birthday field
If you're on desktop and don't see the birthday field in "Basic information," scroll down further—it may be below other personal details. Make sure you're in the "Edit profile" section, not just viewing your profile. On mobile, make sure you're in "Settings & privacy" and not in a different menu.
If the birthday field is completely missing, try logging out and logging back in, or clearing your browser cache. If it still doesn't appear, you may be using an older version of the Facebook app—update it from your phone's app store and try again.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I change my birthday on Facebook without anyone knowing?
Yes. If your birthday was set to private or "Only me," no one will see the change. If it was visible to friends, they will see the new date on your profile, but Facebook does not send a notification saying you changed it. They only see the updated information if they visit your profile.
Does changing my birthday affect my Facebook account or password?
No. Your birthday is separate from your login credentials. Changing it does not affect your password, email, phone number, or any security settings. You can log in the same way before and after the change.
What if I set my birthday wrong when I created my account?
You can change it the same way you would update any birthday. Go to "Edit profile," find "Basic information," and update the date. There is no limit to how many times you can correct it or how far back you can go.
Will my friends get a new birthday reminder if I change my birthday?
Your friends will get a reminder on your new birthday date. If they already received a reminder for your old birthday this year, they won't get another one until your new birthday arrives. Next year, they'll see the reminder on the new date you set.
Can I hide my birthday after I've already shared it?
Yes. Go to "Edit profile," click the privacy icon next to your birthday, and select "Only me." This hides it from your profile when ready, though friends who saw it before will remember the date you shared.