Where to Find Your Birthday Setting

Your birthday lives in your Facebook profile settings, not in the main profile editing screen. Open Facebook and click the downward arrow in the top right corner, then select Settings and privacy, followed by Settings. On the left side, you'll see a menu — click Personal information. Your birthday field appears here, along with your name, email, and phone number.

If you're on a mobile phone, the path is slightly different. Tap the three horizontal lines (the menu icon) at the bottom right, scroll down to Settings and privacy, tap Settings, then scroll to Personal information. The birthday field works the same way on both desktop and mobile.

Key Takeaways

  • Your birthday is stored in Settings > Personal information, not in your main profile editing area.
  • You can change your birthday as many times as you want, but Facebook limits how often you can hide it from your timeline.
  • When you change your birthday, Facebook does not notify your friends — the change is silent unless you post about it yourself.
  • If you've already changed your birthday once, you may need to wait 60 days before changing it again, depending on your account history.

The Steps to Change Your Birthday

Once you're in Personal information, locate the Birthday field. Click on it to open the date picker. You'll see three dropdown menus: one for the month, one for the day, and one for the year. Select the correct month first, then the day, then the year. Facebook requires all three — you cannot leave any blank.

After you've entered the new date, scroll down and click Save changes. The page will refresh, and your new birthday will appear in the Personal information section. That's the entire process. You do not need to confirm anything by email or through a second step.

Who Can See Your Birthday

By default, your birthday is visible to your friends only — not to the general public or to people who aren't connected to you. You can change this by clicking the audience button next to your birthday (it usually shows a small icon like a person or a globe). A menu will pop up with three options: Friends, Public, or Only me.

If you choose Public, anyone on Facebook can see your birthday, even people who aren't your friends. If you choose Only me, nobody else can see it at all — not even your friends. Most people leave it on Friends so their connections can wish them happy birthday on the day itself.

What Happens When You Change Your Birthday

Facebook does not send a notification to your friends when you change your birthday. Your friends will not see an alert saying "Marcus changed his birthday." The change is private — only you and Facebook know about it. If you want people to know, you'll need to tell them yourself or post about it on your timeline.

If you've already celebrated a birthday on Facebook and you change the date, your old birthday posts and wishes will remain on your timeline. Changing your birthday does not delete past birthday posts or remove the old date from your friends' memories of when you were born. It only changes the date going forward.

The 60-Day Waiting Period

Facebook has a rule that limits how often you can change your birthday: you can only change it once every 60 days. This rule exists to prevent fraud and account takeovers. If you try to change your birthday a second time within 60 days of your last change, Facebook will show you an error message saying you'll need to wait until the 60-day window closes.

The 60-day timer starts from the date of your last change, not from your actual birthday. So if you changed your birthday on January 15, you cannot change it again until March 16 (60 days later). If you made a mistake and need to correct it when ready, you may be able to contact Facebook support, but there is no may provide they will override the restriction.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

The most common mistake is entering the wrong year. Facebook's year dropdown goes back many decades, and it's straightforward to click the wrong year by accident. Double-check the year before you save — if you accidentally set your birthday to 1950 instead of 1990, you'll have to wait 60 days to fix it. Take a moment to verify all three fields before clicking save.

Another mistake is forgetting to save your changes. After you select your new birthday, you must scroll down and click the Save changes button. If you close the page or navigate away without clicking save, your new birthday will not be stored. The page will not warn you — it will straightforward discard your changes.

If You Can't Find the Birthday Field

If you're in Personal information but you don't see a birthday field, it may be because you haven't set one yet. In that case, look for an Add birthday button or link. Click it, and the date picker will appear. The process is identical to changing an existing birthday.

If you still can't locate it, try logging out and logging back in, or try accessing Facebook from a different browser. Sometimes cached data or browser extensions can hide fields or cause the page to load incorrectly. If the problem persists, you can report it to Facebook through their help center, though response times vary.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hide my birthday after I've set it?

Yes. Go to Personal information, click the audience button next to your birthday, and select Only me. Your birthday will be hidden from everyone except you and Facebook. You can change it back to Friends or Public at any time without waiting 60 days.

What if I enter the wrong birthday and want to change it right away?

You'll need to wait 60 days from your last change. Facebook enforces this limit strictly. If you made a genuine mistake, you can try contacting Facebook support through their help center, but they do not always grant exceptions. Plan ahead and double-check before you save.

Will my friends know I changed my birthday?

No. Facebook does not notify your friends when you change your birthday. The change is silent. Your old birthday posts will stay on your timeline, but your new birthday date will be used for future birthday reminders and notifications.

Can I remove my birthday entirely?

You cannot delete your birthday field completely, but you can hide it by setting the audience to Only me. This prevents anyone else from seeing it. If you want to remove it from Facebook's records entirely, you would need to contact Facebook support, though they may not honor the request.

Does changing my birthday affect my Facebook account security?

Changing your birthday does not weaken your account security. However, if someone else changes your birthday without permission, it could be a sign that your account has been compromised. If you notice a birthday change you didn't make, change your password when ready and review your recent login activity.