Change your Marketplace location in three steps
Facebook Marketplace uses your account location to show you items for sale near you and to let sellers know where you are. To change it, open Facebook on your phone or computer, go to your profile settings, find the location field, and update it to the city or area you want. The change takes effect when ready, and Marketplace will start showing you listings from your new location within a few minutes.
Your Marketplace location is separate from your Facebook profile location, though they often sync together. If you change one, the other usually updates automatically — but you can set them differently if you need to. This matters because some sellers filter by distance, and changing your location affects which listings appear for you and which buyers can see your items if you are selling.
Key Takeaways
- Change your location through Facebook Settings > Personal Information > Hometown or Current City, depending on which one Marketplace is using.
- Your Marketplace location updates within minutes of the change, and you will when ready see different listings based on your new area.
- If you are selling items, changing your location changes which buyers can find your listings, so update it before posting if you have moved.
- You can set a different current city than your hometown; Marketplace typically uses whichever one you filled in most recently.
Steps to change location on a phone
Open the Facebook app and tap the three horizontal lines (menu) in the bottom right corner. Scroll down and tap Settings & Privacy, then tap Settings. Look for Personal Information and tap it.
You will see fields for Hometown and Current City. Tap whichever one you want to change. Type in the new city name and select it from the dropdown list that appears. Facebook will ask you to confirm; tap Save or Done. Close the settings menu and go back to Marketplace — your location should update within a few minutes.
Steps to change location on a computer
Go to Facebook.com and click the downward arrow in the top right corner. Select Settings & Privacy, then click Settings. On the left side, click Personal Information.
Find the Hometown or Current City field and click the pencil icon next to it. Type the new city name and click the matching result in the dropdown. Click Save Changes. Return to Marketplace and refresh the page — your new location will be active.
Why Marketplace uses your location
Marketplace shows you items listed near you because most people want to buy and sell locally. When you list something for sale, your location tells buyers how far they would have to travel to pick it up. Sellers can also filter their search by distance — for example, "items within 10 miles" — so if your location is wrong, you might not see listings that are actually close to you, or buyers might not find your items.
Facebook also uses location to prevent scams. If your account location is in one city but you suddenly start listing items from another, the platform may flag it as suspicious activity. Keeping your location current protects your account and makes buying and selling smoother.
What happens when you change your location
The listings you see in Marketplace change when ready. If you moved from Boston to Denver, you will stop seeing Boston-area items and start seeing Denver listings instead. If you are selling items, your listings will now appear to Denver buyers rather than Boston buyers — but your old listings stay live, so existing buyers can still contact you about them.
Your profile location also updates on your public profile page, so your friends and other Facebook users will see your new location. If you do not want your location visible to everyone, you can adjust your privacy settings to show it only to friends or to hide it entirely — that is a separate setting from your Marketplace location.
If your location will not change
Sometimes Facebook caches your old location and does not update right away. Log out of Facebook completely, close the app or browser, wait a few minutes, and log back in. Go to Marketplace and check whether the new location is showing.
If it still is not working, clear your app cache (on phone: Settings > Apps > Facebook > Storage > Clear Cache) or clear your browser cache (on computer: Settings > Privacy > Clear Browsing Data). Then log back in and try changing the location again. If the problem persists, try using a different device — sometimes a location change syncs faster on one device than another.
Hometown versus current city
Facebook lets you set both a Hometown (where you grew up or are from) and a Current City (where you live now). Marketplace typically uses your Current City, but if that field is blank, it will use your Hometown instead. If you want Marketplace to show your actual location, make sure your Current City is filled in and correct.
You can leave your Hometown blank if you do not want it public, or set it to something different from your Current City. Only the Current City affects Marketplace listings. If you are moving and want to update your location for Marketplace only, change the Current City field and leave Hometown as it is.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will changing my location affect my Facebook friends or messages?
No. Changing your location only updates where you appear on Marketplace and on your public profile. Your messages, friend list, and private conversations stay the same. Friends who have you added will still be able to message you regardless of your location.
Can I have a different location for Marketplace than for my profile?
Not directly. Marketplace pulls from your Current City field, which is the same field that shows on your profile. However, you can adjust your profile privacy settings so your location is hidden from the public while still being visible to Marketplace — that is done through Privacy Settings, not through Marketplace itself.
How long does it take for my new location to show on Marketplace?
Usually a few minutes. If you change your location and refresh Marketplace right away, you might still see your old location for a moment. Wait five to ten minutes, close the app or browser completely, and open Marketplace again. The new location should be active by then.
If I change my location, will my old listings disappear?
No. Your listings stay live and buyers can still contact you about them. However, they will now show your new location to new buyers, so people searching in your old area will not see them anymore. If you want to keep selling in your old location, you can change your location back or list items again under your new location.
What if Facebook will not let me change my location?
Facebook sometimes restricts location changes if you have changed it multiple times in a short period — this is a security measure to prevent account takeovers. If you see a message saying you cannot change your location right now, wait 24 to 48 hours and try again. If the problem continues, contact Facebook Support through the Help Center.