Where to find your birthday settings on Facebook
Your birthday lives in your Facebook profile under a section called "Personal Information" or "About". To reach it, open Facebook and click your profile picture in the top right corner, then select "Profile" from the menu. On your profile page, look for the "About" tab — it's usually the second tab after your cover photo. Click it.
Once you're in the About section, you'll see several categories listed on the left side: Work and Education, Places, Contact and Basic Info, Family and Relationships, and Details About You. Your birthday is stored under "Contact and Basic Info". Click that category to expand it and see your current birthday information.
Key Takeaways
- Your birthday is stored in the "Contact and Basic Info" section of your About tab, not in general settings.
- You can change the month and day freely, but Facebook limits how often you can change the year of your birth.
- You can control who sees your birthday — only you, friends, or everyone — using the privacy dropdown next to the date.
- If you've already changed your birth year recently, you may need to wait before changing it again.
The steps to edit your birthday
Once you've clicked "Contact and Basic Info", look for the line that shows your current birthday. It will display as a date like "January 15, 1990". To the right of this line, you should see a pencil icon or an "Edit" button. Click it.
A small editing window will pop up showing three separate fields: month, day, and year. You can change any or all of these. Click on the month dropdown to select a different month, then click the day field to enter a new day, then the year field for the year. After you've made your changes, look for a "Save" or "Confirm" button at the bottom of the window and click it.
Facebook will save your new birthday when ready. Your friends will see the updated date if you've set your birthday to be visible to them. If you set it to "Only Me", only you will see it on your profile.
Privacy settings for your birthday
When you're editing your birthday, you'll notice a small dropdown menu or icon next to the date fields. This controls who can see your birthday on your profile. The options are usually "Public" (everyone can see it), "Friends" (only your friends can see it), or "Only Me" (it's hidden from everyone except you).
Even if you hide your birthday from your profile, Facebook still uses it internally for account security and to send you birthday reminders. Changing the privacy setting only changes who sees it on your profile page — it doesn't change whether Facebook knows your birthday.
Restrictions on changing your birth year
Facebook allows you to change the month and day of your birthday as many times as you want. However, the year of your birth — your age — has stricter rules. If you've changed your birth year recently, Facebook may not let you change it again for several months. This is a security measure to prevent account takeovers.
If you try to change your birth year and see a message saying you can't, it means you've already changed it within the allowed window. You'll need to wait before trying again. The exact waiting period varies, but it's typically measured in months rather than days.
What to do if you can't edit your birthday
If the edit button doesn't appear next to your birthday, or if you get an error message when you try to save, the most common reason is that you've recently changed your birth year. Wait a few weeks and try again.
If you still can't edit it after waiting, or if you see a different error message, you may need to contact Facebook's support team. Go to the Help Center (the question mark icon in the top right of Facebook), search for "birthday", and look for the option to report a problem. Describe what happens when you try to edit, and Facebook will investigate.
Changing your birthday on mobile
The process on Facebook's mobile app is nearly identical. Open the app, tap the menu icon (three horizontal lines) at the bottom right, scroll down and tap "Settings & Privacy", then tap "Settings". Scroll to "Personal Information" and tap "Contact and Basic Info". Find your birthday and tap the pencil icon to edit it the same way you would on a computer.
Mobile sometimes has a slightly different layout, but the birthday field itself works the same way. If you're having trouble finding it on mobile, try using Facebook in a web browser on your phone instead — the layout is often clearer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I hide my birthday from everyone but still let Facebook know it?
Yes. Set your birthday privacy to "Only Me" so it doesn't show on your profile, but Facebook will still have the information for account security and internal use. Your friends won't see it, but you'll still get birthday notifications from the platform.
What happens to birthday wishes if I change my birthday?
If you change the month or day, Facebook will send birthday notifications to your friends on the new date. Past birthday posts on your timeline won't disappear — they'll stay where they are, just with the old date attached.
How long do I have to wait before changing my birth year again?
Facebook doesn't publish the exact waiting period, but it's typically several months. If you get a message saying you can't change it yet, try again in a few weeks. If you need to change it urgently for account recovery reasons, contact Facebook support.
Will changing my birthday affect my Facebook memories or timeline?
No. Your memories and timeline posts are tied to when they were actually posted, not to your birthday. Changing your birthday won't alter any of that history.
Can I change my birthday on Facebook if I'm under 18?
Yes, you can edit your birthday the same way. However, if your account is marked as belonging to someone under 13, Facebook has additional restrictions on what information you can change. If you can't edit it, your account may have parental controls enabled.