Change Your Location on Facebook Desktop or Mobile

To change the location Facebook shows on your profile, open Facebook on your computer or phone, go to your profile, and click or tap the "Edit profile" button. Find the "Location" field, delete the current entry, type in the new city or address, and save. The change takes effect when ready, though it may take a few minutes to appear to other people viewing your profile.

Facebook stores your location separately from your device's GPS setting. Changing it on Facebook does not change where your phone thinks you are, and changing your phone's location setting does not change what appears on Facebook. You control each one independently.

The location you enter on your profile is visible to anyone who can see your profile — friends, friends of friends, or the public, depending on your privacy settings. If you want to hide your location from certain people, you can adjust who sees that field rather than deleting it entirely.

Key Takeaways

  • Your Facebook profile location is separate from your phone's GPS or device location and must be changed through your Facebook settings, not your phone.
  • You can change your location by editing your profile, finding the Location field, and typing in a new city or address.
  • The location you list is visible to anyone who can see your profile, so check your privacy settings if you want to limit who sees it.
  • You can hide your location from specific people by adjusting the privacy setting on that field instead of removing it entirely.
  • Changes appear when ready in your settings but may take a few minutes to show on your profile to other users.

Finding the Location Field on Your Profile

On a computer, click your profile picture in the top right corner and select "Profile" from the menu. On the left side of your profile, you will see an "Edit profile" button. Click it, and a panel will open showing all the fields you can edit, including Location.

On a phone or tablet, tap your profile picture at the bottom of the screen, then tap the three horizontal lines (menu icon) at the top right. Scroll down and tap "Edit profile." The Location field appears in the same editing panel as on desktop.

If you do not see a Location field, it may be because you have not added one yet. In that case, look for an "Add" button or a plus icon in the profile editing panel, and select Location from the list of available fields.

Entering a New Location and Saving Changes

Once you have the Location field open, click or tap inside it to select it. If there is already a location listed, highlight and delete it. Type the new location — this can be a city name like "Denver, Colorado," a neighborhood, or a full street address, depending on how specific you want to be.

As you type, Facebook will show you suggestions based on what you enter. You can click or tap one of these suggestions, or finish typing and press Enter or tap outside the field. Either way, the location will be saved automatically. You do not need to click a separate "Save" button for individual fields.

If you want to remove your location entirely instead of changing it, straightforward delete the text in the field and leave it blank. This removes the location from your profile without replacing it with something new.

Controlling Who Sees Your Location

By default, your location is visible to whoever can see your profile. To limit who sees it, click the small privacy icon next to the Location field — it usually looks like a globe, a lock, or a group of people. A menu will appear with options like "Public," "Friends," "Friends except," or "Only me."

Select the option that matches who you want to see your location. "Public" means anyone on Facebook can see it. "Friends" means only people you have added as friends can see it. "Only me" hides it from everyone except you. "Friends except" lets you hide it from specific friends while showing it to the rest.

These privacy settings explore only to the Location field. They do not change the privacy of the rest of your profile. You can have your location set to "Only me" while your other profile information is visible to friends or the public.

Why Your Location Might Not Update Right Away

After you save a new location, it appears in your profile settings when ready. However, it can take a few minutes to a few hours for the change to show up when other people view your profile. This delay is normal and happens because Facebook's servers need time to sync the change across all the devices and servers that store your profile information.

If you have been logged into Facebook on multiple devices, the location may update faster on some devices than others. Refreshing the page or closing and reopening the app can speed up the process on your end, though it will not speed up how fast other people see the change.

The Difference Between Facebook Location and Device Location

Your Facebook profile location is text that you type into a field. It has nothing to do with where your phone or computer actually is. Changing your Facebook location does not change your device's GPS, and changing your device's location settings does not change what appears on your Facebook profile.

Some apps and websites use your device's actual location (GPS) to show you nearby restaurants, friends, or events. Facebook's profile location field is purely informational — it is just text that tells people where you say you are from or currently live. You control it by typing, not by moving your phone.

If you are concerned about Facebook or other apps tracking your actual location through GPS, you can turn off location services in your phone's settings. This is a separate action from changing your profile location on Facebook.

Changing Your City or Hometown Separately

Facebook allows you to list both a current city and a hometown. These are two different fields. Your current city is where you say you live now; your hometown is where you grew up or previously lived. You can change either one independently by editing your profile and finding the appropriate field.

To edit your hometown, look for a "Hometown" field in your profile editing panel, separate from the "Location" or "Current city" field. Enter or change it the same way you would change your current location. Both fields have their own privacy settings, so you can show your current city to friends but hide your hometown from everyone, or vice versa.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does changing my Facebook location affect my phone's GPS?

No. Your Facebook profile location is just text you type into a field. It does not change your phone's GPS, and your phone's GPS does not change what appears on Facebook. They are completely separate systems. You control your Facebook location by editing your profile; you control your phone's GPS through your phone's settings.

Can I hide my location from specific people?

Yes. Click the privacy icon next to your Location field and choose "Friends except" to hide it from certain people while showing it to others. You can also set it to "Only me" to hide it from everyone, or "Friends" to show it only to people you have added as friends.

How long does it take for my new location to show on my profile?

The change saves when ready in your settings, but it can take a few minutes to a few hours for other people to see it on your profile. This is normal and happens because Facebook's servers need time to sync the change. Refreshing the page on your end can help, but it will not speed up how fast others see the update.

Can I list both a current city and a hometown?

Yes. Facebook has separate fields for current location and hometown. You can fill in both, one, or neither. Each field has its own privacy setting, so you can show one to friends and hide the other from everyone.

What happens if I delete my location entirely?

If you delete the text in your Location field and leave it blank, your profile will no longer display a location. People viewing your profile will not see any city or address listed. You can add a location back at any time by editing your profile again.