Where to find the relationship status setting
Your relationship status lives in your Facebook profile, not in a separate settings menu. Open your profile by clicking your name or profile picture, then look for the "About" section — it's usually the second tab after your cover photo and name. Click "About" and you'll see several categories listed on the left side, including "Family and Relationships" or sometimes just "Relationships" depending on your Facebook version.
Once you click into that section, you'll see your current relationship status (or a blank space if you haven't set one). Click the pencil icon or "Edit" button next to it to open the editing window. Facebook will show you a dropdown menu with options like "Single," "In a relationship," "Engaged," "Married," "It's complicated," "In an open relationship," and "Widowed."
Key Takeaways
- Your relationship status is stored in the "About" section of your profile under "Family and Relationships," not in Settings.
- You can choose to announce your change to your friends or keep it private by toggling the visibility setting before you save.
- If you're adding a partner's name, Facebook will send them a notification asking them to confirm the relationship.
- You can change or remove your relationship status at any time without notifying anyone if you set it to private.
- The visibility of your relationship status depends on your overall profile privacy settings — you can make it visible to friends only, public, or hidden entirely.
Choosing who sees your relationship status change
Before you click "Save," Facebook gives you a privacy option. You'll see a small dropdown (usually showing "Friends" or a globe icon) that controls who can see this change. If you want to announce it to everyone on your friends list, leave it set to "Friends." If you want only close friends to see it, you can narrow it further. If you don't want anyone to see a notification about the change, set it to "Only Me" or use the custom privacy option.
Keep in mind that changing your status to something public (like "Married" or "In a relationship") will create a post on your timeline that your friends can see and comment on, unless you've turned off timeline posts in your privacy settings. If you want to change your status quietly, set the visibility to "Only Me" first, make the change, and then adjust your overall profile privacy settings afterward if needed.
Adding your partner's name or profile
If you select "In a relationship," "Engaged," or "Married," Facebook will ask if you want to add your partner's name. You can type their name or search for their Facebook profile. If you find their profile and select it, Facebook sends them a notification asking them to confirm the relationship. They'll see a message like "[Your name] added you as their partner" and can accept, decline, or ignore it.
Your partner doesn't have to confirm for the relationship to appear on your profile — it will show as "In a relationship" without their name until they respond. Once they confirm, both profiles will link to each other and show the relationship publicly (or at whatever privacy level you've set). If they decline, the relationship won't appear on either profile.
Changing or removing your relationship status later
You can change your relationship status as many times as you need to. Go back to the "About" section, click "Edit" next to your relationship status, and select a new option from the dropdown. If you want to remove it entirely, select the blank option at the top of the dropdown menu (usually shown as a dash or empty space), then save.
When you remove a relationship status, Facebook will ask if you want to notify your friends about the change. If you had a partner linked to your profile, removing the status will also unlink their profile from yours. They'll receive a notification that you've removed the relationship unless you set the change to "Only Me" visibility.
What happens if your partner hasn't confirmed yet
If you've added your partner's name but they haven't confirmed the relationship, your profile will show "In a relationship" without their name visible to others. Your partner will see a pending notification in their notifications section asking them to confirm. They can accept it at any time, and once they do, both profiles will display the linked relationship.
If your partner declines the relationship request, it will disappear from your profile unless you've set it to "Only Me" visibility. You can always send another request later, or you can straightforward list your status as "In a relationship" without linking a specific person.
Privacy and visibility of your relationship status
Your relationship status visibility is separate from your overall profile privacy. Even if your profile is set to "Public," you can hide your relationship status from everyone except yourself. To do this, go to the "About" section, click "Edit" next to your relationship status, and look for the privacy dropdown before saving. Set it to "Only Me" if you want it completely hidden, or "Friends" if you want only your friends to see it.
Remember that if you've set your profile to "Public," your relationship status will be public by default unless you specifically change the privacy setting for that field. If you want maximum privacy, set both your overall profile privacy and your relationship status privacy to "Friends Only" or "Only Me."
Frequently Asked Questions
Will my friends get a notification when I change my relationship status?
Only if you set the visibility to "Friends" or higher when you make the change. If you set it to "Only Me," no one will be notified. If you had a linked partner and they confirm the relationship, both of your friends will see a notification about the new relationship.
What if I add my partner's name and they ignore the confirmation request?
The relationship will still appear on your profile as "In a relationship" without their name showing. They can confirm it later whenever they log in and check their notifications. You can also remove the request and just list your status as "In a relationship" without linking a specific person.
Can I hide my relationship status from certain people?
Facebook doesn't let you hide your status from specific individuals, but you can set it to "Only Me" so no one sees it, or "Friends" so only your friends see it. If you need more control, you can adjust your overall profile privacy settings to limit who can see your "About" section.
Does changing my relationship status affect my privacy settings?
No, changing your relationship status doesn't automatically change your other privacy settings. However, the visibility you choose for your relationship status is independent — you can have a public profile but a private relationship status, or vice versa.
What if I want to change my status but not tell my partner yet?
Set the visibility to "Only Me" before you save the change. This way, only you can see it on your profile. You can change it to be visible to friends or the public later once you're ready to announce it. Don't add your partner's name if you haven't discussed it with them yet, since they'll receive a confirmation notification.