Where to Find the Relationship Status Setting

Your relationship status lives in your Facebook profile, not in a separate settings menu. Open Facebook and go to your profile by clicking your name or profile picture in the top left. Look for the "About" section — it's usually below your cover photo and to the left of your posts. Click "About" to open your full profile information.

Once you're in the About section, scroll down until you see "Relationship" listed among your personal details. If you haven't filled this in before, it may show as blank or say "Add relationship status." Click on that line to open the editing window.

Key Takeaways

  • Your relationship status is in your profile's About section, not in Settings — click your profile picture, then "About," then scroll to "Relationship."
  • You can choose from single, in a relationship, engaged, married, in a domestic partnership, in a civil union, or it's complicated — or leave it blank.
  • Facebook lets you control who sees your relationship status: only you, friends, or everyone, or hide it completely.
  • If you're listing a partner, you can tag them so the status appears on both profiles, but they must confirm the relationship before it shows publicly.
  • Changing your status does not automatically notify everyone — only people who visit your profile or see it in their news feed will notice.

Selecting Your Status and Adding a Partner

Click the relationship status line and a dropdown menu appears with your options: single, in a relationship, engaged, married, in a domestic partnership, in a civil union, it's complicated, or prefer not to say. Select the one that matches your situation.

If you choose "in a relationship," "engaged," "married," or any partnered status, a second field appears asking you to name your partner. Start typing their name — Facebook will show you a list of accounts that match. Click on your partner's name to tag them. If their account doesn't appear, they may have a different name on Facebook than you expect, or their privacy settings may hide them from search.

Once you tag your partner, Facebook sends them a notification asking them to confirm the relationship. Until they confirm, the status shows only to you. After they confirm, it appears on both your profiles and in your friends' news feeds. If your partner declines or ignores the request, the status stays private to you.

Controlling Who Sees Your Relationship Status

Before you save your relationship status, look for a small privacy icon — usually a globe, lock, or people symbol — next to the status dropdown. Click it to choose who can see this information. Your options are typically "Public" (everyone on and off Facebook), "Friends" (your Facebook friends only), "Only Me" (just you), or "Custom" (specific people or groups you choose).

Many people set their relationship status to "Friends" so their network knows but strangers cannot see it. Others choose "Only Me" if they prefer to keep their personal life private on Facebook. If you select "Public," anyone who visits your profile will see your relationship status, even if they're not your friend.

You can change the privacy level at any time — your choice does not lock in. If you later want to hide your relationship status from certain people, return to the About section, click the privacy icon again, and adjust it.

What Happens When You Change Your Status

When you save a new relationship status, Facebook does not send a notification to everyone you know. Instead, the change appears in your friends' news feeds as a story — but only if they follow your profile or if Facebook's algorithm decides to show it to them. Many people miss these updates entirely.

Your profile itself updates when ready. Anyone who visits your About section will see the new status right away. If you tagged a partner and they confirmed, the status also appears on their profile and in their friends' feeds.

If you change your status from one relationship type to another — for example, from "in a relationship" to "married" — Facebook treats it the same way: a news feed story that some friends may see, but no direct notification.

Removing or Hiding Your Relationship Status

To remove your relationship status entirely, go back to your About section and click on the relationship line. Select the blank option at the top of the dropdown menu, or look for text that says "Remove" or "Clear." Save the change, and your relationship status disappears from your profile.

If you want to keep the information but hide it from view, use the privacy icon instead. Set it to "Only Me" so the status exists in your profile but no one else can see it. This is useful if you want to maintain the information without broadcasting it.

Removing a partnered status also removes the tag from your partner's profile. If you were in a mutual relationship (both confirmed), they will see that you've removed the status, though Facebook does not send them a separate notification — they'll only know if they check your profile.

Troubleshooting Common Problems

If you cannot find the relationship status field, check that you're in your own profile, not someone else's. You can only edit your own information. Also make sure you've clicked "About" — the relationship status does not appear in the main timeline view.

If you're trying to tag a partner and their name doesn't appear in the search results, they may have set their privacy settings to be unsearchable, or they may use a different name on Facebook than you expect. Try searching for them by their profile URL or asking them to search for you first and send a friend request.

If your partner confirmed the relationship but it's not showing on their profile, check the privacy settings on their account. They may have set their relationship status to "Only Me" so it's hidden from others. You can see it, but their friends cannot.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does everyone get notified when I change my relationship status?

No. Facebook may show the change in your friends' news feeds, but there's no direct notification. Many people won't see it unless they visit your profile or if Facebook's algorithm chooses to show them the story. If you want to tell people, you'll need to post about it separately.

What if my partner doesn't confirm the relationship?

The status remains visible only to you until they confirm. They'll receive a notification asking them to confirm, but if they ignore it or decline, the relationship tag stays private. You can remove the tag at any time and try again later, or leave it as is.

Can I change my relationship status without tagging a partner?

Yes. You can set your status to "single," "it's complicated," or "prefer not to say" without naming anyone. You can also set any status to "Only Me" so no one sees it except you.

Will my ex see that I changed my relationship status?

If they're still your friend, they may see it in their news feed. If you're no longer friends, they won't see it unless they visit your profile directly. You can control visibility with privacy settings, but the safest approach is to set the status to "Only Me" if you want to avoid any visibility.

Can I hide my relationship status from specific people?

Yes, using the Custom privacy option. Click the privacy icon next to your relationship status and select "Custom." You can then choose to hide it from specific people or groups while showing it to others. This requires a few extra clicks but gives you precise control.