Facebook shows you birthdays in three main places: your Friends list, the Events calendar, and a dedicated Birthdays section on your home feed
The easiest way to see upcoming birthdays is to look at your home feed. Facebook displays a "Birthdays" widget on the right side of your feed (on desktop) or in a dedicated section (on mobile). This widget shows whose birthday is coming up in the next few days, and you can click any name to write on their wall or send them a message.
If you want to see all birthdays for a specific month or search for a particular person's birthday, go to the Events section. On desktop, click "Events" in the left sidebar. On mobile, tap the menu icon (three horizontal lines) and scroll to find Events. Once there, look for a "Birthdays" filter or category — Facebook groups all birthday events together so you can browse by month.
You can also find someone's birthday by visiting their profile directly. Scroll down to the "About" section, and if they've shared their birthday publicly, it will appear there. Not everyone makes their birthday visible, so you may not see it even if they have one listed in their account.
Key Takeaways
- The Birthdays widget on your home feed shows upcoming birthdays for the next several days without any extra steps.
- The Events section lets you browse all birthdays by month and search for specific people's birthday dates.
- A person's birthday appears on their profile only if they chose to make it public in their privacy settings.
- You can set reminders for specific birthdays by clicking on the birthday event and selecting a notification option.
- Facebook does not notify you of birthdays unless you have the Birthdays widget enabled or check the Events section yourself.
How to use the Birthdays widget on your home feed
On a desktop computer, look at the right side of your Facebook feed. You should see a box labeled "Birthdays" with a list of names and dates. This widget shows people whose birthdays fall within the next week. Click on any name to go to their profile, or click the message icon next to their name to send them a direct message.
On a mobile phone, the Birthdays section appears differently depending on whether you use the Facebook app or the mobile website. In the app, scroll down your feed and you may see a "Birthdays" card. If you don't see it, tap the menu icon (three lines) at the bottom right, scroll down, and look for "Birthdays." On the mobile website, the Birthdays section usually appears near the top of your feed or in the left sidebar if you're viewing on a tablet.
If the Birthdays widget is not showing up, it may be hidden. On desktop, look for a small settings icon (gear or three dots) on the Birthdays box itself and make sure it is set to visible. On mobile, you may need to scroll further down your feed or check your settings to ensure birthday notifications are turned on.
Finding birthdays through the Events calendar
The Events section gives you a full calendar view of all birthdays, not just the ones coming up this week. On desktop, click "Events" in the left sidebar. On mobile, tap the menu icon and scroll until you find "Events," then tap it. Once you are in Events, look for a "Birthdays" option or filter — this is usually near the top of the page or in a dropdown menu.
Click on "Birthdays" and you will see a calendar or list view of all upcoming birthdays. You can usually filter by month to see everyone whose birthday falls in January, February, and so on. This is useful if you want to plan ahead or find someone's birthday without scrolling through your entire feed.
If you click on a specific birthday event, you can see the person's profile, send them a message, or set a reminder. Some versions of Facebook let you create a calendar reminder that will notify you on the day itself, separate from Facebook's own notifications.
Checking someone's profile for their birthday
To see a specific person's birthday, go to their profile and scroll down to the "About" section. This section shows personal information they have chosen to share, including their birthday if they made it public. The birthday appears in the format "Month Day, Year" or sometimes just "Month Day" depending on their privacy settings.
Not everyone shares their birthday on Facebook. If you do not see a birthday listed, it either means they have not added one to their account, or they have set their privacy settings to hide it from you. You cannot see someone's birthday if they have restricted who can view it, even if you are friends with them.
If you are trying to find someone's birthday and it is not on their profile, you could try asking them directly or checking other sources. Facebook does not provide a way to request someone's birthday information or to see it if they have chosen to keep it private.
Privacy settings for your own birthday
When you add your birthday to Facebook, you control who can see it. To adjust these settings, go to your own profile, click "Edit Profile," and find the birthday field. Next to your birthday, there is usually a privacy icon (a lock or globe symbol). Click it to choose who can see your birthday: only you, friends, or everyone.
If you set your birthday to visible to friends, only people on your friends list can see it. If you set it to visible to everyone, anyone on Facebook can find it, even people who are not your friends. If you set it to visible to only you, no one else can see it at all, and it will not appear in the Birthdays section or Events calendar for other users.
You can change these settings at any time. If you want to hide your birthday after sharing it, go back to the same privacy icon and select a more restrictive option. The change takes effect immediately, and your birthday will no longer appear in other people's birthday notifications.
What to do if you are not seeing birthday notifications
If you are not seeing the Birthdays widget on your feed, the first thing to check is whether it is hidden. On desktop, look for a settings icon on the Birthdays box and click it to unhide the widget. On mobile, try scrolling down your feed — the Birthdays section may be further down than you expect.
Another reason you might not see birthdays is that your notification settings are turned off. Go to Settings (the gear icon on desktop, or the menu on mobile), click "Notifications," and look for an option related to birthdays or events. Make sure birthday notifications are turned on. The exact wording varies, but it usually says something like "Birthday notifications" or "Event reminders."
If you have recently updated Facebook or cleared your app cache, the Birthdays widget may need to reload. Try logging out and logging back in, or closing and reopening the app. If the problem persists, you can still access birthdays through the Events section even if the widget is not showing on your feed.
Using birthday reminders and calendar integration
When you click on a birthday event in Facebook's Events section, you often see an option to set a reminder. This reminder can notify you on the day of the birthday, a few days before, or at a custom time you choose. Click "Get Notified" or a similar button to set up the reminder.
Some versions of Facebook let you add birthday events to your phone's calendar or to Google Calendar. Look for an "Add to Calendar" button or option when you view a birthday event. This sends the birthday to your phone's calendar app or your Google Calendar, so you get a reminder from your calendar system instead of (or in addition to) Facebook.
These reminders are separate from Facebook's Birthdays widget. Even if you turn off the widget, you can still get reminders for specific people by setting them individually through the Events section.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I see someone's birthday if they have not added it to Facebook?
No. Facebook only shows birthdays that people have added to their own accounts. If someone has not entered their birthday into Facebook, there is no way to see it through Facebook's system. You would need to ask them directly or find the information elsewhere.
Will someone know if I look at their birthday on Facebook?
No. Viewing someone's birthday through the Birthdays widget, Events section, or their profile does not send them a notification. They will not know you looked at their birthday information unless you send them a message or write on their wall.
Can I hide my birthday from specific people but show it to others?
Facebook's privacy settings for birthdays are limited. You can choose to show your birthday to everyone, friends only, or no one — but you cannot hide it from one specific friend while showing it to another. If you want to hide your birthday from certain people, you would need to set it to visible to friends only and then unfriend or block those people.
What happens to birthday reminders if I unfriend someone?
If you have set a reminder for someone's birthday and then unfriend them, the reminder will usually disappear from your calendar. Facebook removes birthday events for people who are no longer on your friends list. If you added the birthday to your phone's calendar or Google Calendar, you may need to delete it manually.
Why is someone's birthday showing as a different date than I remember?
People sometimes enter their birthday incorrectly when they create their account, or they may have updated it. If you think the date is wrong, you could message the person and ask them to confirm. Facebook does not verify birthdays, so the date shown is whatever the person entered themselves.