Where to find birthdays on Facebook
Facebook stores birthday information in two main places: on individual profiles and in a dedicated birthday calendar. To see someone's birthday on their profile, visit their page and look for the birthday listed in the "About" section — it appears below their name and profile photo on desktop, or in the "Intro" box on mobile. The month and day show publicly by default, though the year is often hidden unless the person chose to share it.
The faster way to see all upcoming birthdays at once is through Facebook's birthday calendar. On desktop, click the three-line menu icon in the top left, scroll down, and select "Events." Then click "Birthdays" in the left sidebar. On mobile, tap the menu icon (three horizontal lines), scroll to "Events," and tap "Birthdays." This view shows you whose birthday is coming up in the next 30 days, sorted by date.
Key Takeaways
- Birthdays appear in the "About" section of someone's profile, usually showing the month and day but often hiding the year.
- Facebook's birthday calendar, found under Events, displays all upcoming birthdays for the next month in one place.
- You can only see birthdays for people who are your friends or whose privacy settings allow it.
- Birthday reminders can be turned on or off in your notification settings if you want alerts when friends' birthdays arrive.
Privacy settings that hide birthdays
Not every birthday you search for will be visible. Facebook lets users control who sees their birthday through privacy settings. If someone set their birthday to "Only Me," only they can see it — not even their friends. If they chose "Friends," you can see it only if you are friends with them. Some people hide the year but show the month and day to everyone.
You cannot override these settings or see a hidden birthday. If a friend's birthday does not appear on their profile or in your birthday calendar, they have restricted who can view it. The only way to find out is to ask them directly.
How to set reminders for upcoming birthdays
Facebook can send you notifications when a friend's birthday is approaching. On desktop, go to Settings (the gear icon in the top right), click "Notifications," then scroll to "Birthdays" and toggle notifications on. You can choose to get reminders one day before, on the day of, or both. On mobile, tap the menu icon, go to "Settings & Privacy," then "Settings," scroll to "Notifications," and adjust birthday alerts the same way.
Once reminders are on, Facebook will notify you through your chosen method — push notification, email, or in-app alert, depending on what you have set up. You can turn these reminders off at any time using the same path.
Viewing birthdays in the birthday calendar
The birthday calendar shows birthdays grouped by date, making it easy to see if multiple friends share the same day. Each name is clickable — tap it to go directly to that person's profile. The calendar displays the next 30 days of birthdays, and it updates automatically as new dates approach. If you have hundreds of friends, you may need to scroll through the list to find a specific person.
The birthday calendar also shows which friends have already received birthday wishes from others, indicated by a small icon next to their name. This can help you decide whether to send a message or if many people have already reached out.
Sending birthday messages and gifts
When you find someone's birthday through the calendar or their profile, Facebook makes it easy to send a message. Click the "Write on [Name]'s Timeline" button or the message icon to post a birthday wish publicly on their wall. You can also send a private message by clicking the message icon and typing directly to them.
Facebook also offers the option to send a birthday gift — a digital item that appears on their profile. Click "Send a Gift" on their birthday reminder or profile, choose from available options, and complete the purchase. Not all gifts cost money; some are free. The gift appears on their timeline with your name attached.
Finding birthdays for people you are not friends with
If you are not friends with someone on Facebook, you generally cannot see their birthday, even if their profile is public. Facebook restricts birthday information to friends only, regardless of other privacy settings. The exception is if the person has made their birthday visible to "Public" in their privacy settings, which is uncommon.
If you need to know someone's birthday and are not friends with them, your options are to send them a friend request first, ask them directly, or check other sources like LinkedIn or a mutual friend's posts. Some workplaces or organizations maintain their own birthday lists separate from Facebook.
Troubleshooting missing or incorrect birthdays
If a birthday is not showing up where you expect it, check whether you are actually friends with that person. Birthday information is friends-only by default. If you are friends and still do not see it, the person may have hidden their birthday in their privacy settings or not entered one at all when they created their account.
If a birthday appears on someone's profile but not in your birthday calendar, wait a day or two — the calendar updates periodically and may not reflect changes immediately. If the birthday is incorrect, only the person whose birthday it is can fix it. You can suggest they update their profile by visiting their "About" section and clicking "Edit" next to their birthday information.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I see someone's birthday if we are not friends?
No, not usually. Facebook restricts birthday information to friends by default. The only exception is if someone manually changed their privacy setting to "Public," which is rare. If you need to know someone's birthday and are not friends, you will need to send a friend request or ask them directly.
Why is someone's birthday not showing in my birthday calendar?
The most common reason is that you are not friends with them, or they have hidden their birthday in their privacy settings. Another possibility is that they did not enter a birthday when they set up their account. If you are friends and the birthday still does not appear, try refreshing the page or checking back in a few hours.
Can I see what year someone was born?
Only if they chose to share it. Many people hide their birth year on Facebook and show only the month and day. You can see the year only if the person made it visible in their privacy settings, which is optional. If the year is not showing, they have chosen to keep it private.
How do I turn off birthday notifications?
Go to Settings, click Notifications, find the Birthdays section, and toggle notifications off. You can also customize which types of birthday alerts you receive — one day before, on the day, or both. These settings are separate from your general notification preferences.
Can I send a birthday gift to someone who is not my friend?
No. You can only send gifts to people you are friends with on Facebook. If you want to send a gift to someone you are not friends with, you will need to send them a friend request first and wait for them to accept it.