You can change your birthday on Facebook anytime, but the visibility of that change depends on your privacy settings

Facebook lets you edit your birthday through your profile settings. The process takes about two minutes. However, Facebook limits how often you can change it — you can only modify the year of your birth once every 60 days, though you can change the month and day more frequently. The birthday you set is visible to people based on your privacy settings: you can show it to everyone, only friends, only yourself, or hide it entirely.

Before you change it, understand that Facebook may ask for ID if you change the year of your birth multiple times in a short period. This is a fraud prevention measure. If you're changing your birthday because you entered it incorrectly when you created your account, you won't run into this problem on your first correction.

Key Takeaways

  • Go to your profile, click the three-dot menu, select "Edit profile," then find the birthday field under "Basic Information" to make changes.
  • You can change the month and day of your birthday whenever you want, but Facebook only lets you change the year once every 60 days.
  • Your birthday visibility is controlled separately from other profile information — you can show it to friends only, everyone, or no one.
  • If you change your birth year multiple times, Facebook may ask you to upload a photo of your ID to verify your identity.

Step-by-step: changing your birthday on Facebook

Open Facebook and go to your profile by clicking your name or profile picture. Look for the three-dot menu icon (usually in the top right of your profile header) and click it. Select "Edit profile" from the dropdown menu.

Scroll down to the "Basic Information" section. You'll see a field labeled "Birthday" with your current date. Click on it to edit. Facebook will show you three dropdown menus for month, day, and year. Select the correct information and click "Save Changes" at the bottom of the page. The change takes effect immediately.

Understanding Facebook's 60-day rule for birth year changes

Facebook restricts how often you can change the year of your birth to once every 60 days. This means if you changed your birth year on January 15th, you cannot change it again until March 16th. The month and day have no such restriction — you can update those as many times as you need.

This rule exists to prevent account takeover. If someone gains access to your account, they cannot rapidly change your birth year to lock you out or commit fraud. If you need to change your birth year before the 60 days are up, Facebook will not let you proceed through the normal settings. You would need to contact Facebook through their Help Center and explain the situation.

Controlling who sees your birthday

Your birthday visibility is separate from your birthday itself. After you save your birthday, you can control who sees it by adjusting your privacy settings. Go back to "Edit profile," find the birthday field, and look for a small privacy icon (usually a globe, lock, or people icon) next to the date.

Click that icon to choose your visibility level. Your options are typically: "Public" (everyone can see it), "Friends" (only your friends can see it), "Only Me" (only you can see it), or "Custom" (you pick specific people). Facebook will not send birthday reminders to people who cannot see your birthday, so if you set it to "Only Me," your friends won't get notifications on your birthday.

What happens if Facebook asks for ID

If you change your birth year multiple times within a short period, Facebook may ask you to upload a photo of your government-issued ID. This is a security measure to confirm you are the account owner. You can upload a driver's license, passport, national ID card, or similar document.

Facebook will not store your ID permanently. They use it only to verify your identity and then delete it from their system. If you're uncomfortable uploading ID, you can decline, but you won't be able to change your birth year again until the 60-day window passes. If you believe your account has been compromised and someone else changed your birthday, you can report this to Facebook's support team instead of uploading ID.

Changing your birthday on mobile apps

The process on the Facebook mobile app (iOS or Android) is nearly identical. Open the app, tap your profile picture at the bottom right, then tap the three-line menu. Scroll to "Settings & Privacy," then "Settings." Tap "Personal Information," then "Basic Information," and find your birthday field. Make your changes and save.

Some older versions of the Facebook app may have slightly different menu locations, but the "Personal Information" or "Basic Information" section is always where your birthday lives. If you cannot find it, update your app to the latest version from your device's app store.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hide my birthday completely from Facebook?

Yes. When editing your birthday, click the privacy icon next to the date and select "Only Me." This hides your birthday from everyone except you. Facebook will not send birthday reminders to your friends, and your birthday will not appear on the "Birthdays" section of the app.

What if I forgot my birthday and need to change it?

You can change it to whatever date you want through the normal settings. Facebook does not verify that the birthday you enter is accurate — they only verify your identity if you change the year multiple times. If you need to correct it later, you can change it again after 60 days pass.

Will my friends be notified if I change my birthday?

No. Facebook does not send notifications to your friends when you change your birthday. However, if you change it to a date coming up soon and your privacy is set to "Friends," they may see the updated birthday on your profile or in the "Birthdays" section of their app.

Can I change my birthday on someone else's account?

Only if you have access to their account login. You cannot edit another person's birthday from your own account. If someone else has access to your account and changed your birthday without permission, change your password immediately and review your account security settings.

Does changing my birthday affect my age on Facebook?

Yes. Your age on Facebook is calculated from your birth year. If you change your birth year, your displayed age changes immediately. This affects how Facebook targets ads to you and what age-restricted content you can see.