How to Change Your Facebook Birthday: A Comprehensive Guide

So, you need to tweak your birthday on Facebook? Whether you accidentally entered the wrong date years ago, want to keep your age a secret, or simply feel like celebrating twice a year (hey, no judgment!), changing your birthday on Facebook is a straightforward process. Here’s the definitive answer:

How to change your Facebook birthday?

1. Log in to your Facebook account via the website or mobile app.
2. Navigate to your Profile: Click your name or profile picture to access your personal page.
3. Go to the “About” section: On your profile page, find the “About” tab (usually located under your cover photo or beside “Friends” and “Photos”).
4. Find “Contact and Basic Info”: Within the “About” section, look for the category labeled “Contact and Basic Info.” You may need to scroll down.
5. Edit your Birthday: Hover over your birthday information and click “Edit” on the right-hand side.
6. Update the Date: Use the dropdown menus to select the correct month, day, and year.
7. Choose your audience: Select who can see your birthday (Public, Friends, Only Me, or Custom).
8. Save your Changes: Click the “Save Changes” button.

And there you have it! Your birthday is now updated on Facebook. However, there are a few caveats and frequently asked questions that deserve attention. Let’s dive in.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Facebook Birthdays

Here are 12 FAQs designed to answer all your burning questions about managing your birthday information on Facebook:

1. Why would I want to change my Facebook birthday?

There are several reasons! Perhaps you entered the wrong information initially, want to maintain some privacy about your age, want to hide your age from your profile, or are planning a surprise party and want to throw everyone off the scent! Some users also change their birthdays as a harmless prank.

2. Is there a limit to how many times I can change my birthday on Facebook?

Yes, there is! Facebook imposes a limit on the number of times you can change your birthday within a certain timeframe. If you’ve recently changed it, you might need to wait before you can do it again. This is in place to prevent abuse of the system. The exact frequency varies, but Facebook will usually warn you if you’ve reached your limit.

3. How long do I have to wait before I can change my birthday again?

Unfortunately, Facebook doesn’t explicitly state the exact waiting period. However, it’s generally understood to be a few weeks to a few months. If you receive an error message stating that you cannot change your birthday at this time, you’ll need to be patient and try again later.

4. Can I hide my birthday from everyone on Facebook?

Absolutely. When editing your birthday, you can control the audience who sees it. Choose “Only Me” to completely hide your birthday from your Facebook friends. This means only you will be able to see it on your profile.

5. Can I choose to show just the day and month, but hide the year?

Yes, you can! Within the birthday edit settings, there are separate options for controlling the visibility of the month and day versus the year. You can choose to show the day and month to your friends while keeping the year private, effectively hiding your age.

6. What happens when I hide my birthday on Facebook?

When you hide your birthday (either the entire date or just the year), it will no longer be visible on your profile to the audience you’ve selected (e.g., Friends, Public). Your friends will not receive a birthday notification on that day. If someone specifically navigates to your profile, they will not see the information.

7. Will I still receive birthday greetings from Facebook friends if my birthday is hidden?

No. If your birthday is set to “Only Me” or if you’ve hidden the year, your friends will not receive a notification from Facebook reminding them of your birthday. This means you might miss out on some well-wishes.

8. I’ve changed my birthday, but it’s still showing the old date. What’s going on?

This can happen due to caching issues. Try these steps:

• Refresh your browser or app: A simple refresh often resolves the issue.
• Clear your browser’s cache and cookies: This removes old data that might be causing the incorrect date to display.
• Log out and log back in: This forces the Facebook server to retrieve your updated profile information.
• Check from another device or account: Ask a friend to view your profile to see if they see the correct date. If they do, the problem is likely on your end.

9. I accidentally entered the wrong birthday, and now Facebook won’t let me change it again. What can I do?

This is a common problem. If you’ve reached the limit for birthday changes, you have a couple of options:

• Wait: Be patient and wait until you’re able to change it again.
• Contact Facebook Support: While not guaranteed, you can try contacting Facebook Support and explaining the situation. Provide accurate information and be polite. There’s a chance they might be able to manually adjust your birthday. Go to the Help Center and search for “change birthday.” Follow the instructions provided there.

10. Does changing my birthday affect my Facebook account in any other way?

Generally, no. Changing your birthday is primarily a cosmetic change that affects how your birthday is displayed to others. It does not impact your account’s functionality, privacy settings, or other personal information.

11. Can I change my birthday on the Facebook mobile app?

Yes, the process is virtually identical on the mobile app:

1. Open the Facebook app and tap your profile picture.
2. Tap the “See Your About Info” button right below your profile picture.
3. Scroll down to “Basic Info” and tap “Edit.”
4. Change your birthday and set the desired privacy.
5. Tap “Save.”

12. Is it against Facebook’s terms of service to lie about my birthday?

While Facebook doesn’t explicitly forbid entering a fake birthday, it’s generally discouraged. Providing inaccurate information can potentially lead to issues with identity verification or account recovery in the future. Furthermore, intentionally providing false information to deceive or mislead others could be considered a violation of their community standards. It’s always best to be honest, even about something as seemingly trivial as your birthday.

In conclusion, changing your birthday on Facebook is a simple process, but it’s important to understand the limitations and privacy settings involved. By following these steps and understanding the FAQs, you can confidently manage your birthday information on Facebook and enjoy your (real or imagined) special day!