Free Guide to Updating Your Facebook Age Information

Understanding Facebook's Age Requirements and Why Age Matters

Facebook requires users to be at least 13 years old to create an account. This age requirement comes from the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), a federal law that protects children under 13 from certain types of online data collection. When you create a Facebook account, you provide your birth date, which Facebook uses to determine your age and control which features you can use.

Your age on Facebook affects several things. Users under 18 see different privacy settings by default than older users. Younger users have restrictions on who can contact them and what information appears in search results. Facebook also limits targeted advertising based on age—users under 18 cannot receive ads based on their interests and behaviors in the same way older users can. Additionally, certain features like dating services and marketplace seller accounts have age restrictions.

If you entered an incorrect birth date when you created your account years ago, you may now want to correct it. Some people entered false information as children, or made mistakes they want to fix. Others are updating their information as part of reviewing their overall account security and accuracy. Whatever your reason, knowing how Facebook handles age updates helps you understand what happens when you make changes.

Facebook's systems rely on your stated birth date to function properly. The platform cannot independently verify your actual age—it relies on the information you provide. This means updating your age is straightforward from a technical standpoint, though there are some limitations about how often you can make changes.

Practical takeaway: Before making changes, understand that your age on Facebook controls privacy defaults, advertising options, and which features you can use. Take time to verify what your current birth date is set to and whether you want to change it.

Locating Your Current Age Information in Account Settings

Finding your birth date on Facebook requires navigating to your account settings. The process is the same whether you use Facebook on a computer, phone, or tablet. Start by opening Facebook and looking for the menu icon—on computers, this appears as a downward arrow in the top right corner of the page. On phones, it typically shows as three horizontal lines in the bottom right corner. Tap or click this menu.

From the menu, scroll down until you see "Settings and privacy." Click this option, then click "Settings." Facebook will take you to a page with various account settings categories. Look for the section labeled "Personal information." This section contains your basic account details including your name, phone number, email address, and birth date. Click on "Personal information" to expand it and see your current birth date.

Your birth date appears in the format "Month Day, Year." For example, it might show "March 15, 1990." If you see a different date than what you expected, this confirms you need to make an update. Some older accounts may show only month and year rather than a specific day—this is common for accounts created many years ago when Facebook's data collection was less detailed.

You may also notice that your age appears in a different format in other parts of your profile. When viewing your profile as others see it, your age might display as just a number (like "32") rather than your full birth date. This is because you control what information about yourself is publicly visible. Your full birth date is typically hidden from public view and shown only to you and, in some cases, to Facebook's systems.

Take a screenshot or write down your current birth date before making any changes. This way, if something goes wrong or you need to remember what you changed, you have a record. Some people like to double-check their information this way before proceeding.

Practical takeaway: Go to Settings and privacy > Settings > Personal information to find your current birth date. Write it down so you know exactly what you're changing and can verify the change afterward.

Step-by-Step Process for Updating Your Birth Date

Once you've located your personal information section, updating your birth date is straightforward. Next to your birth date, you'll see a pencil icon or "Edit" button. Click or tap this icon. Facebook will open a window where you can modify your birth date information. The window shows three dropdown menus: one for the month, one for the day, and one for the year.

Start with the month dropdown. Click it to see a list of all 12 months. Select the correct month for your birth date. Then move to the day dropdown and select the correct day (1-31, depending on the month). Finally, click the year dropdown. This dropdown may require scrolling since it contains many years. Scroll up or down to find your birth year, then click it. The year dropdown typically goes back many decades to accommodate users of all ages.

After selecting all three elements of your date, look for a "Confirm" or "Save" button at the bottom of the window. Click this button to save your changes. Facebook will process the update and return you to your settings page. You should see your new birth date displayed in the personal information section. If the change didn't take effect, try refreshing your browser page.

There are some restrictions on how often you can change your birth date. Facebook allows you to change your birth date, but if you change it, you must wait a certain period before changing it again. This restriction exists to prevent people from repeatedly altering their age to get around age-based restrictions or privacy settings. If you've recently changed your birth date, Facebook may tell you that you cannot change it again for several months. This message will inform you when you're able to make another change.

If you're updating your birth date on a mobile app, the process is nearly identical. Go to the menu, select Settings and privacy > Settings > Personal information, find your birth date, and tap the Edit button. The same dropdown menus will appear, allowing you to select a new date. Mobile updates process the same way as computer updates.

Practical takeaway: Use the Edit button next to your birth date to open the date selector. Choose your month, day, and year from the dropdown menus, then save. Remember that Facebook limits how often you can make this change.

What Happens After You Update Your Age

Once you've successfully changed your birth date, your age on Facebook updates immediately. However, the effects of this change may take some time to fully spread across Facebook's systems. Your updated age will be reflected in your account settings right away. You'll see the new birth date displayed in your personal information section.

If your age change moved you into a different age category—for example, from under 18 to 18 and over—Facebook's systems will begin adjusting your privacy settings and feature restrictions. This process typically happens within a few hours but may take up to a day to fully complete across all of Facebook's services. During this transition period, you might notice some inconsistency in how features appear or what options are available.

Your updated age may affect advertising you see. If you moved from one age group to another, advertisers targeting specific age ranges will treat you differently. For instance, if you changed your age from 17 to 18, you may now see ads that were previously not shown to you because they target adults 18 and older. This change isn't immediate—it typically takes 24 hours or more for advertisers' systems to recognize your new age.

Some features may become available or unavailable based on your new age. If you updated your age from 17 to 25, for example, you might now see options for Facebook's dating service or other age-restricted features that weren't available before. Conversely, if you changed your age to under 18, certain features may disappear from your account. These changes reflect Facebook's policies about who can use different parts of their platform.

Your age change doesn't affect your existing friends, messages, posts, or photos. None of your content is deleted or hidden because you changed your birth date. Your timeline, memories, and all your historical data remain exactly as they were. Only your privacy settings, feature restrictions, and advertising eligibility are affected by the age change.

Practical takeaway: After updating your age, give Facebook 24 hours to fully process the change across all its systems. Your privacy settings and available features will adjust based on your new age group.

Privacy Considerations and What Information Gets Shared

Your birth date on Facebook is treated as personal information that Facebook protects. By default, your full birth date is not publicly visible on your profile. Only you and Facebook can see this information unless you specifically choose to make it public. You control whether other users can see your birth