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Birthday Reminder

Guide

Facebook birthday reminders — what happened and what to use instead

If you remember the old Facebook birthday reminders — the little list in the sidebar telling you whose birthday was today — you've probably noticed they're gone. Facebook quietly removed the dedicated birthday notification feature years ago. If you still want to catch every birthday, here's what to do.

Do people get reminders when it's your birthday on Facebook?

Yes — Facebook still shows birthdays today in the right-hand sidebar on desktop and in some notification streams, but the feature is much less prominent than it was. Some friends will see your birthday in their notifications on the day; many won't, especially if they rarely open Facebook. If you rely on Facebook birthday reminders to hear from friends, assume most of them simply won't see it anymore.

How to see upcoming birthdays on Facebook

On desktop, go to facebook.com/events/birthdays to see upcoming birthdays. On the mobile app, tap the menu and choose Events, then Birthdays. There's no dedicated Facebook birthday reminder notification anymore — you have to go look.

Replacing Facebook birthday reminders

The best replacement for Facebook birthday reminders is a dedicated birthday reminder app. Export friends' birthdays from Facebook once (or add them manually), then let an email-first service like Birthday Reminder notify you a few days before each one. You'll never again find out someone's birthday a week after it happened.

How to turn off Facebook birthday notifications

To stop Facebook from showing your friends' birthdays to you: Settings → Notifications → Birthdays → turn off. To hide your own birthday from friends: Profile → About → Basic Info → change the privacy setting on Birthday.

Frequently asked questions about Facebook birthday reminders

Do people get reminders when it's my birthday on Facebook?

Some friends will see it in the sidebar on the day, but Facebook no longer sends a push notification for birthdays. Many friends will miss it.

How do I see upcoming birthdays on Facebook?

Go to facebook.com/events/birthdays on desktop, or Events → Birthdays in the mobile app.

What replaced Facebook birthday reminders?

A dedicated birthday reminder app with email reminders is the closest replacement — Birthday Reminder emails you before every birthday.

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