How to Change Your Relationship Status on Facebook (Phone and PC)

A relationship status is one of those small profile details that people notice straight away, so it's worth knowing exactly where it lives and who can see it. Whether you're updating it for personal reasons or tidying your profile before you start sharing more of your business, the whole job takes under a minute.

I'm using Facebook's own help pages for every step below, so what you read here matches what Facebook says to do. Menus do get moved around between app versions, so if a button has a slightly different name on your screen, use the About section as your starting point.

Changing your relationship status on the Facebook phone app

Facebook's Android steps for adding or editing your relationship status are:

1. Tap Menu in the top left of Facebook, then tap your name.
2. Tap See your About info.
3. Scroll down to the Relationship section.
4. Tap Add Relationship, or tap Edit if you've already added a status.
5. Choose your relationship status, and use the audience selector to choose your privacy setting.
6. Tap Save.

The audience selector matters more than people think. It's the little button that decides whether the status is public, visible to friends or visible only to you, so set it before you save rather than after.

Changing your Facebook relationship status on a computer

On a computer the route is slightly different, because the setting sits under Family and relationships:

1. Click your profile picture in the top right of Facebook, then click your name.
2. Click About, then click Family and relationships.
3. Click Add a relationship status, or click Edit next to the one you've already got.
4. Choose your status from the drop-down menu.
5. Use the audience selector to choose who you want to share it with.
6. Click Save.

Adding a partner's name to your Facebook relationship status

Depending on the status you pick, Facebook may also let you add the name of the person you're in a relationship with, and your anniversary. There's a rule here that catches people out. According to Facebook's help pages, you can only list someone in your relationship status if you're friends with them on Facebook.

It also takes two. The other person has to confirm that you're in a relationship together before they're listed. Until they do, it won't show their name. If you're not yet friends, you can sort that first, and my walkthrough of adding friends on Facebook covers it.

The partner side works the same way in reverse. Facebook says each person controls who can see their own relationship status on their profile. So if you confirm a relationship when your partner updates theirs, it may appear on their profile, depending on their audience settings, while yours stays governed by yours.

Choosing who can see your Facebook relationship status

Sharing a relationship status is optional. Facebook's help page says you choose who can see it with the audience selector, and you can change that choice at any time by editing the status again. In practice you've got a few sensible ways to run it:

• Show it to friends only, which keeps it away from strangers and from anyone checking you out before a work conversation.
• Make it public, if you're happy for anyone who finds your profile to see it.
• Keep it visible only to you, which gives you a tidy profile record without telling anyone.

Check the audience each time you change the status, not just the first time. It's easy to assume a setting carries over when it doesn't.

Hiding your relationship status on Facebook without deleting it

If you'd rather nobody saw it, you don't need to remove the status. On the Android app, Facebook's steps are:

1. Tap Menu in the top left of Facebook, then tap your name.
2. Tap See Your About Info.
3. Scroll down to Relationship and tap Edit.
4. Tap the audience selector and choose Only Me.
5. Tap Save.

Facebook adds one more useful detail. If you haven't added a relationship status yet, you can still see your privacy setting by selecting Add your relationship status and choosing the setting you want, before you add anything at all.

Adding a Facebook relationship status as a life event

Facebook's help page mentions one extra option: you can also add your relationship status as a life event on your profile. That turns the change into a post people can react to, so it's a different thing from quietly editing your About section. If you'd rather keep the change low-key, edit the About section and skip the life event.

A relationship status for creators and small business owners

Lots of the people I work with run a personal brand on their own profile, which means customers, clients and collaborators see the same page their friends do. Here's how I'd think about it. That's my advice rather than anything Facebook says.

• Decide on purpose whether your profile is personal, professional or a mix, and set the audience for your relationship status to match.
• If you're updating several profile details at once, such as your photo, make the changes in one sitting so the profile looks consistent. My guide on the best time to change your Facebook profile picture covers that side.
• Remember that a relationship status is part of your personal profile, so it isn't something you'd add to a business Page.

If you can't find the relationship status option on Facebook

1. Check you're on your own profile. The setting only appears in your About section, not on someone else's.
2. On the phone app, go to Menu, then your name, then See your About info and scroll all the way down. The Relationship section sits lower than people expect.
3. On a computer, look for Family and relationships on the left of the About page.
4. Update the Facebook app, then close it and reopen it. A newer version may have moved the menu.
5. Still nothing? Facebook's Help Centre has related articles on relationship status visibility and on what you can do when a romantic relationship ends, and you can report a problem from the Help and support menu.

For the rest of the series, see the Facebook Help: 80 Guides to Pages, Groups, Ads, Stories and Fixes.

Frequently asked questions

How do I change my relationship status on Facebook?

Go to your profile, open About, find Relationship (Family and relationships on a computer), tap or click Edit, choose the new status, pick an audience and save.

Can I list my partner in my Facebook relationship status?

Yes, if you're friends with them on Facebook. They also have to confirm the relationship before their name is listed.

How do I hide my Facebook relationship status?

Edit the Relationship section, open the audience selector, choose Only Me and save. The status stays on your profile but only you can see it.

Does Facebook tell everyone when I change my relationship status?

It depends on the audience you choose and whether you also add it as a life event. Facebook says you can add it as a life event, which shares it as a post, so skip that if you'd rather keep it quiet.

Why can't I add my partner's name?

You can only list someone you're friends with on Facebook, and they need to confirm it. Check you're friends first, then try again.