How to Change Your Snapchat Birthday (and Why It Won't Let You)

A wrong birthday on Snapchat usually starts with a rushed sign-up: you scrolled the date wheel too fast, picked a placeholder date, or a friend set the account up for you. Then your friends wish you happy birthday on the wrong day, or your astrology profile makes no sense, and you go looking for the setting.

The good news is that you can fix it yourself in a few taps. The less good news is that Snapchat limits how often you can do it, and some people can't change it at all. I'll go through the steps from Snapchat's help pages first, then the limits, so you get it right on the first go.

Changing your Snapchat birthday in Settings

Snapchat's help gives these steps for the app:

1. Open Snapchat and go to your profile (My Account).
2. Tap the gear icon to open Settings.
3. Under Shortcuts, tap My Account.
4. Under Change My Info, tap Birthday.
5. Scroll the calendar wheel to your correct date of birth.
6. Tap Continue to confirm.

Before you tap Continue, check the day, the month and the year one more time. Because of the limits below, a second slip can leave you stuck with the wrong date.

How many times can you change your birthday on Snapchat?

Snapchat's help says you can only change your birthday a limited number of times. It doesn't say how many, so I won't guess. Treat every change as if it might be your last one.

If you try to change it and see a message that says Hey, Time Traveler, Snapchat's help says you've likely already changed it too many times and can't change it again. That message isn't a glitch you can wait out or fix by reinstalling the app.

Why some people can't change their Snapchat birthday

There's one more rule in Snapchat's help: if the birthday currently on your account shows you're under 18, you can't change it. That applies even if the date on the account is wrong. It's there to protect younger users, so it's not something a workaround should get you past.

Your situation	What Snapchat's help says
Adult account, first change	Update it in Settings under Change My Info, Birthday
You see Hey, Time Traveler	You've likely changed it too many times
Current birthday shows under 18	You can't change it
Want Support to do it for you	Support generally can't change it

If you set up a Snapchat account for a teenager in your family, this is worth knowing before it becomes a problem. The date you enter at sign-up shapes the account from day one, so take a moment to get it right rather than picking any date to get through the screen.

Can Snapchat Support change your birthday for you?

Snapchat's help says Support generally can't change your birthday for you. You can still use the Contact Us option on the help article if you think something has gone wrong with your account, but I wouldn't count on a manual fix. That's why I keep saying: check the date carefully before you confirm.

What your Snapchat birthday affects

Your birthday isn't just a date on a form. Snapchat's help says your Astrological Profile depends on the birthday in your Settings, so if your star sign looks wrong, the birthday is the first thing to check. It's also what tells friends when to send you a birthday Snap. If you want ideas for doing that for someone else, I've written about wishing a friend happy birthday on Snapchat.

Birthday, username and display name: which can you change on Snapchat?

People often hit the birthday limit while tidying up their whole profile, so it helps to know what else has rules. Snapchat's account settings help says:

• Your display name can be changed anytime.
• Your username can be changed once a year.
• Your birthday can be changed a limited number of times, and not at all if the account shows you're under 18.

If you run a Snapchat account for your business, the display name is the one to play with. Keep the username steady so customers can find you, and set an accurate birthday for the person who owns the account. For more on building a following once your profile's sorted, see my tips for growing your Snapchat followers.

A wrong birthday can also cause small confusions with friends. If people keep sending birthday Snaps on the wrong day, a quick message explaining the mix-up does the job while you sort the setting.

If the Snapchat birthday setting won't save

1. Update Snapchat, close it fully and reopen it.
2. Check your internet connection, then try the steps again.
3. Read any message on screen. Hey, Time Traveler means the change limit, not a connection problem.
4. Check whether your current birthday puts you under 18, which blocks the change.
5. If you still think it's an error, use Contact Us on Snapchat's help article about changing your birthday.

One last word of caution. Never hand your login details to a website or account offering to change your Snapchat birthday or reset the limit for you. Snapchat's own Settings and help centre are the only places to do it.

Frequently asked questions

How do I change my birthday on Snapchat?

Go to your profile, tap the gear icon, tap My Account under Shortcuts, then Birthday under Change My Info. Pick the date on the calendar wheel and tap Continue.

Why can't I change my birthday on Snapchat?

Snapchat's help gives two reasons: you've already changed it too many times, or your current birthday shows you're under 18.

What does Hey, Time Traveler mean on Snapchat?

Snapchat's help says it means you've likely changed your birthday too many times and can't change it again.

How many times can you change your Snapchat birthday?

A limited number of times. Snapchat doesn't publish the exact number, so check the date carefully every time.

Can Snapchat Support change my birthday?

Snapchat's help says Support generally can't change your birthday for you.