Seeing friends’ birthdays on Facebook is easy on iPhone. Facebook shows friends’ birthdays right on the home page, so you can see at a glance whose birthday it is. You can also view a full birthday calendar to see all upcoming friends’ birthdays.
Here are a few ways to see friends’ birthdays on Facebook for iPhone:
View Birthday Notifications on the Home Page
The easiest way to see friends’ birthdays is right on your Facebook home page. Facebook shows notifications for friends with birthdays today and friends with upcoming birthdays in the next week.
On the home page, look below your main news feed. You will see a box called “Birthdays” that lists friends with birthdays today first. Below that, you’ll see “Upcoming Birthdays” showing friends with birthdays in the next week.
To view a friend’s Timeline and post on their wall for their birthday, simply tap on their name in the birthday box.
Check the Birthdays Calendar
Facebook has a Birthdays calendar that shows all your friends’ birthdays for the month.
To view the Birthdays calendar on iPhone:
- Tap the Menu tab (three horizontal lines) at the bottom right of the Facebook app.
- Scroll down and tap “Events.”
- At the top, tap “Birthdays.”
This will show the birthday calendar for the current month. You can scroll up or down to change months and see previous or upcoming months.
Tap on any date square to see which friends have birthdays on that day. Then tap the friend’s name to go to their Timeline and post a birthday message.
View Birthdays on Friends’ Timelines
You can also see friends’ birthdays right on their Facebook Timeline.
To see a friend’s birthday:
- Go to their Facebook profile page.
- Scroll down on their Timeline until you see “Birthday.” This will show their birthday with the month and day (but not the year).
This lets you view birthdays for individual friends to know when to post on their Timeline for their special day.
Enabling Birthday Notifications
By default, Facebook shows you friends’ birthdays so you can send birthday wishes. However, you can customize birthday notifications in your settings.
Here’s how to adjust birthday notifications on iPhone:
- Tap the Menu tab.
- Scroll down and tap “Settings & Privacy.”
- Tap “Settings.”
- Tap “Notifications.”
- Scroll down and tap “Birthdays.”
- Toggle “Birthday Notifications” on or off.
With birthday notifications on, you’ll get reminders for friends’ birthdays so you never miss an important one.
You can also customize:
- Upcoming Birthday Reminder – Get notified anywhere from 3-7 days before a friend’s birthday.
- Friends’ Birthdays – Show friends’ birthdays in your notifications feed.
- Birthday Messages – Allow friends to send you birthday messages.
Adjust these settings as desired so you see the right birthday notifications.
Posting Birthday Greetings
Once you know it’s a friend’s birthday, you can easily post a birthday greeting right on Facebook.
Here are some ways to post birthday wishes:
Post on Their Timeline
When it’s a friend’s birthday:
- Go to their Facebook Timeline.
- Click on their cover photo to expand it.
- Type your birthday message in the “Write something to [Name]…” box.
- Click Post.
This will post a public birthday message on their Timeline that all their friends can see.
Post in a Private Message
You can also send birthday wishes privately:
- Go to your friend’s Timeline.
- Click the Message button below their cover photo.
- Type your birthday greeting in the message box.
- Hit Enter to send the private message.
This sends a private birthday message only visible between you and that friend.
Post on a Birthday Event
If your friend has created a public Facebook Birthday Event:
- Go to the Event page.
- Click Post in the Discussion tab.
- Type your birthday wishes.
- Click Post to share it to the Event wall.
The friend will get a notification that you posted on their birthday Event.
Post a Birthday Photo
You can also post a birthday photo for your friend:
- Click Photo/Video when creating a post on your friend’s Timeline.
- Select a fun photo with your friend.
- Add a caption like “Happy birthday!”
- Click Post.
Photo posts often get more reactions and comments from friends compared to plain text posts.
Using Facebook Birthday Features
In addition to posting birthday greetings, Facebook has some special birthday features you can use to celebrate friends.
Create Facebook Birthday Videos
Facebook automatically creates birthday videos using your existing photos with a friend:
- Go to your News Feed.
- Click “Friends” in the left menu.
- Go to the friend’s profile that has an upcoming birthday.
- Hover over their cover photo.
- Click “Create Birthday Video.”
This generates a short birthday video filled with your best photos together. You can preview and edit it before posting.
Send Virtual Gifts
Facebook lets you send virtual birthday gifts like cards, flowers, or cupcakes:
- Click the gift box icon when posting on your friend’s Timeline.
- Browse the birthday gift categories.
- Select a birthday gift to send.
- Customize the gift if desired.
- Click Send to post it.
These virtual animations help make your birthday messages more fun and personalized.
Create Facebook Fundraisers
You can set up a birthday fundraiser for a charity your friend cares about:
- Go to your friend’s Timeline.
- Click “Create Fundraiser” below their cover photo.
- Select the nonprofit.
- Customize fundraiser details and goal.
- Click Create.
This provides an easy way for the community to donate to a cause in honor of your friend’s birthday.
Birthday Notifications Troubleshooting
If you aren’t seeing friends’ birthdays on Facebook for iPhone, here are some troubleshooting tips:
Adjust Notification Settings
Go to Settings > Notifications > Birthdays and make sure you have birthday notifications enabled. You can also customize what types of notifications you get.
Update the Facebook App
Make sure you’re running the latest version of the Facebook app. Open the App Store, search for Facebook, and update if needed.
Connect Your Calendar
Connecting your iPhone calendar to Facebook allows it to automatically import your friends’ birthdays:
- Go to Settings > Facebook settings.
- Tap “Events and Calendar.”
- Toggle “Sync Calendar” on.
- Select your iPhone calendar.
Check Privacy Settings
Friends may have customized their privacy settings to hide their birthday. You’ll only see the birthday if they make it publicly visible to friends.
Contact Facebook Support
If you still can’t see friends’ birthdays, contact Facebook Support for personalized troubleshooting help.
Conclusion
Seeing friends’ birthdays on iPhone is easy with Facebook’s birthday notifications and calendars. Enable birthday notifications, post fun birthday greetings, send virtual gifts, and create fundraisers to maximize Facebook’s birthday features. Customize your notification settings as needed so you never miss sending warm birthday wishes to friends.