Facebook’s relationship status feature allows users to display their romantic partnership status publicly on their profile. Users can choose from several different options to describe their current relationship situation, ranging from “Single” to “In a Relationship” to “Married” and more. Relationship status is an optional feature users can share if they want to, but it’s not required information. Below we’ll explore how relationship status works on Facebook and what the different options entail.
Setting a Relationship Status
To set a relationship status on Facebook, go to your profile page and click on the “About” section. Here you’ll see your current relationship status displayed (if you’ve already set one) and you can click on the current status or “Edit” to change it.
When you click to edit your relationship status, a pop-up will appear with the following options:
- Single
- In a relationship
- Engaged
- Married
- In a civil partnership
- In a domestic partnership
- In an open relationship
- It’s complicated
- Separated
- Divorced
- Widowed
You can select the status that best represents your current romantic situation. Once you’ve selected a status, click “Done” and your new relationship status will display on your profile.
What the Different Relationship Statuses Mean
Here’s a breakdown of what each relationship status option generally means:
Single
This means you are not currently in a romantic relationship with someone.
In a Relationship
This indicates you are romantically involved with someone. You can display your partner’s name by editing the relationship status and typing in their name.
Engaged
You are engaged to be married.
Married
You are married.
In a Civil Partnership
You are in a legally recognized civil partnership, which is an alternative to marriage for same-sex couples in some countries.
In a Domestic Partnership
You are in a long-term, committed relationship and live together but are not legally married or in a civil union. This is sometimes used by same-sex couples who cannot legally marry in their country/state.
In an Open Relationship
You are in a non-exclusive romantic relationship with one or more partners where you can date/have romantic encounters outside of the relationship.
It’s Complicated
It’s difficult to definitively describe the status of your romantic relationship at the moment.
Separated
You were previously married but are now separated from your spouse and no longer living together.
Divorced
Your marriage officially ended in divorce.
Widowed
Your spouse passed away.
Displaying Your Partner’s Name
For relationship statuses like “In a Relationship,” “Engaged,” and “Married,” users have the option to display their partner’s name as part of their relationship status.
When editing your relationship status, a field will appear where you can type in your partner’s name. Their name will then display next to your relationship status on your profile, e.g. “In a relationship with John Smith.”
Displaying your partner’s name is optional – you can leave the field blank if you prefer to just have the relationship status without the name.
Privacy Settings
Your relationship status is by default displayed publicly on your profile where anyone can see it. However, you can adjust the privacy settings for your relationship status:
- Public: Anyone who can see your profile can view your relationship status.
- Friends: Only people in your friends list can see your relationship status.
- Specific friends: You can customize it so only certain friends you pick can see your relationship status.
- Only Me: Your relationship status is hidden from everyone else and only you can see it.
To edit the privacy settings for your relationship status:
- Go to your profile and click on your relationship status.
- Click on the audience selector (globe icon) next to your relationship status.
- Choose who you want to be able to view your relationship status.
Making your relationship status visible only to certain people or just yourself gives you more control over who sees sensitive relationship information.
Special Considerations for Complex Relationship Situations
While Facebook provides relationship status options to cover most common situations, sometimes relationships can be difficult to define or don’t fit neatly into one of the default categories. Here are some things to keep in mind if your romantic situation is complex:
- If you are separated but still legally married, you may want to list your status as “Separated” rather than “Married.”
- The “It’s Complicated” option is useful if you have trouble summarizing your status in one of the other options. For example, if you are in an on-again, off-again relationship.
- Consider leaving your relationship status blank if you are unsure of how to classify your situation or prefer to keep it private.
- Remember you can adjust the privacy settings if needed to limit who can see your relationship details.
While Facebook provides commonly used relationship status options, every situation is unique. Focus on finding the status that you feel best represents your current circumstances, even if it’s not a perfect fit.
Updating Your Relationship Status
It’s important to keep your relationship status up to date as your situation changes. Here are some key times you may want to update your relationship status:
- When you enter a new romantic relationship
- When you get engaged or married
- If you separate from your partner
- When you get divorced
- If you break up with a partner
- When a partner passes away
Major life events like these are usually good indicators it’s time to update your status. Changing your relationship status helps ensure it accurately represents your current circumstances.
In addition to major events, you can update your status anytime you feel it no longer aligns with your situation – for example, if your status is listed as “In a Relationship” but you and your partner decide to be exclusive. Regularly double checking that your relationship status reflects your reality is a good practice.
When to Remove an Ex’s Name
If you display your partner’s name as part of your relationship status, it’s courteous to remove their name if you break up. As a general rule of thumb, remove an ex’s name from your relationship status within 1-2 weeks after a breakup.
You don’t necessarily have to update your overall status right away if you need time to process the breakup. But removing your ex’s name quickly helps avoid potentially awkward situations where others may see you listed as “In a relationship with [Ex’s Name]” when in reality you are no longer together.
Can You Hide Your Relationship Status Completely?
While Facebook encourages users to share their relationship status, you do have the option to hide it completely:
- Go to your profile and click on your relationship status.
- Choose “Edit” to change your current status.
- Select “Only Me” from the audience selector options.
This will remove your relationship status from your profile so no one else can see it. The only indication will be a small icon next to your name in the About section signifying your status is only visible to you.
Pros and Cons of Displaying Your Status
Are there advantages to making your romantic status public on your profile? Consider the following:
Pros
- Lets loved ones share in the excitement of relationships and life milestones.
- Avoids having to update your status repeatedly to different friends.
- Gives a more complete picture of who you are.
- Clear indicator if you are single or not.
Cons
- Less privacy around your love life.
- Could lead to unwanted attention or messages.
- Status may not convey nuances of complex situations.
- Breakups can be awkward if status shared widely.
There are reasonable upsides and downsides depending on your personal preferences around privacy. Customizing your privacy settings can help balance the benefits of sharing while limiting who can view sensitive details.
Displaying Your Relationship Status vs. Older Generations
Sharing your relationship status publicly on social media is much more common with younger generations like Millennials and Gen Z. Older generations may be less inclined to display such personal information so openly online.
Baby Boomers in particular tend to be more private in general about their relationships. They are also less likely to have a robust Facebook presence overall compared to younger users.
Here are some key generational differences:
| Generation | Typical Behavior |
|---|---|
| Baby Boomers | More likely to keep relationship status offline. May see displaying status publicly as oversharing. |
| Generation X | Moderately likely to post relationship status, but may restrict to “Friends Only.” Greater focus on privacy controls. |
| Millennials | Very likely to share relationship status publicly and celebrate relationships online. |
| Generation Z | Also very open about displaying relationship status publicly. Social media natives comfortable sharing online. |
Younger generations are much more prone to use social media as a public platform for their personal relationships. Older generations tend to take a more cautious and private approach in the digital space when it comes to romantic affairs.
How Breakups Work
Ending a relationship can be difficult, and social media adds another layer of complexity. Here are some things to keep in mind if you go through a breakup:
- Update your status within 1-2 weeks but take your time processing the breakup.
- Remove your ex’s name from your profile. This avoids misrepresentation if connections still see their name.
- Consider taking a social media break or limiting usage during the post-breakup transition period.
- Unfollowing or unfriending your ex can help avoid constant reminders and give space.
- Delete old romantic photos with your ex if it doesn’t upset you.
Give yourself grace as you navigate breakup complexities in the digital age. While social media adds challenges, focus on self-care and handling the change at your own pace.
Extra Profile Options for Same-Sex Couples
Facebook provides expanded relationship status options tailored to same-sex couples. Rather than just having “Married” as a status option, same-sex couples can also choose:
- In a Civil Partnership
- In a Domestic Partnership
This provides more accurate representation for same-sex couples who cannot legally marry in certain locations but have still formalized their relationship. The platform aims to be more inclusive with status options for all types of romantic partnerships.
Adding a Life Event
In addition to updating your relationship status, same-sex couples have the option to post a “Life Event” on Facebook when they get married, joined in a civil union, or form a domestic partnership. This allows you to share even more details and photos from the occasion with your network.
To add a same-sex union life event:
- Go to your profile and click “Add Life Event.”
- Choose “Joined in a Civil Union” or “Joined in a Domestic Partnership.”
- Fill in the date and your partner’s name.
- Share photos, details, and more about your special day.
Posting a same-sex union life event enables you to share this milestone and memories with close connections.
The Future of Relationship Statuses Online
As more aspects of dating and relationships move online, it’s likely that social media relationship statuses will need to continue evolving to represent the diverse range of romantic experiences that exist. Here are some potential ways Facebook relationship statuses could expand in the future:
- Polyamorous status option for those with multiple romantic partners
- “Questioning” status for those exploring their sexuality/orientation
- Enhanced privacy controls and options to omit a status entirely
- Clarifying terminology – “partner” instead of “husband/wife”
- Statuses customized based on gender identity
While Facebook has made efforts to be more inclusive with relationship status options, there are still many individuals whose stories are not accurately reflected in the current predefined statuses. Finding ways to continue enhancing how relationship diversity is represented will likely be an ongoing conversation given societal shifts in how we approach gender, sexuality, and partnerships.
Conclusion
Facebook’s relationship status feature enables you to publicly display your romantic circumstances in an abbreviated, defined way. While status options cover most typical relationship scenarios, individuals are encouraged to choose the status that most closely aligns with their own situation. As life changes unfold, it’s important to keep your status updated to accurately reflect your current reality. The platform still has room to grow in how inclusively it allows diverse romantic experiences to be represented online.