Many TikTok users set up their account when they were under 18 years old and entered an incorrect birthdate that showed them as 18 or older. This allowed them access to TikTok features meant only for adult users. Now some of those users want to change their birthday in TikTok to show their actual age. There are a few reasons users might want to update their real birthday:
- To access age-appropriate content and features
- To avoid restrictions meant for underage users
- Personal preference for showing accurate info
Unfortunately, TikTok currently does not allow users to change their birthday after creating an account. This causes problems for users stuck with an incorrect birthdate. In this guide, we’ll explain why TikTok doesn’t allow changing your birthday and the options you have if you need to update your age.
Why TikTok Requires Birthday Information
TikTok requires users to provide their birthday when creating an account in order to comply with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) regulations. COPPA is a US law that requires online services to obtain parental consent before collecting personal information from children under 13 years old.
By collecting date of birth information, TikTok can identify users who may be under 13 and prevent them from using the app without parent or guardian consent, or restrict their experience to comply with COPPA [1]. This allows the company to avoid penalties for violating COPPA rules.
In addition to COPPA compliance, TikTok uses birthday information to provide age-appropriate content. The app’s algorithms customize the videos shown to each user based on factors like age and interests. Having an accurate birthdate helps TikTok target relevant content for each user’s age group.
The Problems with an Incorrect Birthday
Having an incorrect birthday entered in TikTok can lead to several issues. One problem is that you may be exposed to inappropriate content or accounts that are meant for older users. TikTok’s recommendations and For You page are tailored based on information like your age 1. So if your age is wrong, you may see content you shouldn’t be seeing.
Another issue is not being able to go live if you entered an age under 16. TikTok requires users to be at least 16 years old to host live videos 2. So if your actual birthday shows you’re over 16 but your TikTok birthday is under 16, you’ll be blocked from accessing live streaming.
Finally, having the wrong birthday can cause problems with TikTok’s Family Pairing parental controls. Parents link their TikTok account to their child’s to monitor and restrict certain features. But this relies on accurate birthday information to work properly. If the birthday is wrong, parental controls may not apply correctly.
You Currently Can’t Edit Your Birthday
Unfortunately, there is currently no way to manually edit or change your birthday directly within the TikTok app or website. This is by design – TikTok removed the ability for users to edit their birthday information in order to better protect minors and prevent inappropriate content from being accessed by younger audiences.
When TikTok first launched, users could set their own birthday when creating an account. However, this led to issues with minors lying about their age in order to access restricted content. As a safety measure, TikTok decided to remove the option for users to edit their birthday after account creation.
Now, the birthday you enter when signing up for a TikTok account is permanent and cannot be changed within your profile settings or anywhere in the app. TikTok’s reasoning is to maintain a safe, age-appropriate experience based on the birthday you initially provided.
Contact TikTok Support to Change Birthday
If you entered the wrong birthday when creating your TikTok account, the only way to change it is to contact TikTok’s customer support team directly and request a change. Here are the steps to take:
1. Open the TikTok app and tap on your profile icon in the bottom right corner.
2. Tap on the 3-dot menu icon in the top right and select “Report a Problem”.
3. On the “Report a Problem” screen, tap on “Account”.
4. Select “Wrong personal information” under Account and then tap “Date of Birth is incorrect”.
5. You will be prompted to enter your email address. Provide the email associated with your TikTok account.
6. Explain to TikTok support in the message that you entered the wrong birthday when creating your account. Request that they update it to your correct date of birth.
7. TikTok support will respond via email asking for verification documents such as a photo ID to confirm your real date of birth. Provide the requested documentation.
8. Once TikTok has reviewed your information and confirmed your identity, they will update your birthday on your account. This process usually takes 1-3 business days.
While you wait for TikTok to update your birthday, you may experience issues liking or commenting until the change is made. Be patient and avoid creating a new account, as this could get your original account banned.
Provide Required Verification Info
To change your birthday on TikTok, you’ll need to provide documentation to verify your real age. According to their support article, TikTok requires a copy of your official ID, passport, or driver’s license showing your date of birth. You’ll need to take a clear photo of the ID and submit it through the app. Make sure your full name, photo, and date of birth are clearly visible in the image. TikTok will review your ID submission and match it against the details on your account. This strict verification process ensures they comply with regulations around collecting data on underage users.
Be prepared to wait several days or longer for TikTok to finish reviewing your ID and update your birthday. Changing your age is not an instant process like editing your bio or profile photo. Have patience as their support team verifies your identity. Avoid submitting multiple requests, as that can flag your account for suspicious activity. Overall, providing your legal documents is currently the only way to modify your incorrect birthday within TikTok.
Waiting for TikTok to Review Request
After submitting your request to change your birthday, you’ll need to wait for TikTok’s support team to review it. This process may take some time as they likely receive many requests. TikTok notes it may take a few days for them to get back to you with confirmation your birthday has been updated.
There’s no way to expedite the review process, so all you can do is wait patiently. Resist contacting TikTok again during this time, as that will likely just slow things down further. Keep an eye on the email associated with your TikTok account for their response. Once TikTok has reviewed your ID verification and confirmed your real birthday, your age and related restrictions on the app will be updated.
Create a New TikTok Account
If TikTok takes too long to review and process your request to change your birthday or denies it, another option is to simply create a new TikTok account with the correct birthday. This allows you to start fresh with the proper age from the beginning.
To create a new account, open the TikTok app and select “Sign up.” You’ll need to provide your email address or phone number and confirm your account. Be sure to enter your accurate birthday when prompted. You can then build up your new account’s followers, likes, videos, and more.
The downside is you’ll be starting all over, so you’ll lose your current profile information, followers/following counts, likes, comments, and posts. Make sure to download any videos you want to keep before deleting your old account.
According to How-To Geek, this new account creation approach is the simplest option if you are unable to change your birthday on your current TikTok account.
Other Options to Try
If contacting TikTok support does not work, there are a couple other options you can try to change your birthday:
Use a parent or guardian’s account. If you are under 18, you can ask a parent or legal guardian to contact TikTok support on your behalf to change your birthday. They will need to provide proof that they are your legal guardian.
Contact TikTok support again. If your initial request to change your birthday is denied, you can try contacting TikTok support again after some time has passed. Be sure to provide clear documentation proving your real age. Persistence and multiple support requests may be required to get your birthday changed. According to some users, it took 3-5 requests over several weeks before TikTok finally changed their birthday.
Conclusion
In summary, while TikTok currently does not allow users to directly edit their birthday after creating an account, you can contact TikTok support to request a change. This process involves submitting a request through the app and providing verification info like a photo ID to confirm your identity and correct birthday.
The TikTok support team then reviews these requests, so it may take some time to get a response. If the request is approved, TikTok will update your birthday. Otherwise, you may need to try creating a new account with the right birthday or look into other options we covered to resolve any issues related to having the wrong birthday set on your current TikTok account.
The key takeaways around changing your TikTok birthday are:
- You can’t edit it directly in account settings
- Contact TikTok support through the app to request a change
- Provide verification info like a photo ID
- Wait for TikTok to review the request
- Creating a new account is another option
We hope this gives you a clear understanding of the process and options available for changing your birthday on TikTok if you initially entered an incorrect date.
