Instagram asks for your date of birth to know how old you are. Enter your real date of birth, not the date you created your profile. Check the day, month, and year before confirming. Did you receive the question in a message or email? Open the Instagram app yourself and check whether the question appears there too.
Below, you can read what the question means, what to watch for, and what you can do if your date of birth is incorrect.
Is entering your date of birth on Instagram mandatory?
You cannot always skip the question. Meta wrote in 2021 that your date of birth could ultimately be required to continue using Instagram.
That announcement does not describe exactly the screen you see now. Therefore, read the notice in your app. Can you not continue without entering a date? Then enter your real date of birth.
Do not choose a made up date just to get past the question quickly. You would be providing an incorrect age. You may need to have it corrected later.
What do age verification and a Teen Account mean on Instagram?
Entering your date of birth is not the same as proving your age. This is the difference:
- Date of birth: the day, month, and year you were born. Your age can be calculated from this.
- Age verification: an additional check to determine whether your stated age is correct.
- Teen Account: an account for a young person, with protection for that age group. Instagram also calls this Teen Accounts.
According to Meta’s explanation from 2022, the minimum age is usually 13, sometimes higher. Changing from under 18 to 18 or older may require additional age verification.
The minimum age is therefore different from the threshold for an adult account. You may be old enough to use Instagram while youth settings still apply to your account.
Would you like to know what protection applies to your Teen Account? Read the explanation Instagram displays for your account. The rules and available settings may change.
Who can see your date of birth on Instagram?
Giving Instagram your date of birth is different from putting it on your profile. If you add your birthday to your bio, the short text on your profile, or a post, you share it with the people who can view it.
Read the privacy explanation when entering the information to see how Instagram uses your date of birth and who can see it. You do not also need to put your date of birth in a public post to respond to a verification check.
Do you not want visitors to work out your birthday from your profile? Check your bio and public posts. Also pay attention to information that reveals more when combined. A day of birth in your bio and an age in a birthday post could together reveal your full date of birth.
Can you change an incorrect date of birth on Instagram?
Check your account information to see whether you can correct your date of birth. Do not assume that an error is permanent.
Can you not change the date, or is Instagram refusing the change? Search Instagram’s official help for ‘change date of birth’. The available steps may vary.
Suppose: you accidentally entered the wrong year of birth. Note what is currently shown and what it should be. Do not try various years; ask to have your real date of birth set instead.
What if Instagram thinks you are too young?
First, read exactly what Instagram is asking. A regular request for your date of birth is different from a notice that your account has been restricted because of your age. If there is a restriction, use the option to appeal if Instagram offers one.
- Read the entire notice. Note the reason and the deadline for responding, if one is included.
- Check your information. Is the date of birth incorrect? Briefly explain what the error is.
- Follow the provided steps. Use the instructions in the app or the official help to which the app directs you.
- Keep the confirmation. Note when you submitted your request. Also keep a request number if you receive one.
How you can prove your age depends on the options Instagram offers you. There is no fixed timeframe for a response. Appealing also does not mean you will definitely regain access.
What should you watch for during age verification on Instagram?
Check a request in the app before sharing information. Pay attention to the following:
- Do not send identification, your password, or a login code to anyone who contacts you through a private message.
- Does the official verification request a document? First read what is needed and how it will be used.
- Do not pay anyone who promises to remove an age restriction.
- Do not use someone else’s information or documents.
Unsure about a link you received? Open the Instagram app yourself. This way, you do not have to rely only on the message to determine whether the request is genuine. If you also publish your own content, our Instagram services includes packages for followers and likes. The product pages show the available quantities and prices.
