# Can't Change My Date of Birth on Instagram: Will a Wrong Age Get My Account Restricted? > Instagram won't let you change your date of birth? Why age changes are limited, how a wrong age can trigger restrictions, and how to fix it. - URL: https://www.awarexone.com/research/instagram-cant-change-date-of-birth - Author: Md Shariar Shanaz Shuvon, Founder & CEO, AwareXone - Published: 2026-10-29 - Topics: Instagram, Age verification - Related service: Instagram account recovery: https://www.awarexone.com/social-media-recovery/instagram-account-recovery ## Short answer Instagram limits date of birth changes and may ask for age verification, such as ID or a video selfie, before accepting one. A wrong age can put you into teen settings or, under new age rules in Australia, Malaysia and elsewhere, lead to removal. Change it once through Accounts Center, Personal details, and verify if asked. ## Summary - Birthday changes are limited. - Instagram may ask for ID or a video selfie. - A wrong under-16 age can lead to removal in some countries. - Teen settings apply to under-18 ages. - Change it once, correctly. Getting your age right matters more in 2026 than before. Last checked: 29 October 2026 against the sources listed at the end of this guide. ## Why can't I change it? - You've changed it recently. - The new age changes your teen status. - Instagram wants verification. > Warning: **One wrong step can cost you the account.** One wrong step can cost you the account, so know what you are doing before you start. If you are not sure, do not submit an appeal yet. Ask AwareXone for a free expert review first, then act. Your birthday controls more than what appears on your profile. It decides whether you get teen account settings, which ads you can see, and, in some countries, whether you are allowed an account at all. Because of that, Meta limits how often the date of birth can be changed and may ask you to prove your age before accepting a big change, especially one that moves you from under 18 to over 18. Meta's How video selfie age verification works on Facebook page explains one of the checks Meta uses across its apps: you record a short video selfie and an age estimation tool estimates your age from it. Meta may also offer an ID upload instead. If you are asked for either, the change usually waits until the check is done. ## What can a wrong age cause? | Wrong age | Possible result | | --- | --- | | Under 13 | Account removal | | Under 16 in Australia or Malaysia | Account may be removed under local rules | | Under 18 | Teen account settings | | Older than real | Fewer protections | Local age rules raise the stakes. Australia's eSafety Commissioner explains in its social media age restriction FAQs that age-restricted platforms such as Instagram must take reasonable steps to stop under-16s having accounts, and that platforms cannot force people to use government ID as the only way to prove age. Malaysia's MCMC has also introduced under-16 rules for social media, set out on its Under-16 page. If your account shows an age below the local minimum, Instagram may deactivate or remove it. A wrong age the other way also matters. If a teenager's account shows them as an adult, they lose the protections Meta built for teen accounts, such as tighter messaging and content settings. Meta's June 2026 newsroom post Strengthening Teen Accounts with New Safety Updates on Instagram and Facebook describes how these settings work. ## How do I fix it? 1. Open Accounts Center (or Meta Account), Personal details, and follow the prompts to change your birthday. 2. Enter the correct date. 3. Complete ID or video selfie checks if asked. Related guides: [Is My Threads Account Shadowbanned? How to Check Hidden Replies and Lost Reach](https://www.awarexone.com/research/threads-shadowbanned-check). Change the birthday once, to your real date of birth, from Accounts Center, Personal details, Birthday. If Instagram asks you to confirm your age, use the option that suits you, such as a video selfie or your own ID. Use good lighting and a plain background for a selfie, and a clear, uncropped photo of the ID. Then wait for the result before trying anything else. If you are told you cannot change the birthday right now, note the date and come back later rather than trying again and again. If your account was removed because of the age it showed, read the notice carefully. It may offer a way to confirm your age and restore the account. ## What common mistakes should I avoid? - Changing the birthday several times. - Using someone else's ID. - Ignoring the verification request. - Lying about age to avoid teen settings. Be careful of websites and apps that claim they can change your Instagram age for you or verify you without a check. They usually want your login, and sharing it puts the account at risk. Never send your ID to anyone except through Instagram's own in-app or help centre flow. ## How do I keep the account safe while I sort this out? - Never share a login code, password or backup code with anyone, including people who say they work for Meta, the police or a recovery service. - Make sure the email address and phone number on the account are ones you still control, and remove any you do not recognise. - Turn on two-factor authentication where the platform offers it, ideally with an authenticator app, and keep your backup codes somewhere offline. - Log in only from the official app or by typing the address yourself, not from links in messages, comments or ads. - Keep screenshots of every notice, email and step you take, with dates, in case you need them for a review or a report. - Make one careful attempt at each official step rather than many rushed ones, because repeated failed attempts can trigger extra checks. ## When It Is Safer to Get Expert Help Ask for help before you appeal if the account matters to your income, your business or your memories, if you have already had one appeal rejected, or if you cannot tell whether the problem is a bug, a restriction or a hack. That is where most avoidable losses happen. AwareXone has solved 1,300+ cases and works only through official platform processes. Support is available 24 hours, every day. We never ask for your password, login codes or backup codes, and we never name our clients. [Request a free case review](https://www.awarexone.com/contact?interest=account-recovery-case) or [message us on WhatsApp](https://wa.me/601137634679). Malaysian cases are priced in MYR; other markets are quoted in USD after review. AwareXone is independent and not affiliated with Meta, Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp or Threads. Recovery work is best-effort and the platform makes the final decision. - The account was removed or locked because of the age it showed. - The video selfie or ID check failed and you are not sure why. - Someone else changed the birthday on your account. - The account is a business or creator account that cannot go offline. ### Can I use a parent's ID? No, use your own. ### How long does verification take? Meta says a video selfie age check can take up to 20 minutes on Facebook; Instagram shows the result in the app. ### Will my account be removed? Only if the age falls below the minimum for your country or for Instagram. In Australia and Malaysia that can include under-16 rules. If removed by mistake, look for the option to confirm your age. ### Can you help? Yes, a free review. ### What if I entered the wrong birthday by accident when I signed up? Change it once to the correct date in Accounts Center, Personal details, Birthday. If Instagram asks you to confirm your age, complete the check with your own ID or a video selfie. Do not keep changing it, because repeated edits can lock the field for longer. ### Can AwareXone check my case before I appeal? Yes. AwareXone offers a free case review. Send us what you see on screen and what you have already tried, and an expert will tell you whether to appeal, wait or take another route. We never ask for your password or codes. ## Official sources - [Official: Social media 'ban' or delay FAQs (eSafety Commissioner) (read 29 October 2026)](https://www.esafety.gov.au/about-us/industry-regulation/social-media-age-restrictions/faqs) - [Official: Under-16 (MCMC) (read 29 October 2026)](https://www.mcmc.gov.my/en/onsa/under-16) - [Official: How video selfie age verification works on Facebook (read 29 October 2026)](https://www.facebook.com/help/1386337538619854) - [Official: Strengthening Teen Accounts with New Safety Updates on Instagram and Facebook (read 29 October 2026)](https://about.fb.com/news/2026/06/strengthening-teen-accounts-with-new-safety-updates-on-instagram-and-facebook/) - [Official: How to change your Instagram profile information (read 29 October 2026)](https://help.instagram.com/583107688369069) --- AwareXone is an independent Malaysia-based provider, not affiliated with any platform. The platform makes the final decision on every account. AwareXone never asks for passwords, OTP codes, backup codes or session cookies.