It happens to the best of us. Maybe you were rushing through the initial setup of a new device three years ago and flicked the scroll wheel a bit too fast. Or maybe you intentionally "aged up" a kid’s account to bypass some restriction, only to realize that now Screen Time is a mess and nothing works right. Whatever the reason, figuring out how to change your age on iPhone is one of those tasks that sounds like it should take ten seconds but often ends up being a massive headache involving Apple IDs, Family Sharing, and rigid security protocols.
Birthdays are permanent. Apple treats them that way too.
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Basically, your "age" on an iPhone isn't just a number in a profile; it's the master key for the App Store, privacy settings, and data tracking. If the system thinks you're twelve, it's going to treat you like a twelve-year-old regardless of whether you're actually thirty-five.
The basic way to update your birth date
If you are an adult with a standard, non-managed Apple ID, this is usually pretty straightforward. You don't need a computer. You don't need to call support.
Grab your phone. Open Settings. Tap that name at the very top—the one that leads to your iCloud and Media settings. From there, you'll see Personal Information. Inside that menu is your birthday.
Tap it. Change it. Hit Done.
Sounds easy, right? For most people, it is. But there’s a catch. If you try to change your age to anything under 13 (or whatever the legal age is in your specific country, like 14 in Spain or South Korea), the iPhone might stop you dead in your tracks. Apple is terrified of COPPA (Children's Online Privacy Protection Act) violations. They don't just take your word for it if you're trying to move an account into a "minor" status.
Why you might be locked out of your own birthday
Sometimes you go to that screen and the birthday is greyed out. You tap it and... nothing. This isn't a glitch.
If you are part of a Family Sharing group, the organizer has a lot of power. If your account is flagged as a child's account, you generally cannot change your own age. This is by design. If kids could just hop into settings and tell the iPhone they were 21, parental controls would be useless.
Apple’s official stance is that once a birth date is set to under 13, you can’t change it without some serious jumping through hoops. Honestly, it’s a pain. According to Apple's own support documentation, if you need to correct a mistake for a child under 13, you might actually have to contact Apple Support directly. They are the only ones who can override certain backend age gates once the account is solidified in the system.
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Dealing with the under-13 barrier
Let’s say you’re the Family Organizer. You realized you set your kid’s age wrong.
You can't just fix it from their phone. You have to go into your own iPhone, go to Settings, tap your name, then Family Sharing. Select the child's name. There should be an option for Birthdate. Even then, if you're trying to change it from under 13 to over 13, the system gets suspicious.
Often, you'll need to verify your identity using a credit card on file. Apple uses this as a "proof of adulthood" check. If you only have a debit card or no payment method attached, you might get stuck in a loop.
The ripple effect of your iPhone age
Changing your age isn't just about the number. It's about what happens to your apps.
If you change your age and suddenly the system thinks you're a minor, you'll lose access to certain features. Personalized ads might turn off. Location sharing might get restricted. Most importantly, if you drop below the age of 18, you might find that "Ask to Buy" suddenly gets toggled on, meaning you can't even download a free app without a notification being sent to your parents (or whoever is the Family Organizer).
It’s also worth mentioning that your Apple ID age affects things like:
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- Apple Communications: Whether you get marketing emails.
- Data Privacy: Apple’s "Sign in with Apple" feature handles data differently for minors.
- Focus Modes: Some automated suggestions change based on your demographic.
What if you're using a managed Apple ID?
If your iPhone was provided by a school or a workplace, you're likely using a Managed Apple ID. In this scenario, you have almost zero control. The IT administrator at the organization is the "god" of your device settings.
You can't change your age. You can't even sign out of iCloud usually. If the age is wrong on a managed device, you have to talk to your IT department. They have to change it in the Apple School Manager or Apple Business Manager portal. You're basically at their mercy.
Common mistakes and "The Glitch"
I've seen people try to "fix" their age by signing out of iCloud and signing back in. Don't do that. It doesn't work. The age is tied to the Apple ID on Apple's servers, not the physical hardware of your iPhone.
Another weird thing? Sometimes the change doesn't "take" immediately across all devices. You might change it on your iPhone, but your iPad still thinks you're 12 for another hour. This is just a caching issue. A quick restart of the device usually forces it to ping the Apple servers and update the local profile.
Actionable steps to fix your age right now
If you’re staring at your phone frustrated, here is exactly what you need to do depending on your situation.
For most adults:
- Open Settings.
- Tap your Name at the top.
- Tap Personal Information.
- Tap Birthday.
- Update it and tap Done.
For parents fixing a child's account:
- Open Settings on YOUR (the adult's) phone.
- Tap your Name, then Family Sharing.
- Select the Child.
- Tap Birthdate and follow the prompts. You will likely need to enter the CVV of your credit card.
If everything is greyed out:
- Check if Screen Time restrictions are on. Go to Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions. Sometimes "Account Changes" is set to "Don't Allow."
- Switch it to "Allow," and try the steps above again.
- If that fails, and you are not a minor, you'll have to go to appleid.apple.com on a web browser. Log in there. Sometimes the web interface allows for changes that the iOS UI blocks for no apparent reason.
If none of these work, it's time to face the music and start a chat with Apple Support through the "Support" app or their website. They will ask for ID in some cases, so have a driver's license or passport handy if the age discrepancy is significant.
Changing your age is a core security change. Apple won't make it as easy as changing your wallpaper, but it's doable if you follow the right path. Check your Family Sharing settings first, as that is almost always where the roadblock lives. Once the change is confirmed, give the device ten minutes to sync up before you try downloading any age-restricted apps or changing privacy settings.