Sarah writes: OK, something weird is going on with Facebook, and I only noticed because today is my birthday and no one posted anything to my Facebook timeline. Instead, they all wished me “happy birthday” through individual Facebook messages. Turns out there’s no way to for any of my friends to post anything to my timeline wall. Is something broken?
Hi Sarah! Nope, nothing’s wrong with your Facebook wall—er, your Facebook timeline, that is. Instead, I’m guessing your pals are blocked from posting “Happy birthday!” messages because of a key privacy setting.
Miss getting birthday messages on your Facebook profile? Then make sure your privacy settings allow your friends to post to your timeline.
Try this…
- Click the little down-arrow in the top-right corner of any Facebook page, then select Privacy Settings.
- Find the “Timeline and Tagging” section and click the “Edit Settings” link.
- In the pop-up window that appears, look at the first setting—the one labeled “Who can post on your timeline.” Is it set to “No One”? If so, that’s the culprit. Click the drop-down menu, select “Friends,” then click the blue “Done” button.
Now, ask one of your Facebook friends to try posting “Happy birthday!” to your Facebook timeline again—and with any luck, they’ll see the familiar “Write something…” form near the top of the page.
Bonus tip
Changed the “Who can post on your timeline setting,” but still don’t see any birthday wishes? Check again—except this time, look for a separate timeline event with all your birthday messages grouped together.
Looking for more Facebook tips? Click here!