Using Social Media
Pull up the person’s Facebook profile to view their info. One easy way to discover someone’s birthday is to look them up on Facebook. If you have an account of your own, log in and type their name into the search bar at the top of the screen. Once you get to their profile, you should see their date of birth displayed in the info box below their profile picture. If the person has a private account, you’ll need to become friends with them to view their info. Tap or click the “Add Friend” button next to their name to send them a friend request. If their date of birth isn’t listed in their infobox, try scanning their timeline to see if their other friends wished them a happy birthday the previous year. Just scroll down the page until you come to a group of birthday posts made on the same day.
Follow the person on Instagram and search for birthday-related posts. If you’re on Instagram, you may be able to learn when someone’s birthday is looking through their photos. Visit their profile page, or that of one of their good friends, and review their posts from the past year. It’s not uncommon for people to post pictures of themselves on their birthdays, so chances are good that something will turn up. If you’re still not having any luck, try scouring a mutual friends’ posts to look for pictures of them with the person you’re looking for. Keep in mind that if the person’s page is private, you’ll have to send them a follow request and wait for them to approve it before you can access their posts. Tag, You're It Friends often wish each other a happy birthday by tagging them in posts on their own Instagram pages. Tap the far-right tab under the person’s username to navigate to their “Tagged Photos” section and browse the pictures they’ve been tagged in.
Look for a birthday cake emoji to appear beside their name on Snapchat. Snapchat displays a birthday cake emoji by users’ names on the birthday they specify in their info. If you’re friends with the person on Snapchat, type their name into your friend's list and see if a cake shows up next to it. You may need to do this daily for a little while if you only have a vague idea of when their birthday is. To get a better idea of when someone’s birthday is from their Snapchat profile, check to see if they have their zodiac sign listed on their info panel. Their sign will appear as a small purple box emoji with 1 of 12 symbols inside.
Check their Twitter profile page or look for balloons on their tweets. Like other social media platforms, Twitter allows users to add their birthday to their info section. If the person has entered their birthday, it will appear in the upper left-hand side of their page. When their actual birthday arrives, there will be a neon balloon overlay applied to any posts they make on that day. Including your date of birth on your profile page is optional, so if the person opted not to enter theirs, you’ll have no choice but to find it out some other way.
Asking Around
Consult your mutual friends. Talk to any friends or acquaintances you have in common and ask them if they happen to know when the person’s birthday is. Even if they can’t tell you off the top of their head, they may offer to try and find out for you, which will keep you from having to ask the person yourself. Try saying something like “I think Richard’s birthday is coming up soon. Would you happen to know what day it’s on?” If you’re planning on surprising the person, be sure to mention it to your connection. Otherwise, they might let the cat out of the bag accidentally.
Ask your boss or another coworker if you work with the person. A coworker will likely have the information you’re looking for, especially if they’ve worked with the person for multiple years. If not, speak with your boss in private and request their help in finding out. They may be able to consult the company’s employee records on your behalf. You might also be able to discover a coworker’s birthday in the process of seeking permission to throw an office party for them. Try asking something like, “Would it be alright if we planned a small party for Naomi’s birthday? Do you know exactly what day it is?” Privacy Policy Some companies may not be at liberty to give out their employees’ personal information, so it’s a good idea to have a backup plan in case your request is refused.
Get help from the person’s family if you know them well enough. If the person is a close friend, appeal to one of their relatives. It’s as simple as saying “I’m drawing a complete blank. When is John’s birthday again?” Chances are, they’ll be more than happy to jog your memory. You should only reach out to someone’s family members if you’ve known them personally and have had contact with them in the past. Otherwise, your harmless request may be perceived as an invasion of privacy.
Finding out from the Person Themselves
Take the direct approach by asking the person upfront. If you recently met the person, there’s no harm in simply asking them when their birthday is. Saying “When is your birthday? What do you usually like to do for it?” can be an easy way to get the information you’re looking for and start a friendly personal conversation They’ll probably be pleased that you care enough to ask! If the person is an old or close friend, they probably won’t care if you admit that their birthday slipped your memory. Just casually ask, “You’ve got a birthday coming up pretty soon, don’t you? When is it again?” None of Your Business Avoid asking someone how old they are as a lead-in. This could be construed as mildly offensive if you don’t know them very well.
Gather clues by having the person share memories about their birthday. For a more subtle option, ask the person about the best birthday they’ve ever had, or ask them to describe their ideal birthday to you. As they answer, see if you can pick up on key pieces of info, like what season it was or other events that took place around that time. If you’re still having trouble getting an exact date of them, alter your line of questioning to press them for more revealing details. If they mention going ice skating, for example, you might say, “That sounds fun. So your birthday is in the winter?”
Bring up your birthday to encourage them to talk about theirs. Make an offhand remark about your birthday and see if the person reveals anything about their own in response. A statement like, “I love having a February birthday. It gives me something to look forward to when it's cold and dreary outside” can serve as bait to get them to open up about their birthday, or at least the month or general time of year. If your birthday is coming up, you can also say something like, “Only one month until my birthday!” and see if they mention how long they have until theirs.
Ask the person about their zodiac sign if you’re familiar with astrology. Knowing someone’s astrological sign can get you much closer to pinpointing their exact date of birth. Broach the subject by getting the person to tell you their zodiac sign and use that info to deduce a range of possible birthdays. This will at least put you in the ballpark and help you focus your search. When the person names their sign, try to get them to divulge their actual birthday with a casual follow-up question like, “Oh, you’re a Pisces. That means you were born in September, right?” With a little prompting, they’ll probably tell you the exact date. If the person doesn’t know their sign, work your way towards the information you want in reverse—ask them when they were born, then go into the astrological significance of the date and time. They’ll never suspect that you were trying to learn when their birthday is.
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