Determining someone’s birthday can be helpful so individuals can stay connected with loved ones or satisfy one’s curiosity. It can also provide the necessary knowledge to throw a surprise party for someone dear to them. Birthday parties can also help lift spirits and make people feel better. Recognizing another person’s value by celebrating their date of birth gives them a sense of being appreciated. Birthdays are a great occasion to share happiness. That said, asking someone about their birthday date may take a little out of the fun. Fortunately, there are various online and offline ways to learn someone’s date of birth without their knowledge.
If the online approach is not preferred, there are a few ways to get to know someone’s birthday without tipping them off.
People in contact for some time have corresponded via email or text messages. Mentions about birthdays were likely given inadvertently in the past. Scroll through all texts to see if they have mentioned anything about their birthday celebrations in the past or endearing stories about what happened when they were born.
It is an invasion of privacy to take a person’s ID to collect information. There are ethical ways to get people to show their ID without making them suspicious. Taking out one’s Driver’s License or ID and laughing at the photo may lighten the moment, causing the target to drop their guard to take out their identification. Comparison is a great way to do this, allowing one enough time to note their birth date without them knowing.
It is the most straightforward approach because they will understand the need for discreteness, especially if a surprise birthday party is planned. Reach out to them and ask questions while showing the best of intentions. Another source of information is coworkers if they work with the person in the same department. Individuals who have worked with them for years are likely to know their dates of birth or have access to personal files with their birth dates. It is important to reveal why this information is needed, or there may be some resistance. However, this approach carries a risk as some people may not be comfortable sharing that information, even if it appears to be coming from a good place. Others might even inform the person that someone was asking about their birthday.
People who have been friends for some time may have old photographs that show their birth dates. However, it stands to reason that if individuals are long-time friends, they are likely to already know each other’s birthday. If one has forgotten, an old photograph may have dates written on the cover or the back. However, this is an old practice and not practical for current generations.
Due to the increased use of social media and public records sites, it is easier to access personal information such as birthdates. Even if the individual is not that active on social media sites, people lookup or public record services like InfoTracer can assist one in determining this information.
Facebook is the go-to site for personal social media research due to the way it is set up. When Facebook initially came on the scene, users populated the site by contributing personal information such as birth dates, addresses, education levels, and personal relationships. It functioned as a way to get to know someone via their experiences before connecting with them. That is why it remains one of the best ways to tell a person’s date of birth without asking them because of the likelihood they volunteered this information. Similarly, users typically wish a person happy birthday on the day, even if they do not necessarily know the person that well. The platform issues reminders for the person’s birthday, which may be helpful for someone doing that research.
Online public research tools are an excellent way to search for someone’s birthday because they also provide information. Sites like InfoTracer give access to millions of public records within minutes, including a person’s birthday. The platform collects and organizes this information from verified sources, making it accessible to regular users. It may use court records, consumer databases, or arrest records. Interested parties can also access marriage, divorce, and death records, which would potentially be restricted by the county government. All one has to do is sign up through their membership options. Once in the dashboard, type in the person’s first and last name, city, and then state. Select the person of interest from the results and navigate to their personal information.
A random scroll through Instagram posts may show a celebration of birthdays. Posts may have a caption like, ‘Born on July 15,’ which indicates their birth date. It is rather tricky, though, to find someone’s birthday on Instagram, considering the platform does not have a dedicated search field where one can use the parameter to look someone up. There are ways, though, to figure out birth dates. For example, check their bio; some still include their birth date on the profile page. Though it is more arduous, going through their posts or tagged photos could yield the desired result. Telltale signs of a birthday, like candles, cake, or a party hat, could place the record seeker in the ballpark of the date. The only problem with this approach is that people sometimes upload photos on social media a day or two after the event, which may be inaccurate. Instagram also allows users to set privacy settings, which means viewing one’s profile without following them is impossible or vice versa.
WhatsApp can be used to check a person’s birth date, but it is more of a wild card than any previous method. The reason is that WhatsApp does not have specific birthday fields like its sister sites. There is a slight chance that some users may include the date on the profile description. Unfortunately, WhatsApp statuses only last 24 hours, so it will only reveal the person’s birthday on the day, and that is only if they decide to post it. One may get lucky if the person posts status months or weeks before the day. It will give them an advantage and allow them time to plan for a surprise.
Google is the last resort for parties interested in knowing a person’s birthday. The search engine can locate social media profiles, provided they are public. However, there are other search parameters a record seeker can use. For instance, try searching for the person’s name along with the terms ‘birthday’ or ‘birth date.’ It will give all possible results provided the information has been posted on a public page. If the person is famous, their information may be present on local or regional news websites. Local news mentions birthdays as part of a story, though it would be lucky to stumble upon that information. Search articles that mention the person’s achievements, like retirement, promotions, or awards. The authors of these pieces might have also indicated that person’s birth date.
Finding out a person's birthday is an action of endearment that usually ends in strengthened relationships. It shows them that one cares, and if it culminates in a party, that facilitates bonding among mutual friends. Doing it without informing the target should be done ethically and with care for their privacy. It would be counterproductive to get someone upset because of a violation of their space, even though the best intentions were at play