Consolidated Statements of Equity - USD ($) $ in Millions	Total	Shareholder’s Net Investment	Preferred Stock [Member]	Common Stock	Additional Paid-in Capital	Retained Earnings (Deficit)	Treasury Stock at Cost	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)	Brighthouse Financial, Inc.’s Stockholders’ Equity	Noncontrolling Interests	Restatement Adjustment	Restatement Adjustment Shareholder’s Net Investment	Restatement Adjustment Preferred Stock [Member]	Restatement Adjustment Common Stock	Restatement Adjustment Additional Paid-in Capital	Restatement Adjustment Retained Earnings (Deficit)	Restatement Adjustment Treasury Stock at Cost	Restatement Adjustment Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)	Restatement Adjustment Brighthouse Financial, Inc.’s Stockholders’ Equity	Restatement Adjustment Noncontrolling Interests
Total Brighthouse Financial, Inc.’s stockholders’ equity		$ 13,597	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 1,265	$ 14,862
Beginning Balance at Dec. 31, 2016	$ 14,862									$ 0
Stockholder's Equity	1	1							1
Balance at January 1, 2018	(1,798)	(1,798)							(1,798)
Other Separation related transactions	1,718	1,718							1,718
Net income (loss) available to Brighthouse Financial, Inc.’s common shareholders	(378)	(1,085)				707			(378)
Net income (loss)	(378)
Separation from MetLife, Inc.	0	(12,433)		1	12,432				0
Effect of change in accounting principle	0
Effect of change in accounting principle | Adjustments for New Accounting Pronouncement [Member]						(301)		301	0
Change in noncontrolling interests	65								0	65
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of income tax	(110)							(110)	(110)
Ending Balance at Dec. 31, 2017	14,580									65	$ 14,576									$ 65
Total Brighthouse Financial, Inc.’s stockholders’ equity		0	0	1	12,432	406	0	1,676	14,515			$ 0	$ 0	$ 1	$ 12,432	$ 481	$ 0	$ 1,597	$ 14,511
Cumulative effect of change in accounting principle and other, net of income tax	(4)					75		(79)	(4)
Net income (loss) available to Brighthouse Financial, Inc.’s common shareholders	865					865			865	5
Net income (loss)	870
Change in noncontrolling interests	(5)								0	(5)
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of income tax	881							881	881
Treasury stock acquired in connection with share repurchases	(105)						(105)		(105)
Share-based compensation	28				41		(13)		28
Ending Balance at Dec. 31, 2018	14,483									65
Total Brighthouse Financial, Inc.’s stockholders’ equity	14,418	0	0	1	12,473	1,346	(118)	716	14,418
Net income (loss) available to Brighthouse Financial, Inc.’s common shareholders	(761)					(740)			(740)	5
Net income (loss)	(735)
Change in noncontrolling interests	(5)								0	(5)
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of income tax	(2,524)							(2,524)	(2,524)
Treasury stock acquired in connection with share repurchases	(442)						(442)		(442)
Share-based compensation	21				23		(2)		21
Preferred stock issuance	412		0		412				412
Dividends on preferred stock	(21)					(21)			(21)
Ending Balance at Dec. 31, 2019	16,237									$ 65
Total Brighthouse Financial, Inc.’s stockholders’ equity	$ 16,172	$ 0	$ 0	$ 1	$ 12,908	$ 585	$ (562)	$ 3,240	$ 16,172