How To Find Facebook Account By Phone Number

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Trying to find a Facebook account by phone number can be frustrating, especially when you need to identify an unknown or suspicious caller. Only a small fraction of Facebook’s 2.9 billion monthly users* link their phone numbers to their profiles, so it can be confusing to know where to start if you don’t have a Facebook spy app.

In this guide, I’ll share four effective ways to find a Facebook account using just a phone number. These include third-party apps and search engines, allowing you to uncover the information you need quickly. If you’re looking for more information on someone, whether they’re a friend you want to reconnect with, a networking contact, or someone suspicious, seeing their Facebook profile could give you the insight you need. Let’s dive in.

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Why Should You Search Facebook Account by Phone Number?

Searching for a Facebook account by phone number can be helpful in a number of situations. While the best spy apps can give you a deep dive into someone’s social media accounts, there are reasons why you may want to look up someone’s Facebook account when all you have is their phone number:

  • For networking: Networking is crucial in professional settings, and Facebook has become an important platform for staying connected. Searching Facebook by phone number can help you find colleagues or business contacts who may not be easy to find by name alone. This makes it easier to build stronger professional relationships.
  • To identify a caller: Receiving calls or texts from an unfamiliar number can be unsettling. With Americans receiving over 1.6 billion spam calls weekly in 2023, looking up a phone number on Facebook is a surefire way to discover the caller’s identity, whether it’s an acquaintance, someone you suspect of being a catfish, or just spam.
  • To reconnect with someone: People change numbers or move, and it’s easy to lose touch. By searching their old phone number on Facebook, you might be able to track them down, even if they’ve switched phones or locations. This method is especially effective when you don’t have other details like their email.
  • To check for potential scams: If you’ve received suspicious messages or calls from a number with no caller ID, a quick Facebook search can help. It lets you check if the number is linked to a real person or business. This can be particularly helpful in spotting scam attempts before engaging further, giving you a layer of protection from fraud.

Just quick note before we start: if you are more interested in viewing what a vulnerable family member or partner is actually doing on Facebook, you may like to read my dedicated guide to the best Facebook spy apps

Method 1: Sync Phone Contacts with Your Facebook Account

A simple way to find someone’s Facebook account using their phone number is by syncing your phone’s contacts with Facebook. When you do this, Facebook’s “Find Friends” feature will automatically search through the phone numbers in your contacts to see if they’re linked to any Facebook profiles.

Here’s how to sync your contacts:

Step 1: Open the Facebook App
Begin by opening the Facebook app on your phone. Make sure you’re logged in.

Screenshot showing Facebook home page on an Android device

Step 2: Go to the Menu
Select the menu icon (three horizontal lines) located at the bottom right on iOS devices or the top right on Android devices.

Screenshot showing the menu icon on Facebook

Step 3: Select “Find Friends”
Scroll down the menu and tap on Find Friends. This will direct you to the screen where you can sync your contacts.

Screenshot showing Find Friends page on Facebook

Step 4: Search for Friends
On the next page, you’ll see a search bar where you can input the number of the person you’re searching for.

Screenshot showing Search for friends

Once the search is complete, you’ll see a list of suggested Facebook accounts. If the person you’re looking for has their phone number linked to their Facebook account, they should appear here. Of course, this method fails if the person you’re searching for isn’t in your contacts, but it can be a good method if you want to track your cheating spouse to see what other Facebook accounts they may have linked to their phone number.

Method 2: Use Direct Search On Facebook

You can also search for someone’s Facebook account by directly entering their phone number into Facebook’s search bar. However, this approach is not very effective since most people, including 60% of teens, don’t publicly display their phone numbers on Facebook in order to protect their online privacy.

The trick is to first save your target’s phone number in your contacts. If they’ve enabled the setting for friends to find them through contact info, the number could match a Facebook profile. You could also try searching by entering the phone number with its area code. 

Below are the steps for searching for a person’s number on Facebook.

Step 1: Log in to Facebook

Go to Facebook via browser or the app and log in.

Screenshot showing Facebook's Sign Up page

Step 2: Click the Search Bar

At the top of the page or app, you’ll see a search bar. Click on the search bar to begin your search.

Screenshot showing Search Facebook

Step 3: Enter the Phone Number 

Type the phone number, including the area code, into the search bar and press enter. If the number is connected to a public Facebook profile, the account will appear in the search results.

Screenshot showing phone number search result

If the search doesn’t yield any results, the number is likely not listed publicly on Facebook.

Direct search can occasionally yield results; however, it’s not the most reliable method. Many users ensure data privacy with strict privacy settings and don’t list their phone numbers publicly.

If you want to cut to the chase, using a third-party app is far more effective. These tools can give you access to useful information, such as location, employment details, and phone carrier information.

Method 3: Use Facebook’s Forgot Password

If you’re trying to find a Facebook account by phone number, one clever trick is to use Facebook’s Forgot Password feature. By posing as the phone number owner who has lost their password, you can trigger Facebook’s recovery process. This method will reveal the profile photo and name of the account linked to that number.

Here are the steps I followed when I tried out this method:

Step 1: Go to the Facebook website 

Open a browser and go to Facebook.com. Click on Forgot Password below the login form.

Screenshot showing Facebook Sign Up page

Step 2: Enter the Phone Number

In the password recovery section, type in the phone number you’re trying to search for. Then, click Search.

Screenshot showing Facebook Find Your Account page

Step 3: View the Profile Information

If the phone number is associated with a Facebook account, Facebook will show the account’s profile name and photo. This will help you identify who the number belongs to.

Screenshot showing User's information.

At this point, you’ve found the information you were looking for. Simply close the page without going through with resetting the password.

Method 4: Find A Facebook Account Using a Third-Party Tool or Website

In my experience, using third-party tools or websites is the most reliable way to find someone’s Facebook account by phone number. Most people don’t list their phone numbers publicly on Facebook, so direct searches often fall short. These tools collect information from various sources, making it easier to identify someone, even if all you have is their phone number. Social Catfish is my favorite tool for the job – here’s how it works:

How To Use Social Catfish To Find A Facebook Account By Phone Number

While using Social Catfish, I experienced first-hand how easy it is to find someone’s Facebook account with just their phone number. I did this using the dedicated Reverse Phone Lookup tool. 

How To Use A Phone Number To Find A Facebook Account With Social Catfish

Here's the quick step-by-step process I followed to search for a Facebook account using Social Catfish.

  1. Step 1: Navigate to the Reverse Phone Lookup Feature on the Social Catfish Site

    Head to the Social Catfish website and select the “Phone” search option. This feature specializes in finding people by phone number.

    <strong>Step 1: Navigate to the Reverse Phone Lookup Feature on the Social Catfish Site</strong>
  2. Step 2: Input the Phone Number

    Enter the phone number in the designated search bar and click “Search.” Ensure you include the correct country code if it’s an international number.

    <strong>Step 2: Input the Phone Number</strong>
  3. Step 3: Wait for the Search Results to Load

    Social Catfish will cross-reference the phone number with its extensive database to identify any connected Facebook profiles. Be patient as the system analyzes the data, it doesn’t take long.

    <strong>Step 3: Wait for the Search Results to Load</strong>
  4. Step 4: Submit Your Email Address

    To access the findings, provide your email address in the prompt and click “Submit.”.
  5. Step 5: View and Unlock the Report

    Once the system completes its search, click “Unlock Result Now” to view details about the phone number owner, including their Facebook account, if found. Payment will be required at this step.

Read our full Social Catfish review.

What Other Info Can I See With A Reverse Lookup Tool?

Depending on the platform, reverse lookup tools can offer various valuable information. Here are some of the useful details they can provide.

  • Location data
  • Images
  • Employment history
  • Current or previous school
  • Criminal record history
  • Property and asset details
  • Social media accounts
  • Contact details like email address
  • Relatives and associates
  • Phone carrier information

What Are the Limitations of Searching For a Facebook Account By Phone Number?

The main limitation when searching for a Facebook account by phone number is privacy. Most users don’t make their phone numbers public on Facebook, so their profiles won’t appear in your search. Even if a profile shows up, it may not be enough to get more details about them, especially if you’re not connected as friends.

Third-party spy apps are more reliable since they can access databases that aren’t accessible through regular searches. These tools provide additional info like addresses, workplaces, and other social media accounts, giving a fuller picture of the person’s identity. If you need to dive even deeper and are looking to monitor an employee’s activity or want a parental control app for monitoring your child’s Facebook, specialized apps can provide you with even more detail.

Conclusion

Finding someone on Facebook using just their phone number can be tricky, especially with the privacy restrictions many users have in place. However, there are a few different methods you can try, all of which are very easy. Some ways that are free include syncing your phone contacts with you Facebook account, using the ‘Forgot Password’ function, or entering the phone number directly into the Facebook search bar.

You could also try using a third-party lookup up. Although not free, they are very affordable and offer the most reliable solution. Of all the apps I tested, Social Catfish stood out as my top recommendation. It’s fast, cheap, and offers you multiple ways to find a Facebook account, including by email, image, and of course phone number.

Third party apps can also uncover other information about the person whose account you’re searching for, including things like location data, images, and employment history. This can be an effective way to identify scams or catfish, figure out who has been calling you, or for reconnecting with lost contacts.

FAQs

Can I find someone on Facebook with their phone number?

Does Facebook notify someone if I search for them using their phone number?

Can I find deleted Facebook accounts using their phone number?

Is it safe to search for someone on Facebook using their phone number?

Can you find someone on Facebook using their phone number if it’s not on their profile?

References

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Joshua Adegoke
Tech Writer
Joshua Adegoke
Tech Writer

Joshua Adegoke is a technical writer who began his writing career at CareerKarma before joining other reputable organizations like PrivacySavvy and MakeUseOf. With over two years of experience in crafting tech-centric articles and user guides, his expertise cuts across various niches, including Tech, SaaS, edTech, career navigation, and security. Joshua uses his extensive experience and ability to demystify tech to inform, provide support, and improve the tech competency of his readers. Joshua started writing for Techopedia in February 2024 and since then has since created a large number of articles on topics such as cybersecurity and business software.