Yes, you can view your contact list on Facebook. Facebook allows you to see a list of all your Facebook friends as well as any phone numbers and email addresses you have uploaded to Facebook.
Viewing Your Facebook Friends List
To view your full list of Facebook friends, follow these steps:
- Go to your Facebook profile page
- In the left sidebar, click “Friends”
- This will open your friends list, displaying all of your Facebook friends in alphabetical order
You can also view your friends list by clicking on the “Friends” tab at the top of your Facebook page. Here you will see all your friends along with their profile pictures.
Facebook displays your friends list in columns, grouped alphabetically by first name. You can browse through the list to view all your connections. There is also a search bar at the top you can use to search for specific friends.
If you have a large friends list, you may need to click “See All” at the bottom to load more friends. Facebook will show you a few hundred friends per page.
Viewing Your Full Contact List
In addition to your Facebook friends, you may have also uploaded your email and phone contacts to Facebook. This allows Facebook to match your external contacts to their Facebook profiles.
To view your full contact list including imported email and phone contacts, follow these steps:
- Go to your profile page and click “More” in the left sidebar
- Select “Contacts”
- Here you will see sections for your Facebook friends as well as any contacts synced from your phone or email
The contacts will be organized into the following categories:
- Contacts on Facebook – Contacts who also have Facebook profiles
- Other contacts – Contacts from your address book who don’t have Facebook profiles
- Invited – Contacts you have invited to join Facebook
You can click into each section to view the full list of contacts. There is also a search option to look up specific contacts.
Downloading Your Contacts
If you want to download a copy of your Facebook contact data, you can request it from the Settings page.
Follow these steps:
- Click the down arrow at the top right of Facebook
- Select “Settings”
- On the left sidebar, click “Your Facebook Information”
- Click “Download Your Information”
- Deselect all categories except “Contacts”
- Click “Create File”
Facebook will compile all your contact data including friends, email contacts, and phone contacts into a downloadable file. It may take up to a few days for them to prepare the file.
Once ready, you will get a notification from Facebook. You can then go back to Your Facebook Information and click “Available Copies” to download your contact list.
Exporting Your Contacts
Another way to access your contacts is by exporting them:
- Go to your Contacts list in your profile
- Click the More Options button (three dots)
- Select Export Contacts
- Choose whether to export Facebook Friends, Other Contacts, or All Contacts
- Click Export
This will save a file with your contacts to your computer. The file will be in .vcf format which you can open in an application like Contacts on Mac or iPhone.
Important Considerations
Here are some important things to keep in mind about downloading your Facebook contacts:
- Downloaded contacts may not include all data fields (depends on user privacy settings)
- You need to request the download again to get updated contact data
- Facebook lists all contacts in one uncompressed file
- File format is .html and includes profile links
- Only you can see your full contact list
- List includes inactive/deleted contacts until they are permanently deleted
In summary, Facebook provides several ways to access and export your friends list and full contact data from the platform. You can view contacts directly, download a file, or export them in .vcf format. However, contact data is dependent on user privacy settings.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I download my contacts from the mobile app?
Yes, you can download your Facebook contacts from the mobile app as well. On iOS, go to Settings & Privacy > Settings > Your Facebook Information > Download Your Information. On Android, go to Menu > Settings & Privacy > Your Facebook Information > Download Your Information. Then select Contacts and create the download file.
How often is the contact data updated?
The contact data file reflects the current state of your contacts at the time you make the download request. Facebook does not automatically update it. You need to manually request a new download to get updated contact information.
What details are included for each contact?
The details included for each contact depend on that user’s privacy settings. Typically it includes name, profile link, work/education info, current city, contacts info, and birthdate if shown on profile. It does not include private data like email/phone number if the user has not made that public.
Can I export contacts to a CSV file?
Unfortunately Facebook does not directly support exporting contacts to a CSV file. The download format is HTML. However, you can open the HTML file in a spreadsheet editor like Excel and convert it to CSV using the Save As option.
Does the data include inactive or deleted contacts?
Yes, the downloaded contacts file includes inactive friends and recently deleted contacts. Permanently deleted contacts are eventually removed from the list once the account is permanently deactivated.
Comparison of Contact Download Options
| Option | Data Included | File Format | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Download Your Information | All contacts data | .html file |
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| Export Contacts | Selected contacts | .vcf file |
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Conclusion
Facebook provides you with complete access to your contacts from the platform. You can view your friends list and sync contacts directly within your profile settings. For exporting your contacts, the download your information option gives you the most comprehensive data while exporting gives you faster access in a standard format.
Keep in mind Facebook friend data is subject to each user’s privacy settings. You may not always get access to all contact details. Downloaded data also includes inactive contacts and needs to be refreshed to get updated info. Overall, Facebook does give you good options to backup and export your contacts for external use.