Yes, it is possible to link your Facebook account to the contacts in your phone. Connecting the two allows you to find friends who use Facebook and makes it easier to invite those who don’t to join.
How does linking contacts work?
When you opt to link your contacts, Facebook will compare the phone numbers and email addresses stored in your contacts against the same data that Facebook users have added to their profiles. Any matches found will allow Facebook to suggest friend connections or send invites on your behalf.
Linking does not give Facebook direct access to your contacts or automatically send invites or friend requests. You remain in control of what actions are taken after matches are found.
Why link contacts?
There are a few key benefits to linking your Facebook account with your phone contacts:
- Find friends already on Facebook – Easily connect with contacts who also use Facebook but aren’t yet friends or followers.
- Invite friends not on Facebook – Send invites to those in your contacts who haven’t yet joined Facebook.
- Expand your network – Connecting with more friends and contacts helps build out your Facebook network.
How to link contacts on mobile
If you access Facebook on your phone, linking your contacts is a quick and easy process:
- Open the Facebook app on your iPhone or Android device.
- Tap the three-line menu button in the top right corner.
- Select “Settings & Privacy” then choose “Settings.”
- Tap “Account Ownership and Control.”
- Select “Find Friends” then choose “Sync Contacts.”
- Tap “Continue” then select the account containing the contacts you want to link.
- Confirm that you want Facebook to periodically sync and upload your contacts.
Once complete, you’ll see an alert when Facebook finds contacts who are already on the platform. You can then choose to send friend requests or follow them to connect.
Link Contacts on iOS
If you have an iPhone, you can also link contacts directly from your device’s Settings app:
- Open Settings and select the Facebook option.
- Choose Contacts then toggle on “Sync Contacts.”
- Select the account with the contacts you want to make available to Facebook.
Link Contacts on Android
For Android users, open the Contacts app to link to Facebook:
- Launch the Contacts app.
- Tap the three vertical dots menu in the top right.
- Select “Contacts to display” then choose “Linked accounts.”
- Tap on the Facebook option then log into your account when prompted.
- Toggle the slider on to sync contacts.
How to link contacts on desktop
You can also connect your contacts through the Facebook website when accessed on a desktop computer:
- Click on the down arrow at the top right of Facebook.
- Select “Settings & Privacy” then click “Settings.”
- Click on “Accounts” in the left sidebar.
- Under “Find Friends,” click “Sync Contacts.”
- Enter your password when prompted.
- Click “Continue” then select the contacts source you want to link.
Once your contacts are synced, head to your Friends page to find and connect with any matches.
Where does Facebook look for matches?
When comparing your contacts against Facebook profiles, there are a few key places Facebook checks for matching information:
- Email addresses
- Phone numbers
- Full names
Even if you have a contact’s mobile number saved but they use a different email on Facebook, linking can still detect a match between the name and phone. The more complete the contact info you have, the more accurate match detection will be.
What contact info does Facebook access?
When you first opt to link your contacts, Facebook will access the following data:
- Names
- Phone numbers
- Email addresses
No other contact details are accessed. Things like street addresses, notes, social media profiles, dates of birth, etc. remain strictly on your device and are not viewable by Facebook.
Can I select which contacts are linked?
Unfortunately you cannot pick and choose which individual contacts get linked to Facebook. It’s an all-or-nothing type of connection.
However, you can select which account or contact source to link. For example, link contacts from your iCloud but not your Yahoo address book. iPhone users can also use the “Groups” feature to organize contacts and only sync certain groups to Facebook if desired.
Is linking contacts safe? How is privacy managed?
Facebook uses industry standard security measures and encryption to protect synced contact data. Only you have access to the raw data – Facebook just gets hashed versions of things like phone numbers to check against user profiles.
You also must explicitly give permission for the initial sync to happen. Without your approval, Facebook cannot access your contacts.
Other key privacy protections include:
- Contacts never get stored on Facebook servers – hashed data for matching is discarded after use.
- Contacts remain under your control and are not shared with anyone else.
- You can disable contact linking at any time to stop future syncs.
Is there a way to link contacts without sharing data?
Unfortunately no – some type of data access is required to allow Facebook to compare and match contacts. The key is limiting this strictly to what’s needed for matching rather than sharing full access.
Can I sync contacts from multiple sources?
Yes, you can link contacts from multiple sources like iCloud, your Android phone contacts, Gmail, etc. However, you can only have one address book connected at a time.
To switch sources, simply disconnect the current one linked then go through the sync process again choosing a different account when prompted.
Can I link contacts on multiple devices?
Syncing your contacts can be set up across all devices where you use Facebook. However, only one mobile device at a time can have live contact syncing enabled.
You can switch between devices by turning off syncing on the old device then initiating linking on the new mobile device or computer. All previously matched friends will still be connected.
Is there a way to re-sync contacts after updating info?
Yes! Facebook will periodically re-check linked contacts to catch any updated info. Typically every couple of weeks.
You can also manually trigger a re-sync anytime by simply tapping “Sync Contacts” again in the Facebook app or website settings. Just let the process complete to refresh the data.
Can I undo contact linking?
Yes, you can disable the contact sync connection at any time:
On mobile:
- Go to Settings & Privacy > Settings
- Tap “Account Ownership and Control”
- Choose “Find Friends” then select “Sync Contacts”
- Tap “Unlink” to detach contacts
On desktop:
- Click Settings & Privacy > Settings
- Select the “Accounts” tab
- Under “Find Friends,” click “Sync Contacts”
- Click “Unlink” to detach contacts
This will stop all future syncing and matching but won’t undo any existing friend connections.
Can I select individual friends after linking contacts?
Yes! After linking your contacts, Facebook will suggest friends based on matches. You can then choose to connect with some while ignoring others.
On the Friends page, click “Add Friend” next to suggested friends you want to connect with. Skip any you don’t by simply doing nothing. You’re in control.
How many contacts will Facebook sync at one time?
Facebook will sync up to 10,000 contacts at a time from your selected address book source. If you have over 10,000 contacts, it will need to perform syncing in multiple batches.
The 10,000 contact limit applies each time you re-sync your address book. All contacts will update with each batch.
What happens if I delete a contact after syncing?
Deleting a contact from your address book does not automatically remove any connections or information on Facebook. Friends linked to that contact will remain connected even after it’s deleted locally.
To fully detach a contact, you will need to manually unfriend or disconnect from that person directly on Facebook after deleting the contact.
Can I link contacts again after unlinking?
Yes, you can re-enable contact syncing after previously unlinking. All the same options will be available to select an address book source and sync your data again.
Any previous matches will remain as Facebook friends. Newly added contacts may generate new connections after re-linking.
What happens to linked contacts if I deactivate Facebook?
If you temporarily deactivate your Facebook account, all linked contacts and friend connections will remain intact if you choose to reactivate.
Nothing on Facebook will change while your account is deactivated. Contact sync settings will persist in the background for when you return.
Can I link Facebook contacts to my address book?
Unfortunately the contact linking only works one way – from your address book to Facebook. There is no way to sync Facebook friends back to your local contacts.
You have to manually add each Facebook friend’s details individually if you want to save their info in your main contacts list.
Is there a limit on how many contacts I can link?
Facebook allows you to sync up to 10,000 contacts at one time. If you have more than 10,000, you’ll need to link contacts in multiple batches of 10,000 each time.
There is no lifetime limit on the number of different contacts you can sync. The limit is only on each individual linking action.
Conclusion
Linking your existing phone and email contacts to Facebook can be a quick way to find friends already on the platform as well as invite others to join.
The process allows you to expand your connections while maintaining control over who you ultimately connect with. Privacy precautions help keep your data secure in the process.
Turning on contact syncing is fast on both mobile and desktop. Just be aware that you’ll need to manually unlink contacts if you ever want to detach the integration in the future.