Many users are concerned about how much of their personal data Facebook has access to. One common question is whether Facebook can access a user’s phone calls. The short answer is that the Facebook app does request permission to access call data on a user’s device. However, Facebook claims they do not listen to or record phone calls.
Does the Facebook app request call log permissions?
Yes, when you install the Facebook app on your iPhone or Android device, one of the permissions it requests is access to your call logs. This allows the Facebook app to have access to a log of all incoming and outgoing calls on your phone, as well as the duration of those calls.
This call log data includes all calls made outside of the Facebook app. So even if you never make VoIP calls through Facebook, they still have access to metadata about your regular phone calls.
Example of Facebook call log permissions request on iPhone
When you install the Facebook app on an iPhone, you get the following permissions request:
| Access | Facebook requests access to: |
| Contacts | Your contacts |
| Calendar | Your calendar |
| Call Logs | Your call history |
| Photos | Your photos |
| Camera | Your camera |
| Microphone | Your microphone |
As you can see, call history access is one of the permissions Facebook asks for if you want to use the Facebook app on your iPhone.
Example of Facebook call log permissions request on Android
On Android, you get a similar permissions request when installing the Facebook app:
| Permission | Explanation |
| Calendar | Allows the app to access your calendar |
| Camera | Allows the app to take pictures and videos |
| Contacts | Allows the app to access your contacts |
| Location | Allows the app to access your location |
| Microphone | Allows the app to record audio |
| Phone | Allows the app to access call information |
| SMS | Allows the app to read your text messages |
| Storage | Allows the app to access photos, media, and files |
The “Phone” permission listed above gives Facebook access to your call logs on Android devices.
What call data does Facebook actually collect?
According to Facebook, the call log data they access is only used to improve targeted advertising and friend recommendations. They say they do not listen to or record your actual phone calls.
Specifically, Facebook claims they collect the following call data:
– Date and time of calls and texts
– Contact names
– Phone numbers
– Call lengths
They use this metadata about who you are contacting most frequently to improve ad targeting and suggestions for people you may want to become friends with on Facebook.
Does Facebook record or listen to my calls?
Facebook claims that they do not record, listen to, or transcribe the actual content of your phone calls. They only access the metadata about who you called, when, and for how long.
Some key facts according to Facebook:
- They do not listen to or record phone calls using the microphone.
- They do not transcript or keep audio of VoIP calls on Messenger or WhatsApp.
- They only use call log data to improve their services.
Facebook states that actual call content goes no further than your phone and is not stored on their servers.
Can I disable Facebook’s access to my call data?
Yes, you can revoke Facebook’s access to your call logs and phone permissions:
On iPhone
To revoke call log access on iPhone:
- Open the Settings app
- Scroll down and tap Facebook
- Toggle off the switch next to “Call & SMS Logs”
This will prevent Facebook from accessing your call history going forward.
On Android
To revoke call log access on Android:
- Open the Settings app
- Tap Apps or Application Manager
- Select Facebook
- Tap Permissions
- Toggle off the “Phone” permission
You may also want to toggle off other unnecessary Facebook permissions while you’re there.
Limiting Facebook’s data access
Here are some additional tips to limit how much of your call data Facebook can access:
- Use the Facebook mobile website instead of the Facebook app. The mobile site does not request permissions to access your call logs.
- Limit your app permissions in iOS and Android settings. Only enable permissions an app absolutely needs.
- Avoid syncing your contacts with Facebook. This gives them less metadata about who you know.
- Turn off backup of your call data to iCloud or Google Drive. This prevents backups of your call logs from being accessed.
Conclusion
While Facebook does request access to users’ call logs, they claim this data is only used for improving services and advertising. They state that no actual call content is recorded or listened to. However, many users are still uncomfortable with Facebook having access to their call metadata. Fortunately you can simply revoke Facebook’s access to this data in your app permissions settings on both iOS and Android. Limiting app permissions is a good practice to protect your privacy.