Finding someone’s phone number on Facebook can be useful if you want to get in touch with them but don’t have their contact information. While Facebook doesn’t display phone numbers publicly in profiles, there are a few different approaches you can use to try to find someone’s phone number if you need it.
Search on Facebook
The first place to check is Facebook itself. While phone numbers aren’t displayed on profiles, some users do choose to include their phone number in the “About” section. To find it:
- Go to the person’s profile
- Click on “About” on the left sidebar
- Scroll down to see if they’ve included a phone number
This is the easiest way to find someone’s phone number, but most people choose not to post this information publicly. If the phone number isn’t listed in their About section, you’ll have to try other methods.
Search public directories
Some public records and people search directories aggregate phone number data from sources like marketing lists and public records. You may be able to find phone numbers on these sites by searching the person’s name. Some directories to try include:
- Whitepages
- AnyWho
- 411
However, these sites don’t always have up-to-date or accurate information, so you may find old numbers or numbers belonging to someone else with the same name. Verify any numbers by calling and confirming you’ve reached the right person before using the number.
Use their username or handle
If the person uses the same username or handle across multiple sites and services, you may be able to find their phone number on other sites where they’ve shared it publicly. Search their exact username in a search engine or try searching the username on sites like:
- Personal websites/blogs
People sometimes include their phone numbers on these sites for professional contacts. However, this method is hit-or-miss based on whether they’ve used the same username more than once and chosen to share their number.
Ask mutual friends
If you have any mutual friends with the person on Facebook, you can reach out to your mutual connections and ask if they have the person’s phone number and are willing to share it. This can be the easiest way to get the number you need if you have cooperative friends.
However, keep in mind that many people prefer to keep their phone numbers private, so mutual friends may not be willing to share the person’s contact information without their consent. Only take this approach if you’re certain your request won’t upset the person in question.
Use Facebook search tools
Facebook Graph Search used to allow searching for phone numbers connected to specific profiles. While Graph Search itself no longer exists, some third-party search tools access Facebook data in similar ways. Sites like PeopleSmart and TruthFinder claim to reveal cell phone numbers linked to Facebook profiles.
However, these sites often retrieve data by scraping public posts and comments, so the phone numbers may be outdated or belong to someone else. Facebook has also restricted API access to prevent these kinds of searches in recent years. If you do find a number, call it to confirm it belongs to the right person before using it.
Use WolframAlpha
WolframAlpha is a computational knowledge engine that gathers data from public sources. You may be able to use it to find phone numbers by entering the person’s name and location, like:
[Person’s full name] phone number [City, State]
However, WolframAlpha’s data comes from public directories, social networks, and other publicly available sources, so the phone numbers it finds may be incomplete or out-of-date. As with other search methods, you’ll need to confirm any numbers you get are current and belong to the right person.
Find it on Spokeo
Spokeo is a people search platform that compiles data from phone directories, social networks, and other public sources. It may display a phone number in its profile preview for a given name.
However, Spokeo requires a paid subscription account to reveal full profiles with phone numbers. Additionally, its data may be incomplete or contain errors. Verify any numbers by calling before using them.
Use Facebook’s account recovery
If the person has connected a phone number to their Facebook account for security and account recovery, you can try using Facebook’s account recovery process to reveal their phone number. This involves attempting to gain access to their account through the “Forgot password” link.
Facebook will then offer to send a recovery code to a verified phone number or email on file. If they’ve added a phone number, it will be displayed to you. You can then cancel out of the process.
The major downside to this method is that it may appear like a malicious hacking attempt to Facebook and cause the person’s account to be temporarily locked down. Only use it as an absolute last resort.
Ask the person directly
The most ethical and practical approach is to simply send the person a message through Facebook Messenger asking them for their phone number. Let them know why you need to contact them by phone and ask if they feel comfortable sharing their number with you.
This respects their privacy and gives them full control over whether to share their contact information. If they want to connect with you, they’re likely to provide their number willingly through a direct request.
Third party apps
Some third party apps claim to find people’s phone numbers through Facebook data. Examples include NumberGuru, NumLookup, and SpyDialer.
However, most of these tools simply compile phone numbers from public data sources, not the Facebook platform directly. They also have limited search capabilities unless paying for premium accounts.
Any phone numbers surfaced may be outdated or belong to other individuals with similar names. Verify any numbers found through these apps before calling someone.
Consider alternatives
If none of these methods succeed in finding the person’s phone number, consider alternatives like:
- Sending them a message on Facebook Messenger
- Finding and contacting them through LinkedIn
- Communicating by email if you have their address
- Contacting them through another social media platform
- Asking mutual friends to help establish contact
Avoid doing anything seen as invasive, risky, or unethical to get their number, as this could damage your reputation or get you into trouble.
Conclusion
Finding someone’s phone number through Facebook isn’t always straightforward, as users have privacy controls. The most surefire approaches are asking the person directly, searching public directories, or seeing if they’ve posted it themselves publicly somewhere.
Keep in mind that any search for their number should be done for a legitimate reason, not to harass or invade their privacy. Always call any numbers you find to verify they are current and belong to the right person before using them to contact someone.
With persistence and the right search tools, you can sometimes manage to find phone numbers linked to Facebook profiles. However, if your searches don’t produce the number easily, it’s best to connect via social media or ask them directly to avoid overstepping boundaries.
| Method | How it works | Risks/downsides |
|---|---|---|
| Search Facebook About section | Look in the person’s About section on their profile to see if they publicly listed their phone number | Most people don’t list phone numbers publicly |
| Search public directories | Look up their name in databases like Whitepages and AnyWho that compile phone numbers | Results may be outdated or belong to the wrong person |
| Check other social media | Search for their name/username on sites like Twitter where some people list phone numbers | There’s no guarantee they’ll have accounts on other platforms or have listed their number |
Key takeaways
- Search the person’s Facebook About section for their phone number listed publicly
- Look up their name on public directories like Whitepages and AnyWho
- Try entering their name and location into WolframAlpha to surface linked phone numbers
- Use Facebook’s account recovery if they’ve added a phone number for verification
- Ask mutual friends if they have the person’s number and are willing to share it
But the best approach is to send them a message on Facebook asking for their number directly. Avoid unethical means of obtaining it, and always verify any number you find by calling before use.