How do I search Facebook by username?

Facebook has become one of the most popular social media platforms, with over 2 billion monthly active users. With so many people using Facebook, it can be tricky to find a specific person’s profile if you only know their username. Luckily, Facebook provides a simple way to search for profiles by username.

Why Would You Want to Search Facebook by Username?

There are a few key reasons you may want to search Facebook by a person’s username:

• You met someone recently and only got their Facebook username, not their full name
• You’re trying to find an old friend or acquaintance but have forgotten their name
• You want to see if a particular username is taken on Facebook
• You need to block or report a user but only have their username

Knowing someone’s unique Facebook username can help you find and identify their profile, even without knowing their actual name.

How to Search Facebook by Username

Searching for a Facebook profile by username is easy to do directly from the Facebook website:

1. Go to www.facebook.com and log into your account if you aren’t already logged in.
2. Click on the search bar at the top of the Facebook window. It’s located near the top right, to the left of the Home button.
3. Type the full username into the search bar. Usernames are case-sensitive so type it exactly as the person gave it to you.
4. Press Enter or click the magnifying glass icon to run the search.

This will bring up all matching profiles that contain that username. If the username is unique, it should take you directly to that person’s profile.

Tips for Effective Username Searching

Here are some tips to get the best results when searching for a Facebook profile by username:

• Make sure you have the exact, full username. Even one missing letter could prevent finding the right profile.
• Try alternate spellings or abbreviations if you’re unsure of the exact username.
• Search for usernames in both lowercase and uppercase letters.
• If you get multiple results, look at profile pictures and mutual friends to identify the correct account.
• Use Advanced Search to filter by school, location, age, and other identifiers if you still can’t find the profile.

What If You Can’t Find the Profile?

If you search for a username but can’t find a matching Facebook profile, there are a few possible reasons:

1. The person may not have a Facebook account.
2. They may have a different username than what you have.
3. Their profile privacy settings may be restricting search results.
4. They may have deactivated or deleted their Facebook account.

If you have multiple ways of contacting the person, try reaching out to confirm their exact Facebook username. They can also double check that their privacy settings allow search engines to find their profile.

Advanced Username Search Using Graph Search

Facebook’s Graph Search function provides more advanced username search capabilities. Here’s how to use Graph Search to search by username:

1. Go to Facebook and click on the search bar, but don’t enter anything.
2. When prompted, click on “Advanced Search” next to the search bar.
3. This will open the Advanced Search page.
4. At the top, click on “Graph Search.”
5. Type “Users named [username]” into the Graph Search bar, using the actual username you want to find.
6. Press Enter to run the search.

Graph Search allows you to use natural language queries to search specific profile info like usernames. This provides more flexible searching compared to the regular Facebook search.

Is it Possible to Search Facebook by Email Address?

Many people assume you can also search Facebook by typing in someone’s email address. However, this actually isn’t possible. Facebook purposefully does not allow users to search for other users by email address. This is due to privacy concerns.

Some third-party websites claimed to offer email search features in the past, but Facebook actively works to block these services to protect user privacy.

So if you only have someone’s email address, unfortunately there is no official way to find their Facebook profile with it. You’ll need to get their actual Facebook username or full name to search for them.

Can You Search Facebook by Phone Number?

Like email addresses, it is not possible to directly search Facebook for profiles based on phone numbers. Phone numbers are considered private personal information, so Facebook does not permit searching profiles by them.

However, phone numbers can be useful in locating Facebook friends in other ways:

• Checking your own Facebook friends list – any friends who have shared their phone number with you will have it listed on their profile.
• Using the phone number to find the person’s full name, then searching Facebook by their name.
• Entering the phone number into your smartphone contacts, then checking if the person shows up in Facebook’s suggestions for tagging friends.

But there is no way to simply enter a phone number into Facebook’s search bar to find a profile. Protecting user privacy takes priority over offering phone number search capabilities.

Is Searching by Username the Most Reliable Method?

Searching Facebook for a specific person’s profile can be tricky with the limited search options available. Of the available profile identifiers, a person’s unique username provides the most direct way to find their profile.

Usernames are designed to identify one specific account, so searching by username essentially eliminates the risk of false matches. Full names are more prone to duplicate profiles, while other personal info like phone numbers and email addresses cannot be searched at all.

As long as you have the exact, complete username, searching Facebook profiles by username will provide the fastest and most accurate way to find the account you are looking for. Just be sure to double check the username for accuracy before performing your search.

Conclusion

Finding someone on Facebook is easy if you know their full name or have them as a friend already. But if all you have to go on is a brief username, the search process requires a bit more effort.

Fortunately, Facebook does allow you to search for profiles by username. Just use the standard search bar or Graph Search to look for an exact match. Usernames are case-sensitive and unique, so make sure you enter the username accurately to find the right account.

With over 2 billion users, locating the right profile can take some trial and error. But searching by username remains one of the most direct methods to find someone on Facebook when you lack other identifying details. So next time you just get a quick username, give it a try in the Facebook search to connect with that new friend or old acquaintance.