Having your iPhone contacts’ Facebook profile pictures show up when they call or text you is a great way to easily see who is getting in touch. Here is a step-by-step guide to syncing your iPhone contacts with Facebook profile pictures.
Pre-Requirements
Before syncing your contacts, there are a few requirements:
- You must have the latest version of iOS and the Facebook app installed on your iPhone
- Your contacts must be using their real names in your iPhone (not nicknames)
- You must be friends with the contacts on Facebook whose photos you want to sync
- Your contacts must have profile pictures set up on Facebook
Step 1: Enable Contact Syncing in Facebook App
Open the Facebook app and tap the “More” tab on the bottom right. Go to “Settings & Privacy” and tap “Settings.” Scroll down and tap “Sync Contacts.” Make sure the toggle is enabled to sync contacts with Facebook. This allows the Facebook app to pull in profile photos for your contacts.
Step 2: Enable Contact Access on iPhone
Go to Settings > Facebook and make sure “Contacts” is enabled under “Allow These Apps to Access Your Accounts.” This allows your iPhone system to share contact data with the Facebook app.
Step 3: Match Contacts on iPhone
In order for your iPhone to match the contacts to Facebook profiles, the names need to be identical. Go to your iPhone Contacts app and make sure each contact’s first and last name matches exactly with their Facebook name.
For example, if you have “John Smith” in your iPhone but their Facebook name is “Jonathan Smith,” it will not match. Update your iPhone contact to match their Facebook name.
Step 4: Update Contacts in Facebook App
Open the Facebook app and go to your Friends list. For any contacts whose names don’t match between iPhone and Facebook, edit their name in the Facebook app to match your iPhone.
Tap the More button next to each friend and choose “Edit Friend.” Update the name to match your iPhone contact name exactly.
Step 5: Sync Contacts with Facebook
Once the contact names all match between your devices, it’s time to sync. Open the Facebook app Settings like in Step 1. Tap “Sync Contacts” again and wait for confirmation that syncing is complete.
Step 6: Check Contact Photos
Open your iPhone Contacts app and select any contact who is also your Facebook friend. If syncing worked, their Facebook profile photo should now be visible. Calling or texting the contact should also display their picture.
If not, double check that the contact’s name is identical in both places and that you have the correct Facebook profile connected. Retry the syncing steps. The profile photos should now be visible!
Troubleshooting Tips
Here are some troubleshooting tips if your contacts won’t sync properly:
- Check name spellings and formats in Facebook and iPhone (first, last, middle names)
- Verify Facebook profile is connected in iPhone Settings > Facebook
- Force close and restart the Facebook app
- Update to latest version of iOS and Facebook app
- Toggle contact syncing off and back on in Facebook Settings
- Double check privacy settings in Facebook
- Remove the Facebook profile from your iPhone and re-add it
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some common questions about syncing iPhone contacts with Facebook:
Why do I want to sync Facebook profile pictures?
Having your contacts’ Facebook photos show up on your iPhone makes it easier to identify callers and texters quickly. Facebook pictures are usually more up-to-date than your iPhone contacts.
Does syncing share my data with Facebook?
The contact syncing only shares name and phone number data in order to match your contacts between devices. None of your other iPhone data is shared with Facebook through this process.
Can I select which contacts get synced?
Unfortunately there is no way to only sync certain contacts. It’s an all-or-nothing sync between your iPhone and Facebook friends.
What if a contact doesn’t have a Facebook profile?
If one of your iPhone contacts does not have a Facebook profile, their photo will not change. Syncing will only update contacts who you are also friends with on Facebook.
How often do contact photos get updated?
Once syncing is set up, your iPhone will stay in sync with any profile picture changes your Facebook friends make. Their new profile photos should automatically update on your iPhone whenever you sync contacts.
Will syncing slow down my phone?
The initial sync may take a few minutes depending on how many Facebook friends you have, but once completed it does not slow down your iPhone. Periodic syncing happens quickly in the background.
Is there a limit to how many contacts I can sync?
There is no limit on number of contacts able to be synced between your iPhone and Facebook friends list. You can sync your entire contacts list if desired.
What if I already have profile pictures saved?
Any existing profile photos you manually saved in your iPhone contacts previously will be overwritten by the automatically synced Facebook profile pictures.
Summary
Here are the key takeaways for syncing your iPhone contacts with Facebook profile photos:
- Ensure contact names are identical in both places
- Enable contact syncing in the Facebook app
- Allow the Facebook app to access your contacts
- Trigger a sync and check for updated profile photos
- Troubleshoot as needed if contacts won’t sync
Following these steps will connect your iPhone contacts to their Facebook profiles and automatically update profile pictures going forward. Enjoy having up-to-date contact photos right on your iPhone home screen!
Conclusion
Syncing iPhone contacts with Facebook profile pictures is a great way to put a face to the name for your contacts. With a few quick settings adjustments and name matching, you can enable automated syncing between devices.
While occasional troubleshooting may be needed for contacts that won’t sync properly, the end result is a seamless connection between your iPhone and Facebook. Putting Facebook profile photos right on your iPhone makes it faster and easier to identify callers, texters, and contacts.