How to Find People on Facebook

PDF download Download Article
PDF download Download Article

This wikiHow teaches you to find friends on Facebook, both by searching for new friends and by browsing through your existing friends. You can do this on both the desktop version of Facebook and the mobile app. If you don't yet have a Facebook account, you'll need to create one before continuing.

Method 1
Method 1 of 5:

Finding New Friends on Desktop

PDF download Download Article
  1. Go to https://www.facebook.com in your browser. This will open your News Feed if you're logged into Facebook.
    • If you aren't logged in, enter in the upper-right side of the page the email address and password that you use to log into Facebook.
    • If you're trying to find new friends on mobile, jump ahead to this section.
  2. It's a silhouette of two people in the upper-right side of the Facebook page. A drop-down menu will appear.
    Advertisement
  3. This link is in the upper-right side of the drop-down menu. Doing so will open a list of suggested friends.
  4. You can click Add Friend to the right of a person whom you know, or you can click a person's profile to view more information about them if their security settings allow for it.
    • You can narrow the search results by selecting different filters (e.g., location, friends, universities) on the right side of the page.
    5. Advertisement
Method 2
Method 2 of 5:

Finding New Friends on Mobile

PDF download Download Article
  1. Tap the Facebook app icon, which resembles a white "f" on a dark-blue background. This will open the News Feed if you're logged into Facebook.
    • If you aren't logged in, enter the email address and password that you use to log into Facebook.
  2. It's either in the bottom-right corner of the screen (iPhone) or at the top of the screen (Android). A menu will appear.
  3. It's near the top of the menu.
    • On Android, this option will say ' Find Friends instead.
  4. This tab is in the upper-left corner of the screen. Doing so will bring up a list of suggested friends.
  5. You can tap Add Friend to the right of a person's profile to add them to your friends list, or you can tap a person's profile to view more information about them if their security settings allow for it.
    6. Advertisement
Method 3
Method 3 of 5:

Browsing Existing Friends on Desktop

PDF download Download Article
  1. Go to https://www.facebook.com in your browser. This will open your News Feed if you're logged into Facebook.
    • If you aren't logged in, enter in the upper-right side of the page the email address and password that you use to log into Facebook.
    • If you're trying to browse your friends on mobile, jump ahead to this section.
  2. It's in the upper-right side of the page. Doing so will open your profile page.
  3. You'll find this option below and to the right of your profile picture. A list of your friends will open.
  4. You can scroll through the friends listed on this page, or you can type a specific friend's name into the search box to the right of the "Friends" heading.
    5. Advertisement
Method 4
Method 4 of 5:

Browsing Existing Friends on Mobile

PDF download Download Article
  1. Tap the Facebook app icon, which resembles a white "f" on a dark-blue background. This will open the News Feed if you're logged into Facebook.
    • If you aren't logged in, enter the email address and password that you use to log into Facebook.
  2. It's either in the bottom-right corner of the screen (iPhone) or at the top of the screen (Android). A menu will appear.
  3. This option is in the menu.
  4. You can scroll through a list of your current friends here, or you can type a friend's name into the search bar at the top of the page.
    5. Advertisement
Method 5
Method 5 of 5:

Searching for a Specific Friend

PDF download Download Article
  1. Go to https://www.facebook.com/ (desktop) or tap the Facebook app icon (mobile). This will open your News Feed if you're logged in.
    • If you aren't logged in, enter the email address and password that you use to log into Facebook before continuing.
  2. It's the text box at the top of the Facebook page.
  3. Enter the name of the person whom you want to find on Facebook.
  4. In the drop-down box that appears below the search bar, click or tap the name that matches the one that you typed in.
  5. It's either at the top of the page (desktop) or in the upper-left corner of the screen (mobile).
  6. You'll see a list of profiles that match the name that you entered; look for your friend here. If you find your friend, you can select their profile picture to view their profile or add them as a friend.
    • You can narrow the results by selecting a filter on the left side of the page (desktop). On mobile, you'll do this by tapping Filters in the upper-left side of the screen and then selecting a filter (e.g., location).
    7. Advertisement

Community Q&A

Search
Add New Question
  • Question
    How do I find someone via their cellphone number?
    Community Answer
    From a mobile device, you can use the Messenger app to sync all your phone contacts automatically, or manage the list from this page. From the website, log out of Facebook, click "Forgotten account?", and enter the phone number. If the number is linked to a FB account, you'll see the user's name. Cancel the password reset, log in to your account, and enter that name in the search bar exactly as it appears.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
    Yes No
    Not Helpful 10 Helpful 34
  • Question
    On the "Find Friends" page, is it normal for someone to disappear from the list after I send a friend request?
    Community Answer
    This is most likely working as intended, but what you see may depend on your device. You can double-check which friend requests went through on your phone by choosing "Friends > Requests > View Sent Requests." If you're on a computer, use "(People icon) > Find Friends > View Sent Requests."
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
    Yes No
    Not Helpful 2 Helpful 8
  • Question
    How do I find someone on Facebook just knowing the town they live in?
    Community Answer
    Type the town name in the search bar, but do not hit enter. Instead, click the drop-down suggestion that best matches what you're looking for. After the results load, select the People tab to view a list of people with that town listed in their profile.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
    Yes No
    Not Helpful 12 Helpful 23
See more answers
Ask a Question
200 characters left
Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.
Submit
      Advertisement

      Tips

      • Some people have privacy settings that prevent people who aren't friends from being able to look them up.
        Thanks
        Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

      Tips from our Readers

      The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of wikiHow readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on wikiHow, please submit it in the field below.
      • You can sometimes track a person down with a few details. If you know they're friends with your friend, scour your friend's friend list and see if the person is on there. Or if you know their first name and their city or their workplace, try searching those in conjunction.
      • Try to find them on another social media platform first. It may be easier. Once you've found them there you may be able to find them under the same username on Facebook.
      Submit a Tip
      All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published
      Name
      Please provide your name and last initial
      Submit
      Thanks for submitting a tip for review!
      Advertisement

      You Might Also Like

      How to
      Find Out Who Has Blocked You on Facebook
      Changing Your Name on Facebook to Show Maiden & Married Names
      How to
      Find Out if You Have Been Restricted on Facebook
      How to
      Manage Who Can Send You Friend Requests on Facebook
      How to
      Delete Multiple Friends on Facebook
      How to
      See What Your Friends Like on Facebook: Mobile & PC
      How to
      Find Anyone’s Comments on Facebook by Keyword or Post
      How to
      See Followers on Facebook
      How to
      Group Message All Your Friends on Facebook
      How to
      Unfriend Someone on Facebook Without Actually Unfriending Them
      How to
      Get Mutual Friends on Facebook
      How to
      Delete a Friend Request on Facebook: Mobile & Desktop
      How to
      Unfriend on Facebook
      How to
      Chat with a Girl on Facebook
      Advertisement

      About This Article

      Article Summary X

      1. Click the Friends button.
      2. Click Find Friends .
      3. View suggested friends.
      4. Add friends as you find them.

      Did this summary help you?
      In other languages
      Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 1,226,867 times.

      Is this article up to date?

      Advertisement