How to Search Facebook by Location: Finding Friends by City

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Find out how to show Facebook friends who live in the same city as you
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Facebook makes it easy to connect with people from all over the world. This wikiHow guide will teach you how to search for friends and new connections by city on Facebook using your computer, Android, iPhone, or iPad. You can use these methods to browse your friends and other people you might know in a city, or to search for a specific person in your chosen city.

How to Find Friends or New Connections by City

To browse for people by city on Facebook, search for the name of the city, then select the People tab at the top of the page (mobile) or on the left (desktop). You can also search for a person’s name, select People , and then filter your results by city.

Method 1
Method 1 of 2:

Using the Facebook Mobile App

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  1. It has a blue icon that has a white lowercase "f." Tap the Facebook icon on your Home screen or Apps menu to open Facebook.
    • If you do not currently have the Facebook app installed on your mobile device, you can download it for free from the App Store on iPhone and iPad, or the Google Play Store on Android devices.
    • The first time you open the Facebook app, you will need to sign in with your phone number or email address and your account password.
  2. It's the icon that resembles a magnifying glass in the upper-right corner. This displays a search bar at the top of the screen. [1]
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  3. Use the on-screen keyboard to enter the name of a city. Tap the correct result in the list of terms that appears below the search bar (otherwise, you will trigger an answer from Meta’s new AI search feature).
  4. It's the third tab at the top of the page. This displays a list of friends and people you may know from the city you entered.
    • Typically, people you're friends with will be listed at the top of the page—they'll have blue "Message" buttons below their names.
    • People you aren't friends with have blue buttons that say "Add Friend" below their names. You might have to scroll down to see these people.
    • If you don't wish to view people you've already added as friends, you can set it to view friends of friends instead. To do so, tap the icon that resembles two slider bars in the upper-right corner. Then tap Friends and select Friends of friends from the list. Go back and tap Show results .
      • To see only people you are already friends with, choose My Friends instead. By default, Anyone is selected.
  5. To select a different city, tap the icon that resembles two slider bars in the upper-right corner. Then tap City and enter the name of a city. Tap the city name in the list of search results and then tap Show Results at the bottom of the page.
  6. If you’re looking for a particular person in a specific city, try this alternative approach: [2]
    • Tap the
      Android 7 Search
      Search icon at the top of the app and type in a person’s name. Select the name from the list of search results.
    • Tap the People tab at the top of the screen.
    • Tap the icon that looks like a pair of sliders at the top right side of the screen. Select City , type in the name of a city, and tap Show Results . This will bring up anyone with the name you searched for (or with a similar name) in that city. Scroll through the list of results to find the person you’re looking for.
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Method 2
Method 2 of 2:

Using a Web Browser on a Computer

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  1. Open Facebook in your browser. You can use any web browser of your choice on a PC, Mac, or Linux computer.
    • If you're not automatically signed into Facebook in your browser, enter your email address or phone number, and your password to log in.
  2. It’s at the top left side of the page. Click the field and type in the name of the city you want to search, then click the result you want in the list that appears below the search bar.
  3. It's the third option in the menu to the left. This displays a list of your friends and people you may know from the city you entered.
    • Typically, people you have already added as a friend will be listed at the top. Your friends will have buttons that say "Message" next to their names.
    • People you may know will have buttons that say "Add Friend" next to their names. You may need to scroll down to see people who you're not friends with.
    • If you don't want to see your current friends, click Friends under the "People" header in the left-side menu, then select Friends of friends . To see only people you are already friends with, choose My Friends . By default, Anyone is selected.
    • If you want to enter a different city, click City below "People" header in the menu to the left. This will display a search bar. Enter the city you want to search in the search bar and select the result you want when it pops up.
  4. If you want to search for a specific person in a particular city, you can do this as an alternative to browsing through friends, friends of friends, and random people in a city. To do it: [3]
    • Type the name of a person into the Search Facebook bar at the top left side of the screen. Select the result you want when it pops up in the list below the search bar.
    • Click People in the left-hand menu. This will bring up a list of people by the name you searched for (or people with similar names).
    • Click the City header below People in the left-hand menu. Type in the name of the city you want to search and click on the result. Now you’ll only see people from that city.
    • You can also use the Friends menu on the left to select whether you see people with that name who are already your friends, friends of friends, or anyone who’s a close match in your selected city.
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      References

      1. ↑ https://www.facebook.com/help/103764609715185
      2. ↑ https://www.facebook.com/help/208485022527410?cms_platform=iphone-app&helpref=platform_switcher
      3. ↑ https://www.facebook.com/help/208485022527410?cms_platform=www&helpref=platform_switcher

      About This Article

      Article Summary X

      1. Open Facebook in a browser.
      2. Click your first name in top-right.
      3. Click the Friends tab.
      4. Click +Find Friends .
      5. Find Current City in the Search for Friends box.
      6. Enter a city to filter.

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