How to Find People on Facebook

Facebook is vast, but the various ways people connect on this platform will surprise you. If you're looking for someone on Facebook, there are many methods you can use. From typing their name into the search tool to going through friend lists, persistence will help you find who you're looking for.

Click the 'Friends' button in the toolbar at the top of the Facebook page. This will display a list of friend requests you've yet to accept.

• Advanced search features in this section are only available on the Facebook website. If you're using a mobile phone, refer to the guide on finding friends in the Facebook app.

Click on 'Find Friends' at the top of the menu. This will take you to a new Facebook page with the friend search section.

Scroll through the 'People You May Know' section. These are people Facebook suggests based on mutual connections and the information you've shared. The list can be quite long, so you might not get through all of it.

Go to the search section. On the right side of the Find Friends page, you'll find a search box with fields to enter information. If you've scrolled down to view suggested friends, you'll need to scroll back up. Each field helps narrow your search results.

Use the search fields to create your personalized search request. You can use one or combine multiple fields to locate the person you're looking for. Each field you fill out will filter the results, and the person you might know will appear first in the list.

• If you only know someone's name and the city they live in, you can enter that information in the 'Name' and 'Current City' fields. You'll get a lot of results, but it makes it much easier to find someone you're unfamiliar with.
• The 'Mutual Friend' field is useful if you know someone through a friend but don't know their full name.
• You don't have to fill out the 'Name' field. For example, you can use the current city field to find people in a specific location.
• As you type into the fields, you'll see some pre-filled information. Choose the options that match what you're looking for to get the best results.

Search for friends from your email contacts. In the top right corner of the Find Friends page, you'll be able to enter your email account details, which will then filter out Facebook users from your contacts.

• Select your email service provider from the available options. If your provider is not listed, choose the generic email icon.
• Enter your email login details. Most email providers only require your login details, but for Gmail, it will pull in your contacts and upload them to Facebook.

Type someone's name into Facebook's search bar. The simplest way to find someone is to enter their name in the search field. The search will be more effective if the person you're looking for has a unique name. Facebook will display the results closest to your search request at the top of the list.

• This search tool is located at the top of the website or the Facebook app.

Enter someone's email address or phone number to search for them. If you know someone's email or phone number, you can enter it in the search bar to see if their profile appears. However, their contact information must be set to 'Public' in order to be found.

Type 'People that like ' to find people with similar interests. If you're looking for new friends who share your hobbies, this is the way to go.

• For example, to find people who like SpongeBob, type 'People who like SpongeBob' into the search bar. The results will show people who list this character in their interests. Your friends will appear first, followed by people with mutual connections, and then strangers.
• You can type 'people who like what I like' to see results based on your own interests. Afterward, click on the 'People' tab to view the results.

Try turning the person's name into a URL to their profile. If you know someone's name but can't find them, you can try guessing their profile URL. Many people use their real name or email as part of their URL. The usual structure looks like:

• www.facebook.com/first.last
• www.facebook.com/firstlast
• www.facebook.com/emailaddress
• If the name is common, try adding a number at the end of the URL.

Search through the friends of your friends. This method might be a bit tedious, but occasionally browsing through your friends' friends can lead you to the person you're looking for.

• Go to a friend's profile page and click or tap on the "Friends" button. You'll be able to view the entire list of their friends.
• Scroll through the list or use the search bar at the top to find a specific person.
• You can adjust the filter settings at the top of the list to see friends who live in the same city, go to the same school, or might be familiar to you.

Tap the icon (☰) and select "Friends". This will bring up the Find Friends section on the Facebook app, where you'll see the list of friends under the "Friends" tab.

• The friend search process is the same on both Android and iOS devices.

Open the friend search section. This screen allows you to search for and add friends, which is most effective if you know specific details about the person you're searching for.

• Select the "Search" tab at the top of the "Find Friends" screen. You may need to swipe right to see this tab.

Find someone to befriend. You can search by name, email address, or phone number. However, you cannot perform advanced searches in the mobile app. Refer to the first section of this article to learn how to search for friends on the Facebook website.

Check the suggested list. The "Suggestions" tab in the Find Friends screen will display friend recommendations based on mutual connections or shared interests. The list will be extensive, and you can keep scrolling down to see more results.

• The "Suggestions" tab is located on the left side of the tab bar.