Author:
Randy Alexander
Date Of Creation:
27 April 2021
Update Date:
1 July 2024
Content
Facebook is huge, but the way people connect with each other on it will surprise you. When you want to find someone on Facebook, there are lots of things you can do. From typing names into a search engine to searching your friends list, you just need to be persistent and you can find the person you are looking for.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Use Facebook's "Find Friends" page
Click the Friends button on the toolbar at the top of the Facebook page. You will see a list of friend requests that you have not yet accepted.
- The advanced search tricks in this section are only applicable on the Facebook website. If you are using your phone, please see instructions on finding friends on Facebook application.
Click "Find Friends" in the upper part of the directory. You will see a new Facebook page with the search for friends section.
Check out the "People You May Know" section. These are the people Facebook refers to based on mutual friends and the likelihood you will get to know each other through the information you give Facebook. The list is so long that it may not be fully readable.
Go to search. On the right side of the Find Friends page, you'll find a search with some fields to enter information. You'll have to scroll up if you've scrolled down to see the list of friends referred to by Facebook. Each of these fields will help you narrow your search.
Use the fields in the search field to create your own search query. You can use a single field or a combination of fields to find the person you're looking for. Each field you fill in will filter out the results, and people you may know will appear first in the list.- If you only know someone's name and the city where they live, you can type in the "Name" field and the "Current City" field. You will see lots of results, but it will make it easier to find an almost stranger.
- The "Mutual Friend" field is very effective if you know someone through a friend but do not know their full name.
- You don't need to type in the "Name" field. For example, you can use the current city field to find out who is in the city you are looking for.
- As you type in the fields, you'll see some available information displayed. Choose that information for best results if it is close to what you're looking for.
Find friends from email contacts. The box at the top right corner of the Find Friends page will let you type in your email account information and then filter out Facebook users in your contacts.
- Choose your email service provider from the available options. If you don't see your carrier, choose a regular email icon.
- Type your email credentials. For most email providers, they only need login information. Particularly with Gmail, they will take the Gmail contacts and upload to Facebook.
Method 2 of 3: Use Facebook's search engine
Type someone's name into Facebook's search engine. The most basic way to find someone is to type their name in the search field. Searching is easier if the person looking for a special name. Facebook will show results close to the search request at the top of the list.
- This search engine is at the top of your website or Facebook app.
Type someone's email address or phone number to search for them. If you know the person's email address or phone number, you can type in the search to see if their profile page appears. However, their contact information must be "Public" to be searchable.
Type "People that like
" (People like If you want to find new friends with similar interests, use this method to find.) to find people with similar interests. - For example, to find someone who likes Bob Sponge, type "People who like SpongeBob" into the search engine. The results will show those who list this character in the preferences section. Your friends will appear first, followed by people with mutual friends then strangers.
- You can type "people who like what I like" to get results based on your interests. You'll have to click on the "People" tab after you see the search results.
Turn the name of the person looking for the URL to their personal page. If you know their name but can't find it, you can try guessing the URL path name. Lots of people use real names or email names for pathnames. Conventional structures include:
- www.facebook.com/ their name
- www.facebook.com/to
- www.facebook.com/ email address name
- Try adding the number after the address if it's a common name.
Look in your friends list of friends. The process can be tedious, but sometimes a quick glance at your friends' friends list will help you find the person you are looking for.
- Open a friend's profile and click or tap the "Friends" button. You should see that person's complete list of friends.
- Swipe through the list or use the search bar at the top of the list to find a particular person.
- You can adjust the filter at the top of the list to see friends from the same city, school, and people who may be acquainted with you.
Method 3 of 3: Search on Facebook app
Tap on the (☰) icon and select "Friends" (Friend). The screen will display the Find Friends section of the Facebook app with a list of friends in the "Friends tab.
- The process of finding friends is similar for both Android and iOS operating systems.
Open the search for friends section. This screen will allow you to find and make friends, which is very effective if you know the information of the person looking for it.
- Select the "Search" tab at the top of the "Find Friends" screen. You will have to scroll right to see this tab.
Find people to make friends with. You can search by name, email address or phone number. You cannot do advanced search using the phone application. See the first part of this article for details on how to find friends on the Facebook website.
Check out the recommended list. The "Suggestions" tab in the Find Friends screen shows suggested friends based on common friends or common interests. The list will abound, and you can keep scrolling down to see more results.
- The "Suggestions" tab is located on the left side of the tab bar.
