How to Control Who Can Find You on Facebook by Email or Phone (2026)

Facebook's "How People Find and Contact You" settings let you decide who can look you up using your email address or phone number.

By App World Team · Updated August 2026 · App World

If you've ever wondered how an old classmate, a stranger, or even a scammer managed to find your Facebook profile just by typing in your phone number or email address, you're not alone. Facebook has built-in "lookup" settings that let other people search for your profile using the contact details tied to your account — and by default, these settings are often more open than most users realize.

The good news is that Facebook (now part of Meta) gives you direct control over this. In this guide, we'll walk through exactly how to control who can find you using your email or phone number in the Facebook app, explain what each privacy option actually does, and cover the related settings that affect your overall discoverability on the platform.

Why This Setting Matters

Every Facebook account is technically linked to at least one piece of contact information — typically an email address, a phone number, or both. Facebook uses this information for two main purposes: account recovery/security (including two-factor authentication) and a feature called "lookup," which allows someone who already has your email or phone number to search for your account and find your profile even if you've never connected as friends.

This matters for a few practical reasons:

• Unwanted contact: If your phone number or email leaks through a data breach, a mailing list, or a shared contact book, anyone with that information could locate your profile.
• Two-factor authentication confusion: Many users add a phone number purely to enable two-factor authentication (2FA), not realizing that number can also be used for lookup unless the privacy setting is adjusted separately.
• Data broker and scraping risk: Third-party tools and "people search" sites have historically used open lookup settings to match phone numbers or emails to real names and profile photos.
• Professional and personal boundaries: Some people simply prefer that coworkers, extended family, or acquaintances not be able to stumble onto their profile via a shared contact list.

Adjusting this one setting is one of the fastest, highest-impact privacy changes you can make on Facebook.

Where to Find the Setting in the Facebook App

Facebook has reorganized its settings menu a few times over the years, and the mobile app now uses a streamlined "Settings & privacy" structure. Here's how to get there in 2026, on both iPhone and Android — the steps are nearly identical on both platforms.

Step-by-Step: iPhone and Android

1. Open the Facebook app and log into your account.
2. Tap your profile photo or the Menu icon (on iPhone this is typically in the bottom-right corner; on Android it may appear in the top-right, depending on your app version).
3. Scroll down and tap "Settings & privacy," then tap "Settings."
4. Look for "Audience and visibility" and tap it, then select "How people find and contact you." (On some app versions this section appears directly under Privacy without the extra Audience and visibility step — use the search bar inside Settings and type "privacy" if you can't locate it.)
5. Inside this section you'll see two separate controls:
   • "Who can look you up using the email address you provided?"
   • "Who can look you up using the phone number you provided?"
6. Tap each option and choose your preferred audience.

Step-by-Step: Facebook on Desktop

1. Click your profile photo in the top-right corner of Facebook.
2. Select "Settings & privacy" → "Settings."
3. In the left-hand sidebar, click "Audience and visibility."
4. Click "How people find and contact you."
5. Adjust the email and phone number lookup settings as described above.

Understanding the Privacy Options

For each lookup setting, Facebook typically offers a short list of audience choices. Depending on your region and account type, you may see some or all of the following:

• Everyone: Anyone on or off Facebook who has your email address or phone number saved can find your profile through search or by uploading their contacts.
• Friends of Friends: Only people who share at least one mutual friend with you can find your account using that contact detail.
• Friends: Only your confirmed Facebook friends can look you up this way.
• No One / Only Me: Nobody can find your profile using that particular email address or phone number, even if they have it saved. (Availability of this exact option can vary by region and by whether the number is also used for account security.)

Most privacy-focused users choose "Friends" or the most restrictive option available to them. Keep in mind that tightening this setting does not delete your email or phone number from your account — it only controls whether that detail can be used to locate your profile through search or contact-matching.

A Common Point of Confusion: Phone Numbers Added for 2FA

One of the most widely reported privacy concerns has been that phone numbers added specifically to enable two-factor authentication were, for a period, also usable for lookup by default — without a clear opt-out at the time the number was added. Meta has stated that a phone number added for 2FA purposes is not used for advertising targeting, but the lookup permission is a separate control that you need to check independently.

In practice, this means: if you've added a phone number to your account for login security, you should still visit "How people find and contact you" and confirm the phone lookup setting reflects your preference, rather than assuming it's automatically private.

Related Privacy Settings Worth Checking

Controlling email and phone lookup is a strong first step, but a handful of related settings affect your overall discoverability on Facebook. It's worth reviewing these in the same sitting.

1. Who Can Send You Friend Requests

Found in the same "How people find and contact you" section, this setting can usually be set to Everyone or Friends of Friends. Choosing "Friends of Friends" cuts down on requests from strangers and reduces impersonation and romance-scam attempts.

2. Search Engine Linking

A separate toggle controls whether external search engines (like Google or Bing) are allowed to link to your public Facebook profile. Turning this off keeps your profile from surfacing in general web search results, though it does not affect lookup within Facebook or Messenger itself.

3. Who Can See Your Friends List

A visible friends list can be used by scammers to identify mutual connections and craft more convincing impersonation attempts. Setting this to "Only Me" or "Friends" limits that exposure.

4. Contact Info Visibility on Your Profile

Separately from the lookup setting, your profile's "About" section may display your phone number or email directly if you've chosen to make it public. Go to your profile, tap "About" → "Contact and Basic Info," and set the visibility of each field individually.

5. Facebook and Messenger People You May Know

Even with lookup restricted, Facebook's "People You May Know" feature can suggest connections based on synced contact lists, mutual friends, and shared groups. Reviewing your contact-syncing permissions under Apps and Websites settings can further reduce how your details are matched to suggestions.

Regional Restrictions and Platform-Wide Limits

It's worth noting that phone number and email lookup availability isn't purely a matter of personal settings. Following privacy regulations such as the EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), Facebook has restricted or removed phone number search functionality in certain regions altogether, regardless of an individual user's chosen setting. This means that even if lookup is technically allowed on an account, users in some countries may not be searchable by phone number due to platform-wide restrictions rather than personal configuration.

Because these regional rules can change and roll out unevenly, the most reliable approach is still to manually check and set your own lookup preferences rather than assuming a regional restriction covers you.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Assuming "Only Me" contact info visibility also blocks lookup. Hiding your phone number or email from your profile's About section is a different setting from the lookup permission — you need to adjust both.
• Forgetting to check both email and phone separately. These are two independent settings; tightening one does not automatically tighten the other.
• Removing a number without a backup 2FA method. If you rely on SMS-based two-factor authentication, deleting your phone number entirely (rather than just restricting lookup) can lock you out of secure login options. Consider switching to an authenticator app first.
• Not re-checking after an app update. Facebook periodically redesigns its settings menu, and in rare cases, permissions can reset or move. A quick recheck every few months is good practice.

How to Verify Your Settings Actually Worked

After adjusting your lookup settings, you can get a rough sense of whether they're working by asking a friend or family member who is not already connected with you on Facebook to search for your profile using your phone number or email address from a device where they aren't logged into a shared account. If your settings are restrictive, they shouldn't be able to find your profile that way. Keep in mind this isn't a perfect test — mutual friends, group memberships, and synced contacts can still surface your profile through other Facebook features such as "People You May Know."

Frequently Asked Questions

Does changing this setting delete my phone number or email from Facebook?

No. It only controls who can use that contact detail to find your profile through search or contact matching. Your number or email remains attached to your account for login and security purposes unless you separately remove it.

Will restricting lookup stop friend suggestions based on my contacts?

Not entirely. "People You May Know" can still use mutual friends, group overlap, and device contact syncing to suggest your profile to others. To reduce this further, review your contact-syncing permissions in the Apps and Websites settings.

Can I set phone lookup to "Everyone" but email lookup to "Friends"?

Yes. Email and phone number lookup are controlled by two separate settings, so you can configure each one independently based on your preference.

Why can't I find the "No One" option for phone lookup?

Available audience options can vary by account, region, and app version. If "No One" isn't shown, "Friends" is typically the most restrictive option offered, and combining it with restricted contact-info visibility offers strong protection.

Does this affect who can message me on Messenger?

Lookup settings control profile discoverability, not messaging permissions directly. Messenger has its own separate settings for who can send you message requests, which are worth reviewing alongside your lookup preferences.

I use my phone number for two-factor authentication — is it safe to restrict lookup?

Yes. Restricting the lookup setting does not affect your ability to use that number for two-factor authentication or account recovery. The two features are controlled independently.

Quick Checklist: A 5-Minute Facebook Privacy Tune-Up

If you'd rather work through everything in one sitting instead of jumping between sections, use this checklist. Each item takes well under a minute in the app.

1. Set email lookup: Settings & privacy → Settings → Audience and visibility → How people find and contact you → "Who can look you up using the email address you provided?" → choose Friends or the most restrictive option shown.
2. Set phone lookup: Same menu → "Who can look you up using the phone number you provided?" → choose Friends or the most restrictive option shown.
3. Restrict friend requests: Same menu → "Who can send you friend requests?" → set to Friends of Friends.
4. Hide your friends list: Settings → Audience and visibility → Friends → set list visibility to Only Me or Friends.
5. Turn off external search engine linking: How people find and contact you → "Do you want search engines outside of Facebook to link to your profile?" → set to No.
6. Check your About section: Profile → About → Contact and Basic Info → confirm your phone number and email visibility fields are set to Only Me, not Public.
7. Review contact syncing: Settings → Apps and Websites (or Preferences) → review which apps and services can access your synced contacts.
8. Confirm 2FA still works: Settings → Accounts Center → Password and Security → Two-factor Authentication → verify your method is still active after any number changes.

Running through this list roughly once or twice a year is a reasonable habit, especially after Facebook rolls out a settings redesign or after you've changed your phone number or primary email address.

Final Thoughts

Facebook's email and phone number lookup settings are a small menu item with an outsized impact on your privacy. Because both settings historically defaulted to relatively open visibility, it's worth taking two minutes to check — and if needed, tighten — these controls directly in the app, along with the related friend request, friends list, and search engine linking settings covered above. A quick privacy review today can meaningfully reduce unwanted contact, impersonation risk, and data exposure down the line.

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This guide is maintained by the App World Team and reflects Facebook's settings structure as of August 2026. Menu names and available options can vary slightly by device, app version, and region — if a step doesn't match exactly what you see, use the in-app search bar and type "privacy" to locate the equivalent setting.