How to See Mutual Friends on Facebook (Computer and Phone)

Before you accept a friend request from a stranger, or message a possible client, it helps to know who you both know. Mutual friends are the quickest trust check on Facebook, and they're also a good way to see whether someone is part of your professional circle or just a random account.

I'll keep this to what Facebook's help pages document, because the layout of profiles changes often and I don't want to send you hunting for a button that has moved. There are two official routes, plus a note on why you sometimes can't see a full list.

Opening a friendship page to see what you share on Facebook

The help centre describes friendship pages as a way to see posts, photos and networks you have in common with a friend. It's the most direct tool for seeing what two people share. On a computer:

1. Type your friend's name into the search bar in the top left of any Facebook page and open their profile.
2. Click Options below the cover photo.
3. Click See Friendship.

On the phone app the steps are almost the same:

1. Tap Search in the top right of Facebook.
2. Type the friend's name into the search bar at the top and open their profile.
3. Tap Options below the cover photo.
4. Select See Friendship.

Notice that this is a friend's page. The help article talks about a friend, so it's the route for people you're already connected with. For someone who isn't yet your friend, use the search filter in the next section.

Filtering Facebook People search by mutual friends

When you're looking for a specific person, or checking which of several similar profiles is the one you know, Facebook's search filters can narrow things down. According to the help page about friends you can't find, you can filter by city, education, work and mutual friends. On a computer:

1. Click Search Facebook in the top left and enter the name, then press Enter.
2. Click People in the left menu.
3. Choose the filter you want, including mutual friends.

On the phone app, tap Search in the top right, enter the name, tap People at the top, then tap Filters in the top right. The options listed there are City, Education, Work and Friends of Friends, which is Facebook's phone wording for the same idea. You can use as many filters as you like.

If you want a step-by-step on sending the request once you've found the right person, my guide to adding friends on Facebook walks through it.

Why you may not see every mutual friend on Facebook

This is where people get confused, so here's what Facebook says about friends lists. By default, the Friends section of a profile is public, which means everyone can see it. But people can change who sees their list, and there are two details worth knowing:

• You can only control who sees the friends list on your own profile. Your friends control who can see their friendships on their profiles.
• If your friend has their friends list set to Public, anyone can see that you're friends, even if you've set yours to Only Me.

Put simply, a missing mutual friend doesn't always mean you have none in common. It can mean the other person has limited who sees their list. Facebook also says that people may see mutual friends when they visit your profile, so it's worth remembering that this runs both ways.

Choosing who can see your own Facebook friends list

Seeing mutual friends is one thing, but you may want to control what others see about you too. This matters if you run a business page and don't want competitors browsing your personal connections. On a computer, Facebook's steps are:

1. Click your profile picture in the top right of Facebook.
2. Select Settings & privacy, then click Settings.
3. Scroll down to Audience and visibility and click How people find and contact you.
4. Click Who can see your friends list?
5. Choose the audience, such as Friends.

Facebook adds a reminder in the same article: if people can see your friendship on another profile, they can also see it in Feed, Search and other places on Facebook. So hiding your list from your own profile isn't a total shield.

Using Facebook mutual friends as a safety check

Mutual friends are useful, but they aren't proof that an account is real. Take a calm approach before accepting requests or sharing details:

What you see	What it might mean
Several mutual friends you know well	Likely a real connection, but check with one of them if unsure.
No mutual friends at all	Not a warning on its own, since the list may be hidden. Look at the profile as a whole.
Mutual friends you don't recognise	Worth asking yourself why you'd be connected.

If anything about a request feels wrong, use the report option on the profile and don't accept it. Reporting is covered in Facebook's help centre.

If the See Friendship option doesn't appear on Facebook

1. Check that you're really friends. The help article refers to a friend's profile.
2. Check you're on their profile and not a Page. Pages don't have friendships.
3. Try the other device: the steps differ slightly between computer and phone app.
4. Update the Facebook app, then try again. Menus can vary by app version.

For creators who manage a business profile, a tidy and private friends list keeps personal and professional separate. If you'd like a refresh on your public face, my notes on when to change your Facebook profile picture pair nicely with a privacy check.

Related guides live in the Facebook Help: 80 Guides to Pages, Groups, Ads, Stories and Fixes.

Frequently asked questions

How do I see mutual friends with someone on Facebook?

If you're friends, open their profile, click Options below the cover photo, then See Friendship. For anyone else, search their name, click People and use the mutual friends filter.

Why can't I see my mutual friends on Facebook?

Facebook says each person controls who can see their own friends list. If the other person has limited theirs, you may not see everyone you share.

Can people see my mutual friends with them?

Facebook says people may see mutual friends when they visit your profile.

Is there a mutual friends filter on the phone app?

The phone app's People filters are City, Education, Work and Friends of Friends. Open Search, enter a name, tap People, then Filters.

Can I hide my friends list from other people?

Yes. In Settings, open Audience and visibility, then How people find and contact you, and choose who can see your friends list. Facebook notes your friends' own settings still apply to them.