How to Sync Facebook Contacts From Your Phone (and Stop It)

When people ask how to sync Facebook contacts, they usually mean one of two things. Either they want Facebook to find friends from their phone's address book, or they've noticed it already has their contacts and want that to stop. This page covers both, because the setting that does the first job is the same one you use to undo it.

Everything below comes from Facebook's own help pages. I've also been careful to include the bits that most guides skip, like what stays behind when you switch syncing off.

What syncing your contacts on Facebook really does

Facebook calls this contact uploading. Its help page says that when you turn it on, Facebook can access the names, mobile phone numbers and email addresses saved in your device's address book. Depending on your device settings, you may be able to upload all your contacts or just select ones.

Facebook explains what it uses them for. It uses phone numbers and email addresses from uploaded contacts to check whether a contact is already linked to a Facebook, Messenger or Instagram account, and that helps power suggestions and invitations. It also says uploading improves your friend suggestions.

One line is worth remembering: contact uploading doesn't automatically add your contacts as friends. It only feeds suggestions. You still choose who to add, and my guide to adding friends on Facebook shows you how.

Syncing contacts on the Facebook app for Android and iPhone

Facebook's help page gives these steps for uploading contacts from your mobile device:

1. Tap Menu in the top left of Facebook.
2. Tap Settings and privacy, then tap Settings.
3. Tap Meta Account, then tap Your information and permissions.
4. Tap Upload contacts, then tap your Facebook profile.
5. Tap the toggle next to Contacts, then tap Continue.

Once you've turned on mobile contact or Google contact uploading, Facebook uploads your contacts automatically. Your phone may also ask you to allow the Facebook app to access your contacts, so say yes when it does, or the sync can't run.

Syncing Google account contacts with Facebook

The help page says you can upload contacts from your mobile device or from your Google account. The Google route is handy if your address book lives in Gmail rather than on the phone itself. The page lists the same Upload contacts screen as the starting point, and I didn't find separate Google steps spelled out, so look for the Google option on that screen. Menus vary by app version.

Continuous contact uploading on Facebook

There's a setting here that matters for privacy. Facebook says that if you turn on continuous contact uploading, it uploads updated contact information whenever your address book changes. So a new client's number you save on Monday can end up in Facebook's system without you doing anything else.

If you're a freelancer or small business owner with a phone full of customer details, that's the part to think about before you switch it on. Those people didn't agree to anything, and Facebook itself points to a separate notice about contact uploading for non-users.

How to stop syncing contacts and delete them from Facebook

This is where people get caught out. Facebook's help pages are clear on three points:

• To stop your mobile contacts being uploaded again, turn off continuous contact uploading on each device where you use the Facebook app.
• If you disable contact access in your phone's own settings, contacts that were already uploaded are not deleted. The only way to remove those is through the Facebook app or Facebook Lite app settings.
• Turning off contact access for your Google account deletes those contacts.

To delete what Facebook already holds, Facebook's computer instructions say to go to the Uploading and managing your contacts screen and click Delete All. You can find that screen from the same Meta Account area described above, or by searching the Help Centre for deleting uploaded contacts.

Who should sync contacts on Facebook, and who shouldn't

Syncing suits you if you're building a new account and want a quick way to spot people you already know. It's less suitable if your phone holds a lot of private or client details, since the numbers and email addresses leave the address book and go to Facebook.

• Good fit: you've just joined or switched phones and want friend suggestions to be useful.
• Think twice: you keep customer, supplier or family details in your contacts and wouldn't want them matched to accounts.
• Either way, you can change your mind later, because Facebook gives you a way to delete what you've uploaded.

Facebook contact syncing and your location and privacy settings

Contact syncing is only one of several permissions Facebook can ask for. If you're reviewing what the app can see, my explainer on whether Facebook tracks your location is a sensible next read, and it's worth checking the app permissions on your phone at the same time.

If Facebook contact syncing isn't working

1. Check that contact access is allowed for the Facebook app in your phone's settings. If it's switched off, Facebook has nothing to upload.
2. Open Upload contacts again and make sure the Contacts toggle is switched on for the right Facebook profile.
3. Update the Facebook app, then close and reopen it. Menus move between versions.
4. Give it time. Facebook describes suggestions and invitations as something uploads help to power, not as an instant list.
5. If the option is missing altogether, it may not be available to everyone yet. Facebook's Help Centre has a section on uploading and managing contacts, and you can report a problem from the Help and support menu.

If you want the full set, start at the Facebook Help: 80 Guides to Pages, Groups, Ads, Stories and Fixes.

Frequently asked questions

How do I sync my phone contacts with Facebook?

In the app, go to Menu, Settings and privacy, Settings, Meta Account, Your information and permissions, then Upload contacts. Pick your profile, switch on Contacts and tap Continue.

Does syncing contacts add them as Facebook friends?

No. Facebook says contact uploading doesn't automatically add your contacts as friends. It only helps power suggestions and invitations.

What does Facebook take from my contacts?

Facebook says it can access the names, mobile phone numbers and email addresses saved in your address book.

How do I delete contacts I uploaded to Facebook?

Use the Facebook app or Facebook Lite settings, or on a computer go to the Uploading and managing your contacts screen and click Delete All. Turning off access in your phone settings alone doesn't delete them.

Can I sync Google contacts to Facebook?

Yes. Facebook says you can upload contacts from your mobile device or your Google account. Turning off contact access for your Google account deletes those contacts.