Over 4.8 billion people use social media, and a large number of them have their phone numbers linked to their accounts for added security and recovery options. That connection makes it surprisingly easy to track down someone’s social profiles—if you know where to look.
Maybe it’s an old friend, a potential client, or just a missed call you're curious about—either way, this guide will show you 5 proven ways to help you learn how to find someone's social media by phone number.
You don’t need to be tech-savvy to find social media accounts by phone number—just follow the steps in this guide, and you’ll be one tap closer to reconnecting or learning more.
Part 1. How to Find Someone's Social Media By Phone Number
To find someone's social media by phone number is not hard; you just need to follow the right methods. Let’s discuss 5 of them.
Method 1. Search directly on social media platforms
Most major social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter/X let users link phone numbers to their accounts for security and login purposes.
If a user hasn’t restricted their privacy settings, you may be able to find their profile simply by searching their number in the platform’s search bar. It’s quick, free, and doesn’t require any third-party tools. Think of it as the digital version of looking someone up in a phonebook—but way smarter.
Examples of Social media platforms where you can search directly for someone’s phone number:
Facebook: Paste the number into the search bar. If the user hasn’t hidden their number, their profile will show.
Instagram: Direct number search might not always work, but try it first before moving to syncing contacts.
Twitter (X): No direct number search, but syncing contacts may suggest their account.
LinkedIn: Paste the number to see if a business or personal account shows up, depending on visibility settings.
Pros
Super quick and easy—no extra downloads needed.
Free and accessible on most platforms.
Useful for both personal and professional searches.
Works instantly if the profile is searchable.
Cons
Won’t work if the person has private search settings.
Limited functionality on some apps like Twitter.
May not find users who use fake numbers or email only.
To try it, you must have an account on each platform.
Method 2. Sync contacts in messaging or social apps
If searching directly doesn’t work, syncing contacts in popular apps is your next best move.
Apps like WhatsApp, Instagram, Telegram, and Twitter/X will automatically scan your phonebook and match saved numbers to existing accounts. If the person’s number is saved in your phone and they use the app, their profile will likely appear, often with a name and profile picture.
This method is especially useful for finding people who keep their usernames private or hard to guess.
Here are some platforms that sync contacts;
Steps for WhatsApp:
- Save the person’s phone number in your phone contacts.
- Open WhatsApp and tap the message icon.
- Let WhatsApp sync your contacts (usually happens automatically).
- Search for the contact in your list or using the search bar.
Steps for Instagram:
- Open Instagram and log in.
- Click on your profile icon, then select Discover People > View All.
- Tap Connect Contacts to give permission to access your phone contacts.
- Instagram will suggest accounts linked to the numbers saved in your phone.
Other Platforms:
- Telegram: Instantly syncs your contact list and displays users with linked numbers.
- Twitter (X): Go to Settings > Privacy > Discoverability and enable contact syncing for friend suggestions.
Pros
Automatically finds accounts linked to saved numbers.
Great for messaging and social discovery.
Helps find private or username-only profiles.
Works well on both Android and iOS.
Cons
You must save the person’s number in your contacts first.
You’ll need to allow contact access, which some people avoid.
Not everyone links their number to social apps.
Some results may take a few minutes to show after syncing.
Method 3. Use reverse lookup websites
Reverse phone lookup programs are designed to determine who owns a telephone number. These tools can also go a step further by showing social media profiles linked to that number. These sites pull from public records and online data to give you useful info in just seconds. If you're trying to confirm a name, photo, or online presence, this can be a solid shortcut.
Follow these steps to use reverse lookup websites to know how to find someone's social media account by phone number:
- Go to a reverse lookup site (e.g., NumLookup., Spokeo, and BeenVerified).
- Type in the phone number and hit "Search."
- Review the results. If available, the site may show the person’s name, location, and any social profiles tied to that number.
Pros
Quick and easy to use.
No account required for most services.
Some tools are completely free (like NumLookup).
Works well for US numbers.
Cons
Limited or outdated info, depending on the database.
May not show social media links if the data isn’t public.
Can display incorrect matches due to recycled numbers.
Not always accurate for international numbers.
Method 4. Use search engines
Sometimes, you already have the simplest tool—Google. Many people don't realize their phone numbers may appear in public posts, business listings, or profiles that have been indexed by search engines.
A good search on a search engine like Google or Bing might lead you to social accounts, reviews, forum posts, or even public databases. This method is hit or miss, but when it hits, it really works.
Here are the steps to use search engines to find someone's social media by phone number:
- Open Google or Bing.
- Type the phone number in quotation marks (e.g., “555-555-5555”).
- Add words like “Facebook,” “Instagram,” “profile,” or “LinkedIn” to narrow down results.
- Scroll through the links and preview any that look promising.
Pros
Totally free—no tools or downloads needed.
Great for checking forums, reviews, and indexed profiles.
Easy to try multiple search terms or variations.
Works for international numbers too.
Cons
Only works if the phone number appears in public content.
Can bring up a lot of irrelevant or outdated results.
Doesn’t work well for private or unlisted numbers.
Takes more time than direct social platform searches.
Method 5. Use social media search engines
Social media search engines are platforms designed specifically to search through social networks. Unlike Google, these tools focus only on public profiles and content from platforms like Facebook, Twitter/X, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
Tools like Social Searcher or Pipl allow you to enter a phone number and scan for associated social accounts, mentions, or posts. They're great for digging deeper, especially when regular search engines don’t cut it.
Follow these steps to use social media search engines to know how to find someone by phone number on Social media:
- Choose a specialized tool like Social Searcher, BeenVerified, or Pipl.
- Enter the phone number in the search box.
- Browse the results for social accounts, mentions, or related usernames.
Pros
Tailored to social media searches.
Can pull results from multiple platforms at once.
Saves time compared to checking each app manually.
Useful for deep dives or research beyond basic searches.
Cons
Some tools limit results unless you upgrade to a paid plan.
Not all tools are accurate or updated regularly.
May require account signup or email verification.
Free tools often show partial results or blurred-out data.
Part 2. Is It Possible to Find Someone's Social Media without a Phone Number
Yes, you can absolutely find someone’s social media without having their phone number. Even though a phone number can make the search easier, it's not the only way to track down someone’s profile.
Most platforms like Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter let you search using a name, email address, or even mutual friends. If you know their username, workplace, school, or location, you can often narrow it down even faster.
You can also try:
- Googling their full name with keywords like “Instagram,” “profile,” or “Facebook.”
- Browsing friends-of-friends on platforms like Facebook or LinkedIn.
- Using reverse email lookup tools, which sometimes reveal social accounts tied to that email.
So, even without a phone number, you’ve still got solid options to help you find the right person online.
Part 3. [Bonus] How to Monitor Someone's Social Media without Them Knowing
The best way to monitor someone’s social media without them knowing us to use a monitoring tool like Msafely. So what is Msafely?
What is Msafely
Msafely is a powerful monitoring tool that lets you keep track of all major social media activity in real-time—including platforms like Facebook, WhatsApp, Snapchat, Instagram, and more. It works silently in the background, so the person being monitored has no idea it’s running.
Msafely doesn’t require jailbreaking or rooting the target device. It's cloud-based and compatible with both iOS and Android, meaning you don’t even need physical access to install anything on the person’s phone. That means you can remotely check what’s happening on someone’s Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Snapchat, and more. It’s designed for people who need full visibility without making the target suspicious.
Key social media monitoring features of Msafely
With Msafely, you’re not just getting basic access—you get deep, real-time insights into someone’s entire social media behavior.
- Follower tracking
With Msafely, you can see who someone follows and when they follow them. This feature helps you keep tabs on new and potentially suspicious accounts. Msafely even logs the exact time and date each follow or unfollow happens, giving you a timeline of changes to their online social circle.
- Activity monitoring across multiple platforms
Msafely tracks likes, comments, and post engagements across several platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Snapchat. Whether they’re liking a new post, replying to a comment, or engaging with stories, you’ll see it all. This is especially helpful for understanding someone’s online habits and who they interact with the most.
- Private & deleted message monitoring
Msafely captures a message before it's gone. You’ll be able to read incoming and outgoing messages on popular social media apps, including Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, Instagram DMs, and more. You’ll also see shared media files like videos and images.
- Post and Story viewing
Msafely lets you view all posts and stories that the person uploads to their social profiles—even ones that disappear or are deleted. You’ll have access to pictures, videos, and captions, giving you full visibility into what they're sharing and how often they’re posting.
- Live GPS and app usage context
Beyond just reading messages and tracking activity, Msafely also allows you to see where the target is located in real time. It even gives context about where they’re using the social media app from, such as at home, work, or another location. This can help you understand the environment in which the activity is happening.
How to set up Msafely to monitor someone’s social media
Setting up Msafely is simple and doesn’t take long:
Step 1. Visit Msafely website and register a free account using your email address.
Step 2. Select the target device: iOS or Android.
Step 3. Choose a subscription plan based on how long you want to monitor.
Step 4. Log into your secure dashboard and begin tracking their social media activity, messages, posts, and even their location in real-time.
Part 4. FAQs
Q1. Can I find someone's social media using just their phone number?
Yes, it’s possible through reverse lookup tools, social media search functions, and apps designed for this purpose. These methods can lead you to their profiles.
Q2. What are reverse lookup tools?
Reverse lookup tools are online services that search for personal details linked to a phone number, including social media accounts. They often provide results across multiple platforms.
Q3. Can I use Facebook to find someone’s social media by phone number?
Yes! You can search for phone numbers directly on Facebook. If the number is linked to someone’s profile, it’ll show up in the search results.
Q4. Are monitoring tools safe to use for finding social media profiles?
Yes, monitoring tools are safe when used responsibly and within legal boundaries, focusing on publicly available information to maintain privacy standards.
Q5. Do monitoring tools offer real-time updates on social media activity?
Yes, many monitoring tools provide real-time updates, allowing you to stay informed about any changes or new social media profiles associated with a phone number.
Part 5. Summary
Finding someone’s social media by phone number can be straightforward when you know the right methods. You can start by using the search functions available on social platforms, where many allow you to look up accounts linked to a phone number. Another option is to explore reverse lookup tools, which can help you track down associated social media profiles.
But if you're looking to monitor someone's social media activity without them knowing, Msafely is hands down the best tool for the job. It provides real-time tracking, private message monitoring, and even location data, all without raising suspicion.
Msafely provides complete digital visibility, offering peace of mind and security like no other tool out there.