Facebook “People You May Know”: How It Finds You
Sometimes Facebook suggests someone you have never met online. The reason is usually a shared connection or an uploaded contact list.
By Siddharth ShankarUpdated October 18, 2026People You May Know suggestions come from things like mutual friends, shared groups, schools and workplaces, and contact lists that you or other people uploaded. That is why a doctor, landlord or ex can appear. You cannot switch the feature off, but you can stop uploading your contacts, delete contacts already uploaded, limit who can look you up by email or phone and remove suggestions you do not want.
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People You May Know is how Facebook encourages new connections. Most suggestions are obvious: friends of friends, classmates and colleagues. But many people have been surprised by suggestions that seem impossible, such as a therapist, a buyer from Marketplace or someone they only spoke to on the phone. Those surprises usually have a simple explanation.
Where the suggestions come from
Facebook explains in its Help Center pages on where People You May Know suggestions come from and how it uses your information for them that suggestions are based on signals such as:
- Mutual friends
- Groups you are both in, or photos you are both tagged in
- Your networks, such as school, university or workplace
- Contacts that you, or other people, have uploaded to Facebook or Messenger
- Other activity on Facebook
Why strangers and private contacts appear
The biggest cause is contact uploading. If someone saved your phone number or email and let Facebook upload their contacts, Facebook can connect that number or email to your account. You did not upload anything, but they did. This is how a person who only has your number, such as a tradesperson or a client, can appear as a suggestion, and how you can appear in theirs.
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How to reduce unwanted suggestions
1Turn off continuous contact upload
In the Facebook and Messenger apps, turn off the setting that keeps uploading your phone contacts.
2Delete contacts you already uploaded
Facebook lets you view and delete uploaded contacts in its settings. Do this in Messenger too.
3Limit who can look you up
In the settings for how people find and contact you, limit who can look you up using your email address or phone number. This cuts the link between your contact details and your profile. See how to make Facebook private.
4Remove suggestions
Tap Remove on any suggestion you do not want to see.
5Hide your friends list
A visible friends list helps others find mutual connections. See the friends list step.
Can you turn People You May Know off?
There is no setting to switch the feature off completely. You can reduce the signals it uses and remove suggestions, but some suggestions will still appear.
What this tells you about your footprint
Your phone number and email act as keys that link you across services, often through other people’s address books. That is why protecting them matters. See can someone find your accounts from your email and how email aliases help.
Common surprising suggestions explained
- Your doctor, therapist or lawyer: you are probably in their phone contacts, or they are in yours, and one of you uploaded contacts.
- A Marketplace buyer: you may have exchanged numbers, or share groups or a location network.
- An ex’s new partner: mutual friends, shared groups or tagged photos often explain it.
- Someone from an old job: workplace and school details on profiles are a strong signal.
In each case, the fix is the same: reduce contact uploads, limit lookup by phone and email, and keep your friends list private.
Instagram and Messenger
Meta runs Instagram and Messenger too, and both suggest accounts in similar ways. If you want to keep a separate life on Instagram, avoid linking it to the same phone number and email as your Facebook account, and check its contact syncing settings.
Sources
- Facebook Help Center: Where People You May Know suggestions come from (mutual friends, networks, contacts)
- Facebook Help Center: How Facebook uses information for People You May Know (signals used)
Frequently asked questions
Why does Facebook suggest people I have never met?
Often because one of you has the other’s phone number or email in contacts uploaded to Facebook, or you share mutual friends or groups.
Does Facebook suggest people who viewed my profile?
Facebook does not list profile views as a reason for suggestions. Mutual friends, networks and uploaded contacts are the usual signals.
Can I turn off People You May Know?
No. You can reduce suggestions by managing contact upload and lookup settings, and remove ones you do not want.
How do I delete uploaded contacts?
Facebook and Messenger let you view and delete uploaded contacts in their settings.
Will removing a suggestion notify the person?
No. Removing a suggestion simply hides it from your list.
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