Facebook is one of the most popular social media websites around today, and you can access Facebook via a smartphone app or by logging into its website on your computer or another device.
However, with all of the profiles on Facebook that you might be tempted to look at from time to time, you’re probably wondering if people can see when you search for them on this app. Our article gives you information about the Facebook search process and answers this important question.
Article Breakdown
The Facebook Search Process
Searching for profiles or groups on Facebook fortunately isn’t too difficult of a process.
- To locate someone’s profile, all you need to do is navigate to Facebook on your smartphone, computer, or another device.
- Find the search bar located at either the top right or left corner of your newsfeed and type in the person’s name that you are trying to find.
- You can then tap or click the search button and view the results or add some more search filters, such as location, school, and employment information. Facebook will give you the most relevant profiles related to your search.
Once you find the profile that you are looking for, you can tap or click on it and navigate the publicly available information such as profile pictures, personal information like birthday and relationship status, and recent posts.
How much of this you are able to see depends on the person’s profile settings, what they share with friends, and if their profile is publicly viewable to the people they are not friends with on Facebook.
Can People See When You Search Them on Facebook?
People on Facebook will not be able to see that you have searched their profile unless you interact with it by sending them a friend request, sending a message, or liking and commenting on posts.
Keep in mind that whoever you look up on Facebook will be in your personal search history, so make sure to remove evidence of these searches by clicking or tapping the ‘X’ next to the search result if you don’t wish it to be viewable.
Are People Notified When You Search for Them on Facebook?
Facebook does not notify people when their profiles have been searched on Facebook. The only notifications that Facebook sends out are notifications regarding messages, friend requests, and interactions with posts, such as likes, comments, or shares.
People can’t see when they’ve been searched by others on Facebook, the same as you can’t see who has viewed your profile on Facebook. All of this information is kept private.
Can You Facebook Search Someone You Aren’t Friends With?
Yes, it is possible to search for someone on Facebook that you aren’t already friends with. You can do this by browsing through Facebook’s list of mutual profiles and suggested friends, or by searching manually via name in the Facebook search bar.
Again, people whose profiles you search and view will not be able to see that you’ve searched for them unless you interact with their profile by sending a friend request, a message, or liking or commenting on their content.
Can Third-Party Apps Really Show Who Viewed Your Profile?
When you start looking into whether or not people can see who has searched their Facebook profile, you may see third-party apps or software that offer to show you who has viewed your profile. It’s important that you don’t download or install these services, and that you don’t give your data to these third-party apps, as they are most likely a scam.
Facebook does not make public the information about who is viewing your profile, which means that third-party apps won’t be able to access this either. These apps and software are designed to steal your important information, collect data on you, and typically install viruses or malware on your devices – don’t fall for the promises of seeing who might be viewing your Facebook profile, as tempting as it may be.
Understanding Facebook Searches
Facebook searches are a common thing in today’s world where Facebook is one of the most popular social media websites. However, Facebook searches might be a bit confusing to those who don’t regularly search for profiles and have concerns about others being notified when their profile is viewed.
Fortunately, Facebook doesn’t share who has viewed a profile after it has been searched; the only way someone can tell that you have been searching for them is if you interact with their profile after you find it via friend requests, messages, and interactions with their posts such as liking, commenting and sharing.
Additionally, if you need help locating someone’s Facebook account or other social media profiles, you can utilize an online people search tool. These tools use public information and scan social media websites quickly to give you more information about the websites someone might have a profile or account on. Figuring this out is the first step to searching a profile on Facebook or other social media website and making connections with the people you know or are interested in knowing.