It’s normal to find tactical questions about Facebook online. For instance, if you search someone on Facebook, will you show up as a suggested friend?
The search engine has different ways of suggesting friends to users. You’ll even find people you don’t remember as suggested friends.
While Facebook suggests friends, it’s the account holders’ decision on whether they want to accept or reject the friend suggestion. Accepting Facebook’s suggested friends has no impact on your account. The only thing it will do for you is increase your Facebook friends and reduce the time you’ll spend looking for people to add as friends.
Here, we will discuss what we know about Facebook friends’ suggestions, how the platform determines suggested friends and more tips. Read from start to finish!
If You Search Someone On Facebook Will You Show Up As A Suggested Friend?
You won’t show up as a suggested friend when you search for someone on Facebook. The platform doesn’t operate that way.
Facebook uses an algorithm to determine suggested friends. The algorithm suggests friends based on several factors, such as shared interest, mutual friends, and other social connections.
What Do People You May Know Mean on Facebook?
In Facebook and other social media channels, it’s all about connections. The platform wants to make it easier for its users to connect with people they may know to boost engagement.
Facebook uses the “People You May Know” feature to help users find friends. The platform understands that assisting friends in connecting will encourage more interaction. Facebook needs all its users to remain active.
Most social media platforms aren’t as active as Facebook. That’s for sure. With over 3.065 billion active users, Facebook remains the biggest search engine.
The “People You May Know” feature helps users connect with people you may want to have as friends because you have something in common with them. They could be your old friend, classmate, or colleague.
The Facebook algorithm discovered that there was something that connected you to those on your “People You May Know” list, and that was why you’re seeing them.
To add friends on your people you may know list to your friend list, click the “Add Friend” icon. They’ll automatically get your friend request.
A Handy Tip: Suggested friends are different from friend requests sent by a Facebook user. A suggested friend is Facebook, letting you know there is someone that you would love to have as a friend.
The thing is, the people Facebook suggests to you don’t even know that Facebook has suggested them to you. They won’t even know how you found them on the platform.
Friend requests are requests from Facebook users to add them to your list of friends. By accepting the friend request, they automatically become your friend on Facebook and can see your profile.
On the other hand, if you reject a friend request, the person who sent the request won’t be added to your profile. The Facebook algorithm won’t also display the person as a “Suggested Friend” to you.
Can Someone Know If You Searched Them On Facebook?
On LinkedIn, you might get a hint that someone viewed your profile. That’s how the platform operates. On Facebook, it doesn’t work that way.
So, the answer is that no one will know that you searched them on Facebook. Even if the person is online, they won’t know that you searched for them on the platform.
Your friends can only know that you’re online via Facebook Messenger, but they won’t know what you’re doing unless you share a post or make a comment.
Even if you were looking at their picture when they are online, they won’t still know that you’re doing such. Facebook doesn’t have the features to do that.
Nothing is permanent in the tech world. So, Facebook can decide to rebrand by developing features that let people know if someone has searched their Facebook profile.
The social media platform can even go further by revealing what the person searched for and how long they spent on different sections of someone’s Facebook page.
This would be a great feature. It would improve interaction in the search engine and open new possibilities. On LinkedIn, when a company searches your profile, you know they have interest in you, or something about you drew their intention.
Facebook can have such a feature, too. People should see who views their profile and identify their secret admirers.
What Will Happen When You Search Someone on Facebook?
Facebook’s search algorithm works just like most search engines. When you search for something on Google, the search engine will show you results that match your search history and even serve ads that match your interests.
When you search for someone on Facebook, the platform’s search algorithm will deliver more results that match your search query. You’ll find profiles, groups, posts, and pages related to the person you searched.
Information Facebook Utilizes To Display Suggested Friends To You
Facebook uses an advanced algorithm to show suggested friends. This algorithm uses several factors to display the “People You May Know” option.
So, Facebook won’t just suggest friends to you out of the blue. It uses the following factors:
- There are people or an individual in your friends list that the person suggested as a friend by Facebook also has in their friends list. In other words, you both have mutual friends.
- Facebook uses your network or information on your profile to suggest friends to you. These include information like School, work, current city, etc.
- Your Facebook activity can also play a huge role in deciding the people Facebook will suggest to you. For instance, being tagged in the same group or post or being in the same group.
- Contacts you may know or that someone uploaded to Messenger or Facebook can also decide who appears on your suggested friends list.
When a person uploads information such as their email address or phone number, and it includes yours, then Facebook might suggest the person to you as a friend.
How To Control Who Facebook Suggests Your Profile To
You can control who Facebook suggests your profile to based on your phone number and email address. To achieve this, go to the settings,
Who can facebook suggest your profile based on the phone number or email address.” in this setting, you can control who the search engine suggests your profile to based on the phone number and email you provide.
Here are the options to use.
- Friends of Friends: You limit Facebook’s suggestion of your profile to your friends of friends. This includes individuals who have your email address or phone number. In other words, only people with this information will Facebook suggest to you.
- Possible Connections: You can limit who Facebook suggests your profile to only people who have uploaded your email address or phone number. This setting also allows the platform to recommend your profile to your friends of friends.
- Friends: You can use this setting to limit Facebook to suggest your profile to your friends on Facebook who have your phone number or email address.
- No one: This setting lets Facebook know that you don’t want your profile suggested to anyone. It doesn’t matter whether they have your email address or phone number.
How To Adjust Who Facebook Can Suggest Your Profile To Based on Email Address And Phone Number
You can adjust who Facebook suggests to you. That’s the good thing about the platform. Facebook will not force you to accept people as friends. You have to choose whether to accept or reject them.
Here is how you can adjust these settings on your profile.
1. Visit Facebook.
2. Click your profile picture. You’ll find it in the top right-hand corner of the platform.
3. Choose “Settings & Privacy.” Afterward, the next option is to click on “Settings.”
4. Go to “Audience and Visibility.” Underneath, click on “How people find and contact you.” Choose the most ideal settings. You will find separate settings for phone number and email. You can choose either one of them.
You should set “People with your email address” if you want to update the email settings on your Facebook account. Just click “Edit to the right.
For your phone number, click Edit to the right. This will enable you to set it for people who have your phone number.
5. You can choose whether Facebook will consider your email or contact phone number when suggesting your profile to diverse individuals who have that information.
What’s The Experience Using Facebook On Different Devices?
Facebook is an interesting platform for interacting with people, regardless of the device you use. It works seamlessly on phones, computers, and even tablets.
While Facebook runs seamlessly on diverse devices, its features vary slightly on different devices.
Let’s discuss the different devices and features you can access.
Let’s start with computers. When you access Facebook on a laptop or desktop, you’ll enjoy the myriad of features the platform has. Facebook’s diverse search tools and the big screen of computers make using all the filters possible.
Facebook has a mobile application that many people like to use. And when using the mobile application, you’ll discover that it boasts quick searches that are a breeze to use.
Several of the features of the website are also accessible on the mobile app.
Have you tried using Facebook on Tablets? If you have used the social media application on desktop and mobile devices, you’ll discover that it has features from both devices.
Tablets have big screens. But that doesn’t mean you’ll have access to all the desktop features. However, most people prefer the big screen of desktops.
Android users who changed their devices to iPhones will notice that Facebook is the same on both devices. You can search the entire Facebook from a single search box.
While computers and tablets boast bigger screens, most people will find the small sizes of phones more convenient.
Facebook’s Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some of the popular questions most Facebook users ask.
- If someone views my profile on Facebook, will I know?
Facebook takes the privacy of its users seriously. So, like Instagram, you won’t know if someone views your Facebook profile.
- What criteria does Facebook use to suggest friends?
The platform’s algorithm uses diverse criteria. The algorithm keeps tabs on every user’s activities, including common and shared interests between a user and others. It can even use one’s contact information to suggest friends.
- Will Facebook suggest me to people because I viewed their profile?
Unless you view a person’s profile excessively and get the algorithm’s attention, Facebook is highly unlikely to suggest you as a friend to someone because you have viewed their profile.
Note that Facebook doesn’t use views to create friend suggestions. Even if you viewed a person’s profile, in most cases, they may still not appear as a suggested friend.
- When Facebook sends a friend suggestion to you, will it send it to the other individual?
It doesn’t work like that. The fact that Facebook sent you a friend suggestion doesn’t mean it will send it to the other person. The platform doesn’t work that way.
Conclusion
If you search someone on Facebook, will you show up as a suggested friend? No, you won’t show up as a friend suggestion to that person. Facebook uses other criteria to decide who appears as a suggested friend.
Facebook is a massive social media platform with billions of users. It’s the world’s largest social media platform.
