Stop syncing your contacts with Facebook

I was scrolling through Instagram recently when I noticed something strange: the app was suggesting friends based on who was in my phone’s contact list, even though I had long ago disabled contacts syncing in the app. 

As it turns out, it’s not just me. If you’ve ever granted Facebook access to your contacts, the company likely knows a lot more about your friends than you think. 

Why you should disable contacts syncing

Facebook positions contacts syncing as a matter of convenience, a feature that makes it easier to find people you already know on its services. But the reality is that it’s also another way the company subtly (or sometimes not so subtly) uses your personal information (and that of your friends’) in ways that aren’t always clear. 

It might make sense when you first download Messenger, for example, to sync your contact list so you can’t chat with friends. You might not realize that you’re not only giving Facebook permission to match you with friends, but to upload a list of everyone you know and use that information to show you ads.  

Worse yet, once you’ve shared your contact list with one Facebook service, there’s nothing stopping that information from following you around throughout other Facebook-owned apps, as I recently discovered. An Instagram spokesperson confirmed that because I had once shared my contact information with Messenger, Instagram could also use that data to suggest friends for me to follow. And, per the app’s privacy policy, this information can also be used to serve me advertisements. Convenient, right?

However, it is possible to get Facebook out of your contacts, if you know which settings to check. Here’s how to disable contacts syncing in Facebook, Messenger, and Instagram (and remember to check these settings on all your devices — just in case.)

Facebook

In the Facebook app, go to your settings and scroll all the way down to “media and contacts.” Select “upload contacts,” and make sure the option is disabled.

Messenger

In the Messenger app, tap on your profile photo in the upper left corner of the app, then scroll down to “people.” Make sure “upload contacts” is set to “off.” It should like the image below.

Bonus: While you’re at it, check the “sync Instagram” setting, and make sure that is also disabled, 

Instagram

From your profile, tap the menu that looks like three lines and select “settings.” Select “account,” “contacts syncing,” and make sure the option is not enabled.  It should like the image above.

Delete previously uploaded contacts

Now that’s you’ve changed your contacts syncing settings, you’re not quite done. That’s because simply disabling syncing doesn’t remove any contacts that have been previously uploaded to Facebook. You can check to see if your contacts have been previously uploaded to Facebook by clicking on this link. And you can do the same for Messenger here.

If you do see a contacts list on either page – and you likely will — you can remove it by selecting “delete all contacts.”