Where to find your phone number setting on Facebook

Your phone number on Facebook lives in your personal settings, not in your profile itself. To reach it, open Facebook and tap the menu icon (three horizontal lines) at the bottom right on mobile, or click the downward arrow at the top right on a computer. Select Settings & privacy, then Settings.

Once you're in Settings, look for the Personal information section on the left side (desktop) or scroll down to find it (mobile). This is where Facebook stores your phone number, email address, and other contact details. The phone number field may be blank if you've never added one, or it may show a number you entered years ago.

How to add or change your phone number

In the Personal information section, find the line labeled Phone. If there's already a number there, click or tap the pencil icon next to it to edit. If the field is empty, click Add phone number. Either way, you'll see a text box where you can enter a new number.

Type your phone number in the format Facebook suggests — usually with your country code first if you're outside the United States. For a US number, that means entering it as +1 followed by your 10-digit number, though Facebook will often accept it without the plus sign. After you've typed the number, click Add or Save depending on whether you're adding new or replacing an old one.

Facebook will send a confirmation code to the phone number you just entered. Check your text messages for a message from Facebook containing a 6-digit code. Return to the same settings page and enter that code in the confirmation field to verify the number is actually yours. Until you confirm it, Facebook won't fully activate the number on your account.

Key Takeaways

  • Your phone number is stored in Settings under Personal information, not on your public profile.
  • You can add a new number or replace an old one by clicking the pencil icon next to the Phone field.
  • Facebook will text you a 6-digit confirmation code that you must enter to complete the change.
  • Your phone number is private by default and won't show on your profile unless you change your privacy settings.

Why Facebook asks for your phone number

Facebook uses your phone number for account security and recovery. If you forget your password or someone tries to access your account from an unfamiliar device, Facebook can send you a code by text to verify it's really you. This two-factor authentication makes your account much harder to break into, even if someone knows your password.

The platform also uses phone numbers to help you find friends and to let people contact you if they have your number saved in their phone. You can control whether your number is visible to others through your privacy settings — by default, it's hidden from everyone except Facebook itself.

Removing your phone number from Facebook

If you want to delete your phone number entirely instead of replacing it, go back to the same Personal information section. Click the pencil icon next to your phone number and select Remove. Facebook will ask you to confirm the deletion. Once you remove it, you won't receive text codes for account recovery unless you add a different number later.

Removing your number doesn't affect your account security permanently — you can always add a new one if you need it. However, if you lose access to your email address and don't have a phone number on file, recovering a hacked account becomes much harder. Most people keep at least one contact method active for this reason.

Privacy settings for your phone number

By default, your phone number is private and visible only to you and Facebook. To check or change this, stay in Settings and look for Privacy in the left menu. Scroll down to find Who can look you up using the phone number you provided? The options are usually Everyone, Friends, or Only me.

If you select Everyone, anyone on Facebook can search for you using your phone number. This is useful if you want friends to find you by texting your number into Facebook's search, but it also means strangers can locate your profile the same way. Most people leave this set to Only me or Friends for privacy.

What to do if you don't receive the confirmation code

If Facebook sends a confirmation code but you don't receive the text, wait a few minutes — sometimes messages are delayed. Check that you typed the number correctly, including the country code. If you're certain the number is right and still haven't received a code after 10 minutes, try requesting a new code by clicking Didn't get a code? on the confirmation screen.

If you're still not receiving codes, your phone's text message settings might be blocking Facebook's number, or your carrier might be filtering it. Try adding Facebook's sender number to your contacts, or contact your mobile carrier to ask if they're blocking short codes. As a last resort, you can use your email address for account recovery instead of a phone number.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I add multiple phone numbers to my Facebook account?

No, Facebook allows only one phone number per account. If you want to change it, you must remove the old one first or replace it directly. You can have multiple email addresses on file, but only a single phone number.

Will my phone number show on my Facebook profile?

Not by default. Your phone number is private and stored in your settings. It only appears on your profile if you manually add it to your "About" section and set it to public, which is a separate action from adding it to your account settings.

What happens to my phone number if I deactivate my account?

Your phone number stays associated with your account while it's deactivated. If you reactivate within a certain period, the number will still be there. If you permanently delete your account, Facebook removes the phone number from their systems after about 90 days.

Can I use a landline or VoIP number instead of a cell phone?

Facebook's confirmation process requires a number that can receive text messages, so landlines won't work. VoIP services like Google Voice may work depending on whether they support SMS, but Facebook sometimes blocks known VoIP numbers. A standard mobile number is the most reliable option.