How do I get my phone number to stop appearing on Facebook?
July 18, 2011 7:22 PM Subscribe
Why is my mobile number showing up on Facebook and how can I keep this from continuing to post?
I have gone round and round on the Facebook help site and cannot find the appropriate place to ask this question...so mefi, please help! Maybe someone has had a similar problem?
I do not want to have my phone number online and have not (to the best of my knowledge) disclosed it before. However, my mobile number has started to show up on my Facebook profile. Once or twice now I'd been prompted upon logging in to enter it as some sort of back up safety precaution but skipped it, so, that can't be why it's showing up. I'm thinking maybe could it be related to my using my phone to access the site?
I check my profile every week or two, find the number posted again, delete it, repeat cycle. Don't really feel like doing this over and over til the end of time. My privacy settings are pretty strict, so I'm not too up in arms over the idea that the number is out there for all to see, but either way, I don't want it there, period.
Alternatively, if someone knows a way to ask this question directly to facebook (their help center just seemed to keep me in a loop of checking past problems none of which related to this), I'd appreciate the info!
I have gone round and round on the Facebook help site and cannot find the appropriate place to ask this question...so mefi, please help! Maybe someone has had a similar problem?
I do not want to have my phone number online and have not (to the best of my knowledge) disclosed it before. However, my mobile number has started to show up on my Facebook profile. Once or twice now I'd been prompted upon logging in to enter it as some sort of back up safety precaution but skipped it, so, that can't be why it's showing up. I'm thinking maybe could it be related to my using my phone to access the site?
I check my profile every week or two, find the number posted again, delete it, repeat cycle. Don't really feel like doing this over and over til the end of time. My privacy settings are pretty strict, so I'm not too up in arms over the idea that the number is out there for all to see, but either way, I don't want it there, period.
Alternatively, if someone knows a way to ask this question directly to facebook (their help center just seemed to keep me in a loop of checking past problems none of which related to this), I'd appreciate the info!
Check to see that it shows for other people - I think facebook shows you some information that isn't actually on your profile.
posted by modernserf at 7:44 PM on July 18, 2011
posted by modernserf at 7:44 PM on July 18, 2011
My privacy settings are pretty strict, so I'm not too up in arms over the idea that the number is out there for all to see, but either way, I don't want it there, period.
I'm not sure what's up with the main question but one thing you can do concretely is actually check whether the phone number is visible to anyone but you. You can do this by going to Account (upper right) => Privacy Settings => Customize Settings => Preview My Profile.
posted by advil at 7:45 PM on July 18, 2011 [1 favorite]
I'm not sure what's up with the main question but one thing you can do concretely is actually check whether the phone number is visible to anyone but you. You can do this by going to Account (upper right) => Privacy Settings => Customize Settings => Preview My Profile.
posted by advil at 7:45 PM on July 18, 2011 [1 favorite]
Can you change it to a fake 555-xxxx number instead?
posted by unknowncommand at 7:51 PM on July 18, 2011
posted by unknowncommand at 7:51 PM on July 18, 2011
Your mobile number will be automatically added to your profile if you use one of Facebook's phone apps. No way around that.
But, as advil says, you can hide it from everyone else. You can go to the "Customize Settings" page he linked, scroll down to the "Contact Information" section, and set it to "Only Me."
posted by faster than a speeding bulette at 7:54 PM on July 18, 2011
But, as advil says, you can hide it from everyone else. You can go to the "Customize Settings" page he linked, scroll down to the "Contact Information" section, and set it to "Only Me."
posted by faster than a speeding bulette at 7:54 PM on July 18, 2011
I was just going to ask if you have added a Facebook mobile app, but someone beat me to it.
posted by KokuRyu at 8:10 PM on July 18, 2011
posted by KokuRyu at 8:10 PM on July 18, 2011
Your mobile number will be automatically added to your profile if you use one of Facebook's phone apps. No way around that.
I access Facebook via an app on my phone, but my phone number has never been added to my profile.
Under "Account Settings"->"Mobile", there is the option to activate a phone. This allows for text messages to be sent to your phone. Perhaps your phone is activated here and can be deactivated?
posted by orme at 5:56 AM on July 19, 2011
I access Facebook via an app on my phone, but my phone number has never been added to my profile.
Under "Account Settings"->"Mobile", there is the option to activate a phone. This allows for text messages to be sent to your phone. Perhaps your phone is activated here and can be deactivated?
posted by orme at 5:56 AM on July 19, 2011
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In terms of just trying to see what happens, have you tried changing the number, perhaps to a dummy 555 number?
posted by randomkeystrike at 7:34 PM on July 18, 2011