Facebook is the world‘s largest social network with over 2.9 billion monthly active users. While the platform aims to connect people, it‘s increasingly common for users to maintain hidden secondary accounts for various reasons. According to a 2021 study by researchers at Brigham Young University, 1 in 5 US adults admit to having a secret social media account.
Some people create fake Facebook profiles to stalk or harass others anonymously, while others do it to escape the prying eyes of employers, parents or spouses. Scammers may also use secret accounts with fake names and photos to trick victims or spread misinformation. And in some cases, people just want a more private outlet to share with a select group of friends.
If you suspect that your spouse, child, employee or someone else in your life is hiding a secret Facebook account, you‘re not alone. A 2020 survey of 2,000 people in relationships found that 32% have checked their partner‘s social media profiles for suspicious activity.
Fortunately, there are several techniques you can use to try to locate a hidden Facebook account. In this guide, we‘ll walk you through the 6 most effective methods, complete with step-by-step instructions and expert insights.
Method 1: Facebook Search Techniques
The first place to start your search is on Facebook itself. While secret accounts may not show up easily, there are a few ways to dig deeper than a basic name search:
Searching Facebook by Name
– Enter the person‘s full name in the Facebook search bar at the top of the page
– Click "See all" in the People results to view more profiles
– Try variations and aliases, such as middle names, nicknames, and maiden names
Searching Facebook by Email or Phone Number
– Enter any email addresses or phone numbers you know are associated with the person
– If they‘ve used those contact details to register a Facebook account, it should appear in the search results
Using Facebook Graph Search
Facebook Graph Search is a powerful search engine that lets you find profiles based on very specific criteria. To access it:
- Go to the Facebook search bar and click "Search Options"
- Select "Posts From" and "People" in the filters
- Enter queries like "People named John Smith who live in Chicago"
- Use operators like quotes for exact matches and AND/OR to include or exclude keywords
With Graph Search, you can look for accounts matching the person‘s name, location, workplace, school, and other known details to narrow down your results.
Searching Your Friend List
There‘s also a chance that the person‘s secret account is already connected to you, but you didn‘t realize it due to their use of an alias or fake name. Carefully browse through your own Facebook friends list and see if any profiles look suspicious or familiar despite an unfamiliar name.
Method 2: Reverse Lookup Services
Online background check services can be a powerful tool for uncovering someone‘s hidden social media presence. These websites scour billions of public records to compile detailed dossiers on almost anyone. By running a reverse search of the person‘s name, phone number, email or address, you may turn up secret Facebook profiles linked to them.
Using BeenVerified for Facebook Search
BeenVerified is one of the most popular background check services, aggregating data from over 100 sources. Here‘s how to use it to find hidden Facebook accounts:
- Go to BeenVerified.com and select the type of search you want to run (name, phone, email, or address)
- Enter the person‘s details and hit Search
- BeenVerified will scan its database and compile a report with possible matches
- If a Facebook profile is found, it will be included under the Social Media Profiles section of the report
BeenVerified offers a monthly subscription for $26.89/month or a 3-month plan for $17.48/month. While not cheap, it‘s a worthwhile investment if you need to find hidden social media accounts.
Using Truthfinder for Facebook Search
Truthfinder is another leading people search service that can help you find secret Facebook profiles. It works similarly to BeenVerified:
- Go to Truthfinder.com and choose a search type
- Enter the person‘s name, phone number, email or other known details
- Truthfinder will generate a background report based on the information found in its database
- Any linked Facebook accounts will be included under Social Media & Online Profiles
Truthfinder offers plans starting at $28.05/month or $46.56 for 2 months. The service also has a mobile app for both iOS and Android devices.
| BeenVerified | Truthfinder | |
|---|---|---|
| Database Size | 100+ billion records | Billions of public records |
| Monthly Price | $26.89 | $28.05 |
| Mobile App | No | Yes |
While background check services can reveal hidden Facebook profiles, it‘s important to use them ethically and only for legitimate purposes. Never use the information found to harass or stalk someone.
Method 3: Searching Through Mutual Friends
The next tactic for finding a secret Facebook account is to search through the friends lists of people you know are connected to the person you‘re investigating. Even if their profile doesn‘t come up in public searches, it may still be visible to their existing Facebook friends.
Here‘s how to conduct a thorough mutual friend search:
- Make a list of people you believe are likely to be friends with the person on Facebook
- Visit each of those mutual friends‘ profiles one by one
- Click on the Friends tab to view their full friends list
- Either browse the list manually or use the search bar to look up the person‘s name
- If you find an account that seems to match the person, study the details to confirm it‘s a secret profile
While going through hundreds of friends lists can be tedious, it‘s worth the effort if it leads you to uncover the person‘s hidden Facebook presence. The more mutual friends you search, the better your chances of finding the secret account.
Method 4: Google Search Techniques
Search engines like Google can help you locate someone‘s Facebook account as well as other online profiles they may be hiding. By using a few advanced search operators and techniques, you can uncover social media presence that doesn‘t easily show up in Facebook‘s own search.
Searching Google for Names & Usernames
Start by searching for the person‘s name in quotes, followed by the word "Facebook":
"John Smith" Facebook
Adding quotes forces Google to search for that exact name, while including Facebook will only surface results from facebook.com. You can also try variations of their name or known aliases.
Next, repeat the search with any usernames or screen names you know they use on other platforms:
"jsmith84" Facebook
"johnnysmith" Facebook
If they‘ve created a Facebook account with a matching username, it will likely show up in the search results.
Searching Google for Email Addresses & Phone Numbers
If you know any email addresses or phone numbers associated with the person, you can try searching for those alongside Facebook as well:
"[email protected]" Facebook
"555-123-4567" Facebook
If they used that contact information when registering for a Facebook account, you may be able to find it this way.
Using Google Advanced Search
For even better results, you can use Google‘s advanced search options to narrow down your query:
- Go to Google Advanced Search
- Enter the person‘s details in the relevant fields:
- "all these words" for their name
- "this exact word or phrase" for known usernames or aliases
- "any of these words" for keywords like Facebook, FB, profile, account
- Under "site or domain", enter facebook.com
- Hit Advanced Search to see profiles that match those criteria
By using Google to its full potential and getting creative with your search queries, you may be able to locate a secret Facebook account that the person didn‘t think could be found.
Method 5: Monitoring Apps & Spy Software
If you have physical access to the devices of the person you suspect of having a secret Facebook account, you could attempt to install monitoring apps or spyware to keep tabs on their social media activity.
Monitoring solutions like mSpy and uMobix allow you to see what someone does on Facebook and other apps in real-time and even remotely. You can read their private messages, see their friends list, and track their posts – all without them knowing.
However, using spyware comes with serious risks and ethical concerns. It‘s illegal to access an adult‘s devices or accounts without their consent. You could face criminal charges or civil lawsuits for invasion of privacy, wiretapping, or unauthorized access to electronic communications.
The only scenario where monitoring someone‘s Facebook may be justified is for parents who want to keep their underage children safe online. But even then, it‘s best to have an open conversation about social media ground rules first.
Method 6: Hiring a Private Investigator
As a last resort, you could hire a private investigator to help you find a secret Facebook account. PIs have access to advanced databases and investigative techniques that go beyond what you can do alone. They may be able to uncover social media profiles you couldn‘t find through your own searching.
However, hiring a PI can cost hundreds to thousands of dollars, so it‘s not a decision to take lightly. It‘s really only justified if you have a serious reason for needing to find the hidden account, such as a court case, custody battle, or well-founded suspicions of infidelity.
When hiring a PI, look for one that is licensed, experienced in social media investigations, and highly reviewed. Have a consultation to explain your goals and agree on a budget. While a good investigator can find information you couldn‘t, there‘s no guarantee they‘ll be able to locate the secret Facebook account in the end.
Conclusion
With the popularity of Facebook, it‘s not uncommon for people to maintain hidden accounts for privacy, anonymity, or deception. If you need to find out if someone has a secret Facebook profile, start by conducting thorough searches on the platform itself, including Graph Search and mutual friend searches.
Online background check services like BeenVerified and Truthfinder are also valuable tools for uncovering social media accounts linked to a person‘s contact details and public records. And don‘t forget about using advanced Google search techniques to scan the web for Facebook profiles the person may be hiding.
For serious cases, you could attempt device monitoring apps or hire a PI to conduct a professional social media investigation, but be aware of the legal and ethical risks involved. Above all, respect people‘s privacy and always use what you find responsibly.
While it‘s not always possible to find concrete proof of a secret Facebook account, following these methods will give you the best chance of uncovering the truth and getting peace of mind about what your loved ones are doing on social media.
