If you don't have a friend's Twitter username, you can search for them using their phone number. The only way to do this is by syncing your phone's contact list. Syncing like this will not erase previous Twitter accounts, but only add new ones. This minHour article will show you how to find someone on Twitter with their phone number by syncing your address book contacts from your phone.
Finding Friends with a Phone Number
Open Twitter.
Since you can only sync your contacts with a phone, you’ll need to use a phone or tablet to continue. The app icon features a bluebird and tapping it will open the app.
Tap your profile icon.
It’s in the top left corner of your screen and will prompt a menu to slide out from the left.
Tap Settings and privacy.
You’ll find this near the bottom of the menu.
Tap Privacy and safety.
This menu option is near the middle of the menu next to an icon of a shield.
Tap Discoverability and contacts.
It’s at the bottom of the “Your Twitter activity” section next to a magnifying glass with an avatar icon in the middle.
Tap the switch next to Sync address book contacts to turn it on.
If the app asks for permissions to access your contacts, tap to continue. In case this switch is already on when you navigate here, tap it twice to turn it off and back on. Turning it off will not remove current Twitter contacts, but turning it on again will prompt Twitter to search your contacts to find any new phone numbers that are linked to an account.
Hiding Your Phone Number on Mobile
Open Twitter.
The app icon features a bluebird and tapping it will open the app.
Tap your profile icon.
It’s in the top left corner of your screen and will prompt a menu to slide out from the left.
Tap Settings and privacy.
You’ll find this near the bottom of the menu.
Tap Privacy and safety.
This menu option is near the middle of the menu next to an icon of a shield.
Tap Discoverability and contacts.
It’s at the bottom of the “Your Twitter activity” section next to a magnifying glass with an avatar icon in the middle.
Tap the switch next to Let others find you by your phone to turn it of.
A grey or white toggle means the feature is off and people who have you in their contacts list will not discover your Twitter account when they sync their address book.
- You can also disable your email here as well so no one can find you with your email address.
Hiding Your Phone Number on Desktop
Go to https://twitter.com and sign in.
You can use any desktop web browser to do this.
Click … .
It’s labeled “More” on the left side of the page and will open a menu.
Click Settings and privacy.
You’ll see this near the bottom of the menu next to an icon of a gear.
Click Privacy and safety.
It’s in the center panel under the heading “Settings.”
Click Discoverability and contacts.
You’ll see this in the panel on the right side of the page under the header “Your Twitter activity.”
Click the box next to Let people who have your phone number find you on Twitter to uncheck it.
An empty box means the setting is disabled and people who have you in their contacts list will not discover your Twitter account when they sync their address book.
- You can also disable your email here as well so no one can find you with your email address.