How to Remove Your Phone Number From Facebook

By Pranay Parab | Updated: 11 October 2018 20:37 IST

Highlights

Facebook lets advertisers target you via your phone number
You can't prevent this from happening entirely
But you can remove your phone number from the service

Facebook isn’t a company that inspires any level of trust with your data. After it was revealed that Facebook uses ‘shadow contact information’ to allow advertisers to target you with even more invasive ads, and what we’ve already seen with the Cambridge Analytica scandal, it’s probably for the best if you minimise the personal data Facebook has on you. The company first started asking people to store their phone numbers on the service to provide them “better security” via two-factor authentication — essentially a one-time password (OTP) sent to your phone via SMS every time you log in. Recent reports have revealed that it allows advertisers to target you using that phone number too, even though you shared it with the company for security, it has been allowing advertisers to target you via that. Here’s how to remove your phone number from Facebook.

On desktop browsers
Here’s how to remove your number from Facebook on desktop or laptop browsers:

Go to Facebook’s mobile number page.
Under your phone number, click Remove.
You might be asked to key in your password. Once you do that, click Remove phone your number should be removed.

On mobile browsers
Here’s how to remove your number from Facebook on your phone via any browser app:

Go to Facebook’s mobile number page.
Under the phone number, tap Remove.
Again, you’ll have to enter your Facebook password. Next, click Remove phone and your number will be off Facebook.

On Android
Here’s how to remove your number from Facebook on the Android app:

Tap the three horizontal lines hamburger icon on the top-right.
Under Settings & Privacy, tap Settings.
Tap Personal information.
Tap Phone number.
Tap Remove.
Now enter your Facebook password and tap Remove phone.

On iOS
Here’s how to remove your number from Facebook the iOS app:

Tap the three horizontal lines hamburger icon on the bottom-right.
Under Settings & Privacy, tap Settings.
Tap Personal information.
Tap Phone number.
Tap Remove.
Now key in your Facebook password and tap Remove phone.

If you’re wondering whether there’s another way to enable two-factor authentication on Facebook, you should consider using authenticator apps such as 1Password, Authy, or Google Authenticator. These will allow you to receive OTPs on your device without storing your phone number on Facebook.

For more tutorials, visit our How To section.

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