In the age of social media, even the smallest details matter. One of the most common curiosities people have is: “When did these two people become friends on Facebook?”
Whether it’s out of nostalgia, trust-checking, relationship transparency, or simple curiosity, many users want to view the exact date two profiles connected. But Facebook’s privacy-driven design makes this feature tricky to find or sometimes impossible.
This detailed, journalistic-style guide breaks down every working method to see when people became friends on Facebook, what information you’re allowed to access, the limitations, alternatives, and answers to common questions.
Can You See When Two People Became Friends on Facebook?
Here’s the honest answer:
You can see the friendship date only if at least one of the two profiles has set their Friends list and Timeline activity to public or visible to you.
Facebook removed the old “Friendship Page” feature for many users, but it still appears under limited conditions.
You cannot view the friendship date of two people who have strict privacy settings.
But there are several ways to try.
Method 1: Check the “Friendship” Page (If Available)
Facebook still shows a dedicated friendship link for some accounts.
How to View It:
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Open the person’s profile.
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Click the three dots (…) next to the Message button.
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Select “See Friendship” (if visible).
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You’ll see:
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The exact date the two profiles became friends
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Shared posts
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Mutual photos
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Life events
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Why It May Not Appear:
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The person has set their Friends list to Only Me
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Their Timeline activity is private
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Facebook’s new design sometimes hides the feature entirely
Method 2: Scroll Through the Person’s Timeline
This method works when the other person has public or “Friends” visibility.
Steps:
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Go to the person’s Profile > Timeline
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Scroll down or use the Year filter
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Look for a post that says:
“Became friends with [Name].”
These posts are automatically generated by Facebook, making them one of the most reliable ways to see the exact date.
Method 3: Use the Activity Log (If You’re the Friend)
This option works if you are one of the two people and want to know when you both became friends.
Steps:
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Open Facebook and go to your profile
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Tap Menu > Settings & Privacy > Activity Log
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Go to Connections
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Filter by Friends
You’ll find the exact date you added the person as a friend.
Method 4: Use the “Mutual Friends” Section
This method doesn’t show the date directly but can help narrow it down.
Steps:
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Go to one person’s profile
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Select Mutual Friends
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Look for the earliest friend the two people share
This gives you an approximate timeline of their social circles and possible friend connections.
Method 5: Inspect Tagged Photos & Posts
Facebook automatically logs friend connections through:
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Tagged posts
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Shared events
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Photo comments
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Check-ins
What to Look For:
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First time both appear together in a tag
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First interaction visible publicly
This helps you estimate the relationship timeline when exact data is hidden.
Method 6: Use Facebook Memories (Only if You Are One of Them)
If you are part of the friendship, Facebook Memories often resurfaces:
“You became friends with [Name] X years ago today.”
This is the easiest method for personal friend dates.
Why Facebook Hides Friendship Dates
Facebook’s privacy model is designed to limit access to interpersonal relationship data.
Main Reasons:
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Prevent stalking
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Protect personal connections
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Reduce data exploitation
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Limit digital tracking
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Respect user privacy settings
Unless a user intentionally makes their Friends list public, you’ll only see what they allow.
What You Cannot See
Here’s what Facebook does not allow:
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You cannot see the friendship date of any two random people
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You cannot bypass privacy settings
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You cannot view deleted friendship activity
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You cannot view hidden or restricted posts
Any third-party tool claiming otherwise is a scam.
FAQs
1. Can I see when two people became friends if I’m not friends with either of them?
No. You can only see public friendship activity, if any.
2. Why don’t I see the “See Friendship” option?
Because the user hides their:
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Friends list
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Timeline posts
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Activity log
or Facebook disabled the feature for their account.
3. Can I see my own friendship dates?
Yes. Use your Activity Log or Memories section.
4. Do private profiles hide friendship dates?
Yes. Private profiles restrict access to all relationship-related info.
5. Are there apps to check Facebook friendship dates?
No. Any third-party tool claiming this is unsafe.
Conclusion
Finding out when two people became friends on Facebook can be simple or nearly impossible depending on privacy settings. While Facebook used to make this feature more accessible, today the platform increasingly protects interpersonal connections. But with the right methods Timeline scrolling, the Friendship page, Activity Log, or Memories you can still uncover friendship dates in many cases.
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