How to locate a person on Facebook?

Finding someone on Facebook directly from the app is impossible since 2022.

Functionality “Friends Nearby”, which showed your friends' locations in real time, was removed by Facebook that year.

Today, the only reliable method is to use a parental control app such as mSpy, within a strict legal framework.

The best app for locating someone

How to locate a person on Facebook?

You have two practical options left: figure out a location based on your friends' posts on Facebook, or use a tracking app as mSpy.

The first one is free. The second one is more accurate, but subject to legal restrictions.

The “Friends Nearby” feature is no longer available

Facebook used to offer a “Friends Nearby” feature” integrated into Messenger. It displayed your friends' locations on a map in direct, provided that they share their geolocation.

The problem: all contacts Facebook are not close relatives. This raised real questions about privacy and sharing of personal data. The feature was therefore removed at the end of May 2022, both in the app Facebook than in Messenger.

Don't bother looking for the option in your profile settings—it's no longer there.

Today, none official feature of Facebook allows you to track your friends on a map in real time. Millions of users around the world are still looking for this feature, but the social network has decided to remove it permanently to protect the privacy.

Guessing a Location Based on Stories and Posts

First method—completely free and without any third-party apps—is to see what the person is sharing on Facebook. Many users post stories, videos, or posts with their associated locations, place tags, or activity tags. Here's how to do it:

1. Open the app Facebook Where Messenger.
2. Go to the section stories and see your friends' recent stories.
3. Tap the one you're interested in to see the location or shared activity.
4. See also the posts in the groups Facebook where your friends are active: they sometimes share their city or country there.

This technique has a real limitation. Users often post a photo, a video, or a message after leaving the place.

So you never get a reliable real-time location—just a rough indication of the city or geographic area.

Track Someone's Location on Facebook and Messenger with mSpy

For a real-time geolocation, the only serious solution is a tracking app like mSpy. It functions as a parental control tool and displays the location of the cell phone on a map, in real time.

Important Legal Framework:

You must have legal access to the phone in question, such as a minor child for which you are responsible, or a work device that you manage. Installing this type of app on an adult’s phone without their consent is illegal in France and constitutes a violation of the privacy.

Some companies also use mSpy to manage their work devices in compliance with the legal framework.

In terms of installation, here are the differences between the systems:

• On Android, you must have physical access to the phone to install the app.
• On iPhone, you can use your login credentials iCloud, without physical access.

Once in place, mSpy covers several useful features:

• GPS Geolocation : Track the phone's movements in real time on a map.
• Message tracking : Read the conversations on Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, Instagram, Snapchat Where TikTok.
• Multimedia files : See the photos and videos shared on these social media platforms.
• Navigation history : Identify the websites and data accessed.
• Business Profile : Manage access to social media and identify inappropriate content.

This makes perfect sense for a parent. Children and teenagers use Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter and other social media platforms on the internet without considering the risks.

mSpy is an app recognized worldwide.

It helps you identify inappropriate content or instances of harassment before they escalate, and manage the information your children share online.

The best tool for locating someone on Facebook in 2026

Since Facebook no longer offers any native location features since 2022, the only reliable solution is a parental control app. Our choice is mSpy, an app used by millions of users around the world to track a phone's location Android Where iPhone.

You can also locate someone using their phone number with other methods, but they are less accurate.

Here are the steps to follow to find the target person's location on Facebook :

1. Visit the official page to Create your account mSpy 

Find Someone on Facebook Using Mspy

2. Sign up for a subscription. You can check out our article on the mSpy subscription prices to compare the plans.
3. Install the app on the phone you want to monitor by following the instructions provided.
4. Log in to your account from your own device.
5. You can then follow the real-time geolocation and the history of the places visited.

In practice, mSpy displays the location on a map and updates the data automatically.

This is what makes it, within the legal framework of the parental control, the most comprehensive alternative given the lack of native functionality on Facebook.

Our advice: Install it only on a device for which you are legally responsible, and use it to manage your children's safety on social media.