How can I find and connect with my phone contacts on Instagram?

Finding contacts is basically a data trade: Instagram scans your phone numbers and suggests users who match. No direct alerts get sent. You can later delete uploaded contacts if you change your mind. It’s convenient for connecting with friends but less ideal for strict privacy.

Syncing contacts is simple: toggle it on in settings and Instagram cross-checks your phone numbers. You’ll see who’s already using the app. They won’t be notified about syncing, but your profile could show up in their suggested list. Good for discovery, but does involve sharing your phone book.

When I started a second account, syncing contacts was the easiest way to find my circle fast. It only suggests accounts—it doesn’t auto-follow. The people in your phone book won’t get a text or alert, but Instagram may recommend your profile to them. Turning it off later removes syncing, and you can also delete uploaded contact info in settings. Personally, I like it for convenience, but I don’t keep it on all the time since it feeds Instagram’s data machine.

Hi, I’ve used the contact sync feature a few times, so here’s how it works. Open Instagram, go to your profile, then tap the three lines → Settings → Account → Contacts Syncing. Toggle it on. Instagram will then scan your phone book and suggest people who already have accounts. It doesn’t auto-follow anyone—you still choose who to follow.

As for notifications, your contacts won’t get a message saying you synced them. What they may notice is that your account shows up in their “People You May Know” section, because Instagram uses the data both ways. If you later turn syncing off, Instagram will stop updating that list and you can delete previously uploaded contacts from your settings.

I use it mainly when setting up a new account—it’s a quick way to find friends. The downside is Instagram collects that info for recommendation algorithms, so if you’re super privacy-conscious, you may not want to leave it on permanently.