13/10/2026
🚨 FACEBOOK & MESSENGER USERS — PLEASE READ! YOUR PHONE CONTACTS MAY BE AT RISK OF BEING SHARED! 🔒
I want to warn people about something that has just happened to me on Messenger.
When switching between accounts, Messenger keeps bringing up a screen asking me to share my contacts. It offers two choices: “Select contacts” or “Share all contacts.”
What concerns me is that the wording may not make it clear enough to everyone that these are the contacts stored in your PHONE, not simply your Facebook friends.
Think about what you have saved in your phone contacts. Names, phone numbers, email addresses, home addresses, birthdays and other personal details may be stored there.
These details can also belong to other people who have never agreed to share their information with Meta.
⚠️ PLEASE DON’T JUST PRESS “SHARE ALL CONTACTS” TO GET INTO MESSENGER!
HERE’S HOW I GOT PAST THE SCREEN WITHOUT SELECTING EITHER OPTION:
📱 On my iPhone, I swiped up from the bottom of the screen to leave Messenger completely. I then reopened Messenger and was able to get back in without choosing either contact-sharing option.
The screen itself doesn’t make this workaround obvious, and I couldn’t find an X or a clear “Not now” option.
I’m sharing this because I believe people should understand what they’re agreeing to before giving an app access to their contacts.
Please be careful, read the options properly and think before granting access to your entire contact list.
YOUR CONTACTS CONTAIN OTHER PEOPLE’S PERSONAL INFORMATION TOO.
Please share this warning so others can make an informed choice. 🔒
This is based on my experience with Messenger on my iPhone. The screen and available options may differ on other devices.
