Have Just A Phone Number? iOS 6 Facebook Integration Can Fill In The Blanks

m.techcrunch.com

9 points·cdrux··3 comments

Better idea: as soon as I get a call from an unknown number, do a search for the number in facebook to see if you can find more information, and pop up that information on the phone before it even starts ringing.

There might be a problem of spam whereby one person creates a fake persona with their phone number and pretends to be someone else, but I think facebook could solve that problem.

It's always been the case with the Facebook app pre-iOS6 that after syncing contacts (which uploads all your local phone numbers to Facebook) any Facebook profile associated with one of those numbers would appear in your address book on the Facebook site.

This little feature has allowed me to fill in the blanks after more than one drunken night out...

Found a new, partial name + a number in your phone the morning after? Use the "find friends" feature to find the rest of the details[^1] to get in touch without looking like so much of a fool[^2]. You didn't get everything, without making a friend request, but it was a starting point. Obviously it works both ways - people can find and get in touch with you as well (that may be a pro or con, depending on your outlook) - I probably owe my current relationship to this feature!

[^1]: This doesn't work for everyone, but the hit-rate in the 20's-mid 30 year-old's is pretty high in my experience. [^2]: Not guaranteed!

Reply on news.ycombinator.com