You can request a copy of your Facebook information through Accounts Center and check the downloaded files for friends-related records. But Facebook’s available documentation does not confirm that every export includes a definitive date for when each friendship began, so the archive may not answer “when did we become friends?” precisely.
Request your Facebook information
Facebook’s Download Your Information tool lets you view and download information about how you have used the service. Meta notes that its data tools can evolve and may include additional information as they are updated. Meta’s Download Your Information help page explains the self-service tool.
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Open Facebook and go to Accounts Center.
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Choose Your information and permissions, then Download your information. A current Zapier walkthrough places the desktop option there. On mobile, its route starts at Menu → Settings & privacy → Settings → Accounts Center. Labels and placement can change, so use the current options shown in your app or browser.
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Select the Facebook profile whose information you want to download.
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Choose all available information, or select the friend-related category if Facebook offers it in the export controls. If you are looking for an older friendship, choose a broad date range that covers the period you want to check. Facebook’s 2019 description of the export tool documented selecting information types and date ranges.
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Choose where to save the download and create the files. Select a format before requesting the export.
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Choose HTML or JSON
| Format | Best for | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| HTML | Browsing the export yourself | Designed to be easier for a person to view. |
| JSON | Searching or processing structured data | A structured format that can be useful for importing into another service or working with data programmatically. |
These format descriptions come from Facebook’s 2019 submission about its data download tool. The current export screen may use updated wording or offer different options. Facebook’s 2019 data portability white paper describes the HTML and JSON choices.
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Look for friends-related records in the archive
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When the download is ready, save and extract the archive using your device’s built-in extraction option or another trusted archive tool.
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Browse the extracted folders for files or folders labeled for friends or friend requests. The exact names and layout can vary; the available documentation does not establish a current filename or export schema.
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Open relevant HTML files in a browser. For JSON, use a text editor or a tool that can search structured text, and look for the friend’s name or account identifier.
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Check whether the record actually contains a date and what that date describes. A pending sent or received friend-request record is not necessarily the date an accepted friendship began.
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Older Facebook Help Center material reproduced in a PDF lists pending sent and received friend requests as a data category, but it does not establish that current exports contain a definitive accepted-friendship date for every friend. The reproduced Help Center material is historical and should not be treated as a guarantee about today’s export.
Best Value
- A more natural connection. Smart Camera adjusts automatically so you can move freely and stay in frame, while Smart Sound ensures you can easily be heard.
- Call anyone, anywhere. Use apps like Messenger and WhatsApp to connect with friends and family—even if they don’t have a Meta Portal.
- Designed for the home. With a sleek picture frame design, quick setup and intuitive voice and touchscreen controls, Meta Portal fits easily and seamlessly into your home.
- Privacy by design. Easily disable the camera and microphone, or block the lens with the camera cover.
What to do if you cannot find the friendship date
If the friends-related record has no date field—or the only date refers to a request rather than an accepted friendship—the export may not reveal the precise day you became friends. The reviewed documentation does not confirm that every friends export includes a definitive friendship-start date, nor does it document a current field that provides one. You can still use the archive to inspect the information Facebook made available for your account, but do not treat the absence of a date as proof that the friendship began on a particular day.
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