Many people at one point or another have lost touch with once-close friends, a phenomenon only exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. In fact, 2021 data from the Survey Center on American Life indicates that the share of adults with no close friends at all has quadrupled since 1990.
The good news is that it’s never too late to rekindle an old friendship. Spokeo put together five unique ways Americans can get back in contact with cherished friends, lost classmates, co-workers, and more.
1. Alumni associations and LinkedIn
Dedicated alumni platforms remain one of the most targeted tools for finding classmates. Many universities maintain their own alumni directories, which can be an excellent resource for those searching for old connections. To find old classmates or school friends who may not have opted in, LinkedIn can be another useful tool. They boast an alumni search function that allows you to filter by school, graduation year, and current location.
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2. Mutual friends and family members (the Six Degrees method)
Before trying out any search tool, there’s a social networking component to consider. When trying to find someone, start by thinking about who you both knew, whether a mutual college roommate, a former co-worker, or a sibling. A single well-placed ask can move the needle on tracking someone down far faster than any database.
This isn’t just theory. Brown University published an analysis in 2024 outlining how human brains navigate social networks in such a manner that you’re typically only six social connections away from anyone on the planet. Put it to the test next time you’re trying to track an old connection down.
3. Social media searches using known details
Facebook remains one of the most useful platforms for people searches, partly due to how many active monthly users frequent it, but also because of how much detail is available on public profiles. Names, hometowns, and life milestones are all searchable. By filtering based on these data points, there’s a strong chance a person can be surfaced if they’re active on the platform. Instagram and TikTok are harder to search without a username but are more prominent social media platforms in 2026, if you know enough data on the person to find a profile.
For professional connections, LinkedIn is still the best option. The alumni search feature, in addition to its people search function, can allow you to filter by employer, school, and location all at once. For someone who has changed their career or moved, this can produce results that a single name search might not.
4. People search and reverse phone lookup services
People search platforms work by aggregating public records, including addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, and sometimes social profiles. These tools are typically most valuable when other methods have stalled. A reverse phone lookup can also confirm whether an old number still belongs to the person you’re looking for. Combining a name with a city search can return the current contact details of an individual, even if they have been offline for years.
5. Niche online communities tied to shared experiences
Finally, some of the most active reconnections happen in spaces that are organized by specific events or experiences. A Reddit thread for alumni of employers, a Facebook group for veterans, or a Discord server for fans of a niche band are all examples. These communities self-select for people who happen to care enough about a shared experience to actively seek others who share the same interest.
The key with this strategy isn’t to think about what specific shared experiences you and the person you’re searching for had, but rather if there’s an existing community around that experience.
Sometimes, the hardest part is hitting send
Finding someone is often the easiest part of the equation. For some people, knowing what to say when someone is found is actually the harder part. Before reaching out to someone you lost touch with, think about sending a few warm messages to current friends first as a sort of trial run. The simple act of practicing can lower the psychological barrier enough that following through with your goal of reconnection may be easier.
This story was produced by Spokeo and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
