Couchsurfing is better when you're connected to people you already know and trust. Syncing your contacts is one of the fastest ways to find friends, travel buddies, and familiar faces who are already on the platform. It only takes a few seconds, and it makes your whole experience feel more connected from the start.
What Does Syncing My Contacts Do?
When you sync your contacts, Couchsurfing checks whether anyone in your phone or Google contacts is already a member. If they are, they'll show up as friend suggestions so you can connect with them right away.
No more searching for people one by one. Just sync, and let Couchsurfing do the matchmaking.
How Do I Sync My Contacts?
The easiest way to sync your contacts is to visit the Explore page. You'll see a Sync your Contacts prompt on the screen. Just tap Sync and follow the prompts to connect your contacts.
You can also sync your contacts through Settings:
On mobile:
- Tap Library
in the bottom navigation bar
- Tap your profile
in the upper right corner
- Tap Settings
- Tap Connected Contacts (under Integrations)
- Tap Connect and follow the prompts to confirm
- Select the contacts you want to sync
On the web:
- Click your profile
- Click Settings
in the upper right corner
- Click Connected Contacts (under Integrations)
- Click Connect and follow the prompts to confirm
- Select the contacts you want to sync
What Contact Sources Can I Sync?
You can sync your device contacts (phone) and your Google account contacts. You can also sync multiple Google accounts. Only Google is supported for email-based contact sync at this time.
How Do I See Who I've Already Connected With?
Head to Settings → Connected Contacts to see which synced contacts are already on Couchsurfing. You can also check Settings → Connections to review your connected accounts.
Can I Turn Contact Sync Off?
Yes. To disconnect a synced Google contacts account, go to Settings → Connections, find the account you want to remove, and disconnect it from there. To stop syncing your device contacts, turn off contact access for Couchsurfing in your device settings.
A Couple Things to Know:
- Syncing your contacts is optional. Contact sync uses the email or phone number tied to your account to match contacts. It does not display those details on your profile.
- Couchsurfing only uses your contacts to make friend suggestions, never sends anything to your contacts, and does not share your contact data.
Need more help? Get in touch. You can also reach us anytime through Settings → Contact Support.