Daily Tip: How to link Facebook, LinkedIn contacts

After sharing a tip on how to link Exchange and Mobile Me contacts, we were asked to cover how to link Facebook and LinkedIn contacts to your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch as well. Done. Follow on after the break to see exactly what you can and can't link, and some cautions on what you might and might not want to link.

To link your Facebook and/or LinkedIn contacts to your iOS contacts you need to use the free Facebook and LinkedIn apps from the App Store. Chances are you already have them, but if not grab them first:

• Facebook [iTunes link]
• LinkedIn [iTunes link]

LinkedIn

1. Launch LinkedIn
2. Tap on Connections, middle icon on the left
3. Tap on Download All, top right menu bar icon
4. Read the warning. It says LinkedIn doesn't upload any of your contact info, only downloads contact info from LinkedIn
5. Tap on Download all new connections

Depending on how many connections you have in LinkedIn, it could take a while to download. Once it's done, your LinkedIn contacts should be new or updated in your Contacts app. You can tell by the LinkedIn icon stamped on the bottom left corner of any new or updated contact.

Facebook

1. Launch Facebook
2. Tap on Friends, top icon on the right
3. Tap on the action button, top right menu bar icon
4. Tap on Sync Contacts
5. Toggle the Syncing slider to ON
6. If you want to sync pictures too, toggle the Replace photos slider to ON
7. Read the warning. It says Facebook will upload all your contacts to Facebook.
8. This scares the $#!+ out of me, so at this point I personally hit Cancel. If you and your friends are okay with this, however...
9. Tap Sync Contacts

Again, depending on the size of your contacts, it may take a while to sync. Once it's done, your Facebook contacts should be available as new or updated entries in your Contacts app.

Note: If a you're the friend of a colleague at work and they have a party picture up as their Facetime profile pic, hilarity might ensue the next time you get a business email from them...

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