Who was Phanuel in Scripture?
Phanuel appears once in the KJV Bible, in Luke's account of Jesus being brought to the temple as a baby. He is identified as the father of Anna, a prophetess from the tribe of Asher. Anna had spent many years worshipping, praying, and waiting for God's promised salvation. When she saw Jesus, she gave thanks to God and spoke about him to others (Luke 2:36-38).
So the biblical Phanuel is part of Anna's family history. Luke does not describe him as an angel, give him a heavenly role, or tell any story about his life. The passage's focus is Anna's faithful witness to Jesus.
And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser: she was of a great age, and had lived with an husband seven years from her virginity;
Angels the Bible does name
Scripture is usually careful not to give names to angels. Michael is specifically called an archangel in Jude 1:9. Gabriel identifies himself when he brings God's message to Zechariah, and he later appears to Mary with the announcement of Jesus' birth (Luke 1:19; Luke 1:26).
Those passages give a clear basis for calling Michael and Gabriel angels. No comparable verse connects the name Phanuel with an angel. That difference matters when trying to separate what the Bible says from ideas that may be familiar from elsewhere.
Why the name can be confusing
You may come across Phanuel in discussions of angels, especially in writings or traditions outside the Bible. Such material can be interesting to study, but it should not be treated as though it has the same authority as Scripture. For the direct question, the Bible's answer is straightforward: Phanuel is Anna's father.
There is also a similar-looking name in Genesis. Jacob names the place where he met with God Peniel, or Penuel in some English spellings, because he believed he had seen God face to face (Genesis 32:30). That is a place name, not the name of an angel. Similar names can easily create confusion.
And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.
Read the passage in context
Luke 2 is worth reading slowly. It shows Simeon and Anna recognising in Jesus the salvation God had promised. Anna's mention of Phanuel anchors her in a real family and tribe, while her response points beyond herself to Christ (Luke 2:36-38).
It's good to ask questions about angels. The Bible presents them as God's servants, sent to carry out his purposes, rather than as figures for people to focus on or seek out (Hebrews 1:14). Let Scripture set the boundaries of what you believe about them.