Facebook doesn't similar it when you lot make too many friend requests at once. Trying to expand your network too quickly could go y'all blocked from calculation more Facebook friends. Peradventure it already happened to you, and you tin can't friend someone on Facebook?

Innocent mistakes and ignorance of essential Facebook etiquette can lead to consequences similar these. But with our tips on how to manage Facebook friend requests, you lot can avoid facing unintentional punishment or lift an existing block and continue making many new friends.

How to Add Friends on Facebook

Hither is a little refresher on the basics of calculation friends for those of you lot not too familiar with Facebook. Anybody else, delight skip ahead.

When logged into Facebook, you can find your awaiting friend requests under Menu (3x3 dots icon) > Friends. Facebook no longer highlights pending friend requests, but you will meet a note in your Facebook notifications.

Expanded Facebook Menu with Friends option selected.

On your Facebook Friends page, you'll run into a summary of pending friend requests and a list of people you may know in the left-mitt sidebar. Click a person's name on the left to see their full profile on the correct.

Select Confirm to add together a friend or Delete Request to deny the asking. The sender won't be notified.

Overview of received friend requests and people you may know on Facebook.

How to Send and Cancel a Friend Request on Facebook

You tin can besides search for people you know, open up their profiles, and, if they have friend requests from the public or friends of friends, add together them past clicking the Add together Friend button located correct adjacent to the Message push button.

Facebook Add Friend button on a person's profile page.

To cancel a friend request, go back to their contour, click that same button, which at present reads Cancel Request.

Yous can likewise remove a friend via your Friends list. Facebook does not notify people if yous remove them. Nonetheless, information technology is possible to track your Facebook friends with third-party tools and receive alerts when people remove yous. An instance of such a tool is Who Deleted Me.

Unfollowing vs. Unfriending

Rather than unfriending people who are flooding your News Feed with silly posts, try unfollowing them instead. That way you can maintain your digital sanity, without risking the loss of a real-life friendship. For more information, read our primer on following and unfollowing on Facebook.

From your Feed (Abode) find a mail service from your overactive friend, click the arrowhead in the top right to expand the post menu, and click Unfollow. If you think the hyperactivity is only temporary, you can also snooze their messages for thirty days.

Facebook on-post menu to unfollow or snooze a friend.

Alternatively, head to your friend'southward profile, aggrandize the carte du jour right next to your friendship condition, and select Unfollow from the bottom.

Unfollow a Facebook friend from their profile page.

Unwritten Facebook Friend Asking Rules

At present that you empathise the basics of how to add friends on Facebook, allow's review some finer details of managing Facebook friend requests.

i. Just Add People You Know

Facebook only wants you to add people you lot know in real life. If your friend requests ofttimes remain unanswered or even if simply one person reports your friend request every bit unwanted, Facebook may conclude that you have sent friend requests that violate its Community Standards.

Consequently, Facebook might block you from sending friend requests for some time.

To avoid beingness blocked from adding friends, brand information technology easy for people to recognize yous. Hither are some guidelines:

  • Use your real proper noun or the name you use in your everyday life, and set a genuine profile photo.
  • Effort to add simply people with whom you accept common Facebook friends.
  • Send your desired contact a message introducing yourself earlier you add them.

In other words: don't look like a fake account, don't add random strangers, and don't exist a stranger yourself.

2. Add Friends Conservatively

You will oft want to add a new friend immediately, even though you don't accept mutual friends on Facebook. And it might be more than awkward to send a bulletin first than to add them directly. That's cool.

Just be sure y'all don't add likewise many people without common friends at in one case simply to expand your Facebook reach.

Faceboook Follow Option

If you don't know someone, simply just desire to know what they post on Facebook, and if there is an option to follow them, rather choose that option. From their profile, click the three-dot carte, and select Follow. This allows you to see what they are upwardly to, only your timeline is non shared with them.

3. Report Spammy Friend Requests

When you lot delete a friend asking, Facebook promises that the sender won't exist notified. But they might send you a new request. If you tin't get rid of them, you tin can use either the Detect back up or report offline or Cake options, available from the three-dot menu, to preclude further friend requests from that person.

Block person after unsolicited friend request on Facebook.

Use the first option to written report fake accounts, strangers, or people who harass yous.

Report an unwelcome friend request on Facebook.

Keep in mind that if you do this, the person may be penalized.

four. Review Friend Requests You Have Sent

Feeling self-conscious about maybe having sent too many friend requests yourself? Go ahead and double-cheque.

Go to Friends > Friend Requests > View Sent Requests. From here, you can cancel pending requests.

Cancel Facebook friend requests you've sent.

5. Block Friend Requests From Strangers

Facebook allows you lot to restrict who can send you a friend request. Not setting that limit is an open invitation for anyone to request your friendship.

If y'all're receiving as well many friend requests from strangers, here's how you can stop it.

Expand the Account menu (arrowhead icon) in the elevation right and click through to Settings & privacy > Settings > Privacy. Under How People Find and Contact You find the Who can transport yous friend requests? option and click Edit. Your choices are Everyone or Friends of friends.

Facebook friend request settings in the Privacy section.

6. Hibernate Your Friends List

Allowing anybody to come across who yous've friended could crusade some people to be jealous and subject your friends to unsolicited friend requests. It'southward best to restrict who can see your Friends listing and friend action.

To hide your Friends listing, head to How People Detect and Contact You on your Settings page. Find the choice Who can come across your friends list? and click edit.

Here, yous can farther refine your privacy settings by choosing who can come across your Friends list.

Choose who can see your Facebook friends list.

Y'all can also access all friends-related settings from your (existing) Facebook friends page. From your profile page, click Run into all friends, then click the three-dot menu side by side to Find Friends and choose Edit Privacy.

Edit your Facebook friends privacy.

Why Can't I Friend Someone on Facebook?

If you can't seem to friend someone on Facebook, here are the almost likely reasons...

one. You Sent an Unsuccessful Friend Asking

Yous already sent a friend request, and it's either withal awaiting or the recipient deleted information technology. Now, the Add Friend button doesn't evidence up, so you can't send a new friend request.

If your request was deleted, Facebook has blocked you from sending that person another friend request for 1 whole year. The just way to get effectually this is to ask the other person to send yous a friend asking.

If your request is still awaiting (follow our instructions under "Review Friend Requests Y'all Have Sent" to a higher place), you could send your friendhoped-for a message and ask them to approve your request.

ii. You Blocked the Other Person

You lot can't friend someone y'all've blocked. Run into if you lot tin can unblock them and and then attempt sending a new friend request.

3. They Don't Permit Friend Requests From Strangers

Equally outlined higher up, Facebook allows you to restrict who can transport you a friend request. If that's the reason you tin't friend someone, inquire them to send you a friend request instead.

4. Someone Has Too Many Friends Already

Neither y'all, nor your friend-to-exist, tin can take more than than 5,000 friends. If i of you has crossed that limit, yous tin can't ship each other friend requests.

If you have as well many friends, consider turning your account into a Facebook Page.

5. Facebook Blocked You lot From Sending Friend Requests

This can happen if y'all send too many friend requests at in one case, take many unanswered friend requests, or if several people marked your requests as spam.

According to the Facebook Assistance Center, Facebook cannot lift a block early, simply fortunately, information technology's just temporary and will expire within a few days.

Follow our guidelines above to avoid this from happening again.

Chief Your Facebook Friendships

Friend requests on Facebook remain awkward. Whether you lot add your best friend, someone y'all know from school, your mom, or your boss, as far equally Facebook is concerned everyone is a "friend."

However, Facebook does admit various levels of friendship. After all, you can sort your friends into close friends, family, acquaintances, or any other custom list you create.

How to See Friendship and Relationship History on Facebook

Read Side by side

About The Author