Facebook doesn't like it when yous make too many friend requests at one time. Trying to expand your network too apace could go you blocked from adding more Facebook friends. Maybe it already happened to you lot, and you can't friend someone on Facebook?

Innocent mistakes and ignorance of essential Facebook etiquette tin can lead to consequences like these. But with our tips on how to manage Facebook friend requests, y'all tin avert facing unintentional punishment or lift an existing block and continue making many new friends.

How to Add Friends on Facebook

Here is a little refresher on the nuts of adding friends for those of yous non besides familiar with Facebook. Anybody else, please skip ahead.

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

Expanded Facebook Menu with Friends option selected.

On your Facebook Friends folio, you lot'll see a summary of pending friend requests and a list of people you may know in the left-hand sidebar. Click a person's proper noun on the left to come across their full profile on the right.

Select Ostend to add a friend or Delete Request to deny the request. The sender won't be notified.

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

How to Ship and Cancel a Friend Request on Facebook

You can also search for people yous know, open their profiles, and, if they have friend requests from the public or friends of friends, add them by clicking the Add Friend push located correct next to the Message push button.

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

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

You lot can also remove a friend via your Friends list. Facebook does not notify people if yous remove them. However, it is possible to track your Facebook friends with third-political party tools and receive alerts when people remove you lot. An example of such a tool is Who Deleted Me.

Unfollowing vs. Unfriending

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

From your Feed (Domicile) find a postal service from your overactive friend, click the arrowhead in the superlative right to expand the post menu, and click Unfollow. If yous think the hyperactivity is only temporary, you tin can too snooze their messages for 30 days.

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

Alternatively, head to your friend's profile, aggrandize the carte du jour right side by side to your friendship status, and select Unfollow from the bottom.

Unfollow a Facebook friend from their profile page.

Unwritten Facebook Friend Request Rules

Now that you understand the basics of how to add together friends on Facebook, let's review some effectively details of managing Facebook friend requests.

1. Only Add People Y'all Know

Facebook simply wants y'all to add together people you know in existent life. If your friend requests frequently remain unanswered or fifty-fifty if only ane person reports your friend request as 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 existence blocked from adding friends, make it easy for people to recognize you. Here are some guidelines:

  • Apply your real proper name or the name you use in your everyday life, and set a genuine contour photograph.
  • Try to add only people with whom you have mutual Facebook friends.
  • Send your desired contact a message introducing yourself before you lot add together them.

In other words: don't look similar a fake business relationship, don't add random strangers, and don't be a stranger yourself.

2. Add together Friends Conservatively

You will often want to add a new friend immediately, even though yous don't accept mutual friends on Facebook. And it might be more awkward to send a message starting time than to add them directly. That'due south cool.

Just be certain you don't add too many people without common friends at once but to expand your Facebook reach.

Faceboook Follow Option

If you don't know someone, only just want to know what they post on Facebook, and if there is an selection to follow them, rather choose that choice. From their contour, click the three-dot carte du jour, and select Follow. This allows yous to see what they are up to, but your timeline is not shared with them.

iii. Report Spammy Friend Requests

When you delete a friend request, Facebook promises that the sender won't be notified. But they might send you a new request. If you can't get rid of them, you tin utilize either the Detect support or report offline or Block options, available from the three-dot bill of fare, to prevent further friend requests from that person.

Block person after unsolicited friend request on Facebook.

Utilise the first option to report fake accounts, strangers, or people who harass you.

Report an unwelcome friend request on Facebook.

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

4. Review Friend Requests You Accept Sent

Feeling self-witting almost possibly having sent too many friend requests yourself? Become ahead and double-check.

Get to Friends > Friend Requests > View Sent Requests. From here, yous can cancel pending requests.

Cancel Facebook friend requests you've sent.

five. Block Friend Requests From Strangers

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

If you're receiving likewise many friend requests from strangers, here's how you can cease it.

Aggrandize the Business relationship menu (arrowhead icon) in the summit right and click through to Settings & privacy > Settings > Privacy. Nether How People Find and Contact You find the Who can send you friend requests? option and click Edit. Your choices are Everyone or Friends of friends.

Facebook friend request settings in the Privacy section.

6. Hide Your Friends Listing

Allowing everyone to see who you've friended could crusade some people to be jealous and subject your friends to unsolicited friend requests. Information technology'south best to restrict who can see your Friends list and friend activity.

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

Here, you can further refine your privacy settings by choosing who tin see your Friends list.

Choose who can see your Facebook friends list.

You can also access all friends-related settings from your (existing) Facebook friends page. From your profile page, click See 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 most probable reasons...

1. You Sent an Unsuccessful Friend Request

You already sent a friend request, and it'south either all the same pending or the recipient deleted it. At present, the Add Friend button doesn't bear witness upwards, so y'all tin't send a new friend request.

If your request was deleted, Facebook has blocked you lot from sending that person another friend request for one whole year. The only way to get around this is to ask the other person to transport you a friend asking.

If your request is still pending (follow our instructions under "Review Friend Requests You lot Have Sent" in a higher place), y'all could send your friendhoped-for a bulletin and ask them to approve your asking.

2. Yous Blocked the Other Person

You can't friend someone you've blocked. See if y'all tin can unblock them and and so try sending a new friend request.

3. They Don't Let Friend Requests From Strangers

As outlined to a higher place, Facebook allows y'all to restrict who can send y'all a friend asking. If that's the reason yous can't friend someone, ask them to transport you lot a friend request instead.

4. Someone Has Besides Many Friends Already

Neither you, nor your friend-to-be, can accept more than 5,000 friends. If ane of you has crossed that limit, y'all can't ship each other friend requests.

If you lot have too many friends, consider turning your account into a Facebook Page.

5. Facebook Blocked Y'all From Sending Friend Requests

This can happen if you ship besides many friend requests at once, have many unanswered friend requests, or if several people marked your requests as spam.

Co-ordinate to the Facebook Help Middle, Facebook cannot lift a block early, simply fortunately, it'due south only temporary and will expire within a few days.

Follow our guidelines above to avoid this from happening over again.

Master Your Facebook Friendships

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

However, Facebook does acknowledge diverse levels of friendship. After all, you tin can sort your friends into close friends, family, acquaintances, or whatever other custom list you create.

How to See Friendship and Relationship History on Facebook

You can use a simple URL to see the friendship and human relationship history between you and others on Facebook.

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