Facebook doesn't like information technology when you make besides many friend requests at once. Trying to expand your network too chop-chop could become you blocked from adding more than Facebook friends. Maybe it already happened to you, and y'all tin can't friend someone on Facebook?

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

How to Add Friends on Facebook

Hither is a lilliputian refresher on the basics of adding friends for those of you lot not too familiar with Facebook. Everyone else, delight skip alee.

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

Expanded Facebook Menu with Friends option selected.

On your Facebook Friends page, you'll see a summary of pending friend requests and a list of people y'all may know in the left-hand sidebar. Click a person's name on the left to run across their full contour on the right.

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

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

How to Send and Abolish a Friend Request on Facebook

Y'all tin can too search for people y'all know, open up their profiles, and, if they accept friend requests from the public or friends of friends, add them past clicking the Add Friend push located right next to the Bulletin push button.

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

To cancel a friend request, go back to their contour, click that aforementioned push, which now readsCancel Request.

You tin can too remove a friend via your Friends list. Facebook does non notify people if you remove them. However, it is possible to track your Facebook friends with third-political party tools and receive alerts when people remove y'all. 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 you lot tin can maintain your sanity, without risking the loss of a friendship. For more than information, read our primer on post-obit and unfollowing on Facebook.

From your News Feed (Abode) find a post from your overactive friend, click the arrowhead in the summit correct to expand the post menu, and click Unfollow. If you recollect the hyperactivity is only temporary, you tin also snooze their messages for 30 days.

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

Alternatively, caput to your friend'south profile, aggrandize the bill of fare right next to your friendship status, and select Unfollow from the bottom.

Unfollow a Facebook friend from their profile page.

Unwritten Facebook Friend Asking 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.

ane. But Add together People You lot Know

Facebook simply wants you to add people you know in real life. If your friend requests oft remain unanswered or even if just one person reports your friend asking as unwanted, Facebook may conclude that you lot accept sent friend requests that violate its Customs Standards.

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

To avert being blocked from adding friends, brand information technology like shooting fish in a barrel for people to recognize you. Here are some guidelines:

  • Employ your real proper name and set a genuine contour photo.
  • Try to add together just people with whom you lot have mutual Facebook friends.
  • Ship your desired contact a message introducing yourself before y'all add them.

In other words: don't wait like a simulated account, don't add random strangers, and don't be a stranger yourself.

two. Add Friends Conservatively

You will oft want to add a new friend immediately, even though yous don't take mutual friends on Facebook. And information technology might be more than awkward to send a message outset than to add them straight. That'southward absurd.

Just exist sure you don't add too many people without mutual friends at once just to expand your Facebook reach.

If you don't know someone, merely just want to know what they postal service to Facebook, and if there is an choice to follow them, rather cull the follow option. This allows you to run across what they are up to, but your timeline is non shared with them.

iii. Written report Spammy Friend Requests

When you lot delete a friend request, Facebook promises that the sender won't be notified. Simply they might send yous a new request. If yous can't get rid of them, you tin apply either the Find back up or report offline orBlock 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.

Use the first selection to report faux accounts, strangers, or people who harass you.

Report an unwelcome friend request on Facebook.

Keep in heed that if y'all do this, the person may be penalized.

4. Review Friend Requests You Have Sent

Feeling cocky-conscious about mayhap having sent as well many friend requests yourself? Go alee and double-check.

Go to Friends > See All > View Sent Requests. From hither you tin can abolish pending requests.

Cancel Facebook friend requests you've sent.

5. Block Friend Requests From Strangers

Facebook allows you to restrict who tin can send yous a friend request. Non setting that limit is an open invitation for anyone to request your friendship.

If you're receiving too many friend requests from strangers, hither'south how yous tin stop it.

Expand the Business relationship menu (arrowhead icon) in the top correct and click through to Settings & Privacy > Settings > Privacy. Under How People Find and Contact Y'all find the Who tin send you friend requests? option and click Edit. Your choices are Anybody or Friends of friends.

Facebook friend request settings in the Privacy section.

6. Hide Your Friends Listing

Allowing everyone to run into who you've friended could cause some people to be jealous and subject area your friends to unsolicited friend requests. It's best to restrict who can meet your Friends list and friend action.

To hide your Friends list, head to How People Detect and Contact Y'all on your Settings page. Notice the option Who can see your friends list? and click edit.

Here, y'all tin can farther refine your privacy settings by choosing who tin see your Friends list.

Choose who can see your Facebook friends list.

You can too access all friends-related settings from your (existing) Facebook friends folio. From your profile folio, click See All Friends, and so click the iii-dot menu adjacent to Find Friends and choose Edit Privacy.

Edit your Facebook friends privacy.

Why Tin can't I Friend Someone on Facebook?

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

1. You Sent an Unsuccessful Friend Request

You already sent a friend request, and it's either even so pending or the recipient deleted it. Now the Add Friend button doesn't testify upwardly, so you tin can't transport a new friend request.

If your request was deleted, Facebook has blocked yous from sending that person another friend request for one whole twelvemonth. The only style to go around this is to ask the other person to send you a friend request.

If your request is still pending (follow our instructions under "Review Friend Requests You lot Take Sent" to a higher place), you lot could ship your friendhoped-for a message and ask them to corroborate your request.

ii. You lot Blocked the Other Person

You can't friend someone you've blocked. See if y'all tin unblock them and and then attempt sending a new friend asking.

3. They Don't Permit Friend Requests From Strangers

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

4. Someone Has Too Many Friends Already

Neither yous, nor your friendhoped-for, tin can take more than than 5,000 friends. If one of you has crossed that limit, you can't send each other friend requests.

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

v. Facebook Blocked You From Sending Friend Requests

This tin can happen if you lot send too many friend requests at once, accept many unanswered friend requests, or if several people marked your requests every bit spam.

According to the Facebook Help Middle, Facebook cannot lift a cake early, only fortunately, it'south merely temporary and volition expire within a few days.

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

Primary Your Facebook Friendships

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

Yet, Facebook does admit diverse levels of friendship. After all, y'all can sort your friends into shut friends, family, acquaintances, or any other custom listing you create.

Paradigm Credit: Rawpixel.com/Shutterstock

How to See Friendship and Relationship History on Facebook

You lot can use a simple URL to run across the friendship and relationship history betwixt yous and others on Facebook.

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