Key Points
- To add a friend on Facebook: find them > go to their profile > then click the ‘Add Friend’ button.
- You have the option to retract any friend requests you’ve made by selecting ‘Cancel’ on their profile.
- If you can’t find the ‘Add Friend’ button on their profile, it could be because you’ve already sent them a request and it wasn’t accepted, or they are not accepting new requests at the moment.
Introduction
Have you ever wanted to become friends with someone on Facebook but didn’t know how?
Good news, we’re here to teach you! Thankfully, sending a friend request is simple and easy to do.
Just find the person’s profile and click the ‘Add Friend’ button. After they accept, you’ll see each other’s updates, chat, and more.
But if you want a more in depth guide on how to friend request someone on Facebook from your computer, Android, iPhone, or iPad, we’ll teach you everything you need to know, step-by-step.
How to Send a Friend Request on Your Computer
Sending a friend request on Facebook using your computer is simple. Follow these steps to connect with others in an instant!
Step 1: Log in to Facebook
Open your web browser and visit https://www.facebook.com. Sign in with your email address (or phone number) and password at the top right, then click ‘Log In.’
Step 2: Find People to Friend
To find someone to add, you can:
- Click on a name in a comment or post.
- Use the search bar to look up by name, email, or phone number.
- Select ‘Friends’ then ‘Suggestions’ on the left panel for potential connections.
- View a friend’s friend list by clicking ‘Friends’ on their profile and browse.
Step 3: Add Friends
Click the ‘Add Friend’ button on their profile, found under the cover image.
Once sent, wait for a notification indicating they’ve accepted your request.
Note
If you accidentally sent a friend request, you can easily cancel it on their profile.
To cancel a sent request when not on their profile, go to https://www.facebook.com/find-friends, select ‘View Sent Requests,’ and then ‘Delete’ next to the person’s name.
How to Send a Friend Request on Your Mobile App (iOS or Android)
Connecting with new friends on Facebook through your mobile app, whether on iOS or Android, is just as easy as doing it on your computer.
Here’s how you can easily add someone to your Facebook friends list from your phone.
Step 1: Open Your Facebook App
Launch the Facebook app and log in to see your News Feed if you’re not already signed in.
Step 2: Find People to Add
To find the person you want to add, you can:
- Use the search feature by tapping the magnifying glass, then enter their name, email, or phone number.
- Tap on a name in comments or posts to visit their profile.
- Select the hamburger menu (3 lines stacked on top each other), then ‘Friends’ to view your current friends. From there, explore ‘Suggestions,’ ‘Contacts,’ or use the ‘Search’ option for more opportunities to find people.
- Access a friend’s friend list and tap on someone’s name to view their profile.
Step 3: Add Your New Potential Friend!
Tap ‘Add Friend’ located below their profile picture and name or beside their name in the ‘Find Friends’ section.
Your request will be sent immediately, and you’ll get a notification once accepted.
Note
If the ‘Add Friend’ button isn’t visible, it means they don’t accept requests from non-mutual friends. To cancel a request you’ve made, go to their profile and tap ‘Cancel Request.’
Why Is My “Add Friend” Option Missing? 5 Reasons and Fixes
Sometimes, when you’re trying to connect with new people on Facebook, you might notice the ‘Add Friend’ option is missing from some profiles.
While this can be a little confusing at first, there are several common reasons why this happens.
Does it really matter knowing why it’s missing? Yes, because understanding these reasons can help you figure out the next steps to take, whether that’s waiting, adjusting your approach, or reaching out in a different way.
Here’s why you might not see the ‘Add Friend’ button and what you can do about it.
- Previous Friend Request Pending: If you’ve already sent them a friend request that they haven’t accepted, the ‘Add Friend’ button will not appear.
- In this situation, you can wait or reach out and ask them to accept your request.
- Privacy Settings: The person may have their settings configured to not accept friend requests from non-mutual friends.
- You could try messaging them to express your interest in connecting.
- You Blocked Them: If you’ve blocked someone, you won’t be able to add them as a friend unless you unblock them.
- This fix is pretty straightforward: just unblock them!
- Facebook Restrictions: Facebook may temporarily block your ability to send friend requests if it detects spam-like behavior, such as sending many requests, unanswered requests, or requests marked as unwelcome.
- To avoid this, only send requests to people you actually know and make sure that your Facebook name is recognizable to them.
- If you’ve already noticed a restriction, just wait around 24 hours and try again since this block is temporary.
- Friend Limit Reached: Facebook limits the number of friends to 5,000. If you or the person you’re trying to add has reached this limit, you won’t be able to send or receive friend requests.
- To expand your network beyond 5k connections on Facebook, consider enabling Professional Mode.
- Alternatively, you might want to remove an existing friend to make room for a new friend request.
FAQs on How to Send Friend Requests on FB
How Can I Reconnect if a Friend Accidentally Unfriended Me on Facebook?
If you find yourself removed by a friend on Facebook, a simple solution is to reach out to them with a friendly message asking about the situation. It’s possible it was an accident.
What Steps Can I Take if Facebook Says the Person I’m Searching for Doesn’t Exist When Sending a Friend Request?
If you’re unable to locate someone by name on Facebook, consider alternative methods like searching with their email address or phone number.
Another way is to look through mutual friends’ posts or comments for any interactions by the person you’re trying to find.
What Are Some Ways to Increase the Number of Friend Requests I Receive on Facebook?
To increase the likelihood of receiving friend requests on Facebook, you can try actively engaging with your current network by liking, commenting, and participating in discussions.
This works because the additional visibility among friends and their friends can naturally lead to more friend requests from people you know.
