The three ways to add someone on Facebook
You can add someone to your Facebook network in three ways: send them a friend request, accept their request if they send one first, or search for them directly. The most common path is to search for their name, click their profile, and hit the "Add Friend" button. Facebook then sends them a notification that you want to connect.
Once they accept, you become friends. This means you can see each other's posts (unless either of you has restricted what the other person sees), message each other, and appear on each other's friend lists. The person you add will see a notification about your request, but they do not have to accept it — they can ignore it, decline it, or let it sit unanswered.
If you already know someone's exact profile URL or their username, you can go directly to their profile and add them from there instead of searching. This is faster if you have a link to their profile already open.
Key Takeaways
- You add someone by searching their name, visiting their profile, and clicking "Add Friend" — they then get a notification and can accept or decline.
- Once someone accepts your request, you become friends and can see each other's posts unless one of you has blocked the other or restricted their visibility.
- You can also accept friend requests that other people send you, or add someone if you already have a direct link to their profile.
- Facebook shows your friend list publicly by default, so anyone can see who you are connected to unless you change your privacy settings.
- You can unfriend someone at any time, and they will not be notified, but they may notice you are no longer on their friend list.
What happens after someone accepts your request
When someone accepts your friend request, Facebook creates a two-way connection. You can now see their posts in your News Feed (the stream of content that appears when you open Facebook), and they can see yours — but only the posts you have set to "Friends" or "Public." If you posted something as "Only Me," neither of you will see it.
Your friend can also message you directly through Facebook Messenger, and you will receive a notification. They can tag you in photos and posts, which means your name gets linked to that content and your other friends may see it. You can remove tags after the fact if you do not want to be associated with something.
Your friend list itself is visible to the public by default. Anyone on Facebook — even people who are not your friends — can click on your profile and see who you are connected to. If you want to hide your friend list, you can change this in your privacy settings, though the process differs slightly on mobile and desktop.
How to search for someone and send a request
Open Facebook and look for the search bar at the top of the page (on mobile, it is a magnifying glass icon). Type the person's name into the search box. Facebook will show you a list of profiles that match that name, ordered by how likely Facebook thinks they are the person you are looking for — usually based on mutual friends or location.
Click on the profile you think is correct. Look for details like their profile picture, location, or mutual friends to confirm it is the right person. Once you are on their profile, look for a button that says "Add Friend" or a person icon with a plus sign. Click it to send your request.
The person will receive a notification that you sent a request. They can accept it when ready, ignore it, or decline it. If they decline, you will not be able to send another request for some time — Facebook prevents repeated requests to the same person. If they ignore it, the request stays pending until they act on it or until Facebook removes it after a long period of inactivity.
Understanding privacy when you add someone
Adding someone as a friend does not automatically give them access to all your information. What they see depends on the privacy settings you have chosen for each post or piece of information. When you create a post, you can choose whether it is visible to "Public" (anyone on the internet), "Friends" (only your friends), "Friends Except" (friends except specific people), or "Only Me" (just you).
Your profile information — like your email address, phone number, or birthday — has separate privacy controls. You can set these to be visible to friends only, to the public, or to nobody. Your profile picture and cover photo are usually visible to everyone by default, even people who are not your friends.
If you add someone and then realize you do not want them to see certain posts, you have two options: you can change the privacy setting on old posts one at a time, or you can use Facebook's "Limit Past Posts" feature, which sets all your old posts to "Friends Only" in one action. This does not change posts you make going forward.
How to remove someone or block them
If you want to stop being friends with someone, you can unfriend them. Go to their profile, click the three dots (or "Friends" button on some versions), and select "Unfriend." The person will not receive a notification that you unfriended them, but they may notice you are no longer on their friend list if they check.
Unfriending is different from blocking. When you unfriend someone, they can still see your public posts and send you a message (though it will go to your "Message Requests" folder, not your main inbox). When you block someone, they cannot see your profile at all, cannot message you, and cannot find you in search. Blocking is more complete but also more obvious if the person tries to visit your profile.
You can also restrict someone without unfriending them. This limits what they see — they can still be on your friend list, but they only see posts you mark as public, not posts you mark as "Friends." This is useful if you want to stay connected but do not want someone seeing everything you post.
What to do if you cannot find someone or they do not accept
If you search for someone and cannot find them, they may have changed their name on Facebook, set their profile to private so it does not show up in search, or deactivated their account. Try searching for variations of their name, or ask a mutual friend if they have a link to that person's profile.
If you sent a request and the person has not responded after several weeks, you can send them a message instead. Go to your "Friends" section, find "Friend Requests," and look for the request you sent. You should see an option to send a message or cancel the request. Sending a message is less intrusive than sending another request.
If someone declines your request, Facebook will not let you send another request right away. Wait at least several weeks before trying again, or ask a mutual friend to introduce you. Some people decline requests from strangers or people they do not remember — this is normal and does not mean anything is wrong.
How friend requests work on mobile versus desktop
The process is the same on both mobile and desktop, but the buttons and menus look different. On the Facebook mobile app, the search bar is at the top and shows a magnifying glass icon. On desktop, it is a text box at the top of the page. When you find someone's profile on mobile, the "Add Friend" button is usually near the top of their profile, sometimes next to a "Message" button.
On desktop, the "Add Friend" button is often in the top right of their profile header. If you have already sent a request, the button will change to say "Cancel Request" or show a checkmark. The notification system works the same way on both — the person gets a notification either way, and they can accept or decline from their phone or computer.
If you are having trouble finding the button on your device, try refreshing the page or closing and reopening the app. Sometimes the interface takes a moment to load, especially on slower connections.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can someone see that I sent them a friend request?
Yes. When you send a request, the person gets a notification. They can see your name and profile picture in their friend requests list. They will know you sent it, but they will not know when you sent it or how many times you have looked at their profile.
What if I accidentally sent a request to the wrong person?
Go to your "Friends" section, find "Friend Requests," and look for the request you sent. Click "Cancel Request" next to their name. The request will be removed, and they will not see a notification that you cancelled it. You can then send a request to the correct person.
Do I have to accept every friend request I receive?
No. You can ignore requests, decline them, or let them sit unanswered. If you decline, the person cannot see that you declined — the request just disappears from their list. You can also block someone if you do not want them to contact you at all.
Can I add someone if they have their profile set to private?
If someone's profile is private, you can still send them a friend request — you just cannot see their posts or information until they accept. The request will appear in their notifications, and they can accept or decline like any other request.
Will someone know if I look at their profile a lot?
No. Facebook does not tell people how many times you have visited their profile or looked at their posts. The only notification someone gets is when you send a friend request, message them, comment on their post, or react to something they posted.