Friend requests appear in a dedicated inbox, separate from your regular messages
Facebook keeps friend requests in their own section, not mixed in with your chat or notifications. You can find them by clicking the people icon (two silhouettes) at the top of your screen, then selecting "Friend Requests" from the menu that appears. On mobile, tap the menu icon (three horizontal lines) at the bottom right, scroll down, and tap "Friends," then "Friend Requests." The number next to the icon shows how many pending requests you have.
Once you open the Friend Requests section, you see a list of people who want to add you. Each request shows their profile picture, name, and how you might know them — Facebook guesses this based on mutual friends, groups, or schools. You have two choices for each request: accept it or decline it. You can also ignore a request and deal with it later; it will stay in your inbox until you act on it.
If you have a lot of requests, you can search for a specific person's name using the search box at the top of the Friend Requests page. This is useful if you remember someone's name but cannot find them in a long list.
Key Takeaways
- Friend requests live in a separate inbox accessed through the people icon at the top of Facebook, not in your regular messages or notifications.
- Each request shows the person's name, profile picture, and how Facebook thinks you know them, based on mutual friends or shared groups.
- You can accept, decline, or ignore each request — ignored requests stay in your inbox until you make a choice.
- On mobile, access Friend Requests through the menu icon at the bottom, then Friends, then Friend Requests.
- If you do not recognize someone, you can view their full profile before deciding whether to accept the request.
How to view someone's profile before accepting their request
Before you accept a request from someone you do not when ready recognize, click on their name or profile picture to see their full profile. This shows you their bio, photos, mutual friends, and recent activity. Many people include information about where they work, where they went to school, or what city they live in — any of these details might help you remember how you know them.
Looking at mutual friends is often the fastest way to figure out the connection. If you see three or four people you both know, you can usually piece together where you met. If the person has no mutual friends and their profile is mostly empty, that is a sign they may be someone you do not actually know, and you can safely decline the request.
What happens when you accept or decline a request
When you accept a friend request, that person is added to your friends list when ready. They can now see posts you share with "Friends" only, message you, and see your profile information depending on your privacy settings. You will also start seeing their posts in your News Feed.
When you decline a request, the person does not get a notification that you rejected them. The request disappears from your inbox. They can send you another request later if they want, but Facebook will not remind them that you declined the first one. Declining is private — the other person will not know unless they check and notice you are not on their friends list.
If you ignore a request without accepting or declining, it stays in your Friend Requests inbox. You can come back to it anytime. This is useful if you are unsure about someone and want to think about it, or if you want to check their profile again later.
Finding old or archived friend requests
If you declined a request months ago and now want to add that person, you cannot find the old request in your inbox — declined requests disappear. Instead, search for their name using Facebook's search bar at the top of the page. When you find their profile, click the "Add Friend" button to send them a new request.
Facebook does not show you a history of requests you have declined or ignored. Once a request leaves your inbox, the only way to connect with that person is to search for them and send a fresh request yourself. Keep this in mind if you think you might want to add someone later — it is easier to leave the request sitting in your inbox than to search for them again.
Controlling who can send you friend requests
By default, anyone on Facebook can send you a friend request. If you are getting too many requests from strangers, you can limit who can send them to you. Go to your Settings (click the downward arrow at the top right, then "Settings and Privacy," then "Settings"), find "Privacy," and look for the option "Who can send you friend requests?" You can change this to "Friends of friends only," which means only people who share a mutual friend with you can request to add you.
You can also block specific people entirely, which prevents them from sending you requests, viewing your profile, or messaging you. To block someone, visit their profile, click the three dots menu, and select "Block." Blocking is private — the person will not receive a notification, though they may eventually notice they cannot find your profile.
Why Facebook shows you certain friend requests
Facebook suggests people to add based on several signals: mutual friends, groups you both belong to, schools or workplaces you both list, and people who have viewed your profile. The "How you might know them" line tells you which signal Facebook used. This is why you sometimes get requests from people you have never met — you might share a group or went to the same school years apart.
The order of your Friend Requests inbox is not random. Facebook shows requests from people with the most mutual connections first, because those are statistically more likely to be people you actually know. Requests from complete strangers usually appear further down the list.
What to do if you cannot find the Friend Requests section
If you have never received a friend request, the Friend Requests option might not appear in your menu. This is normal — it only shows up once someone sends you a request. You can still access it by going directly to facebook.com/friends/requests on a computer, or by searching "friend requests" in the Facebook search bar.
On mobile, if the Friends menu does not show a Friend Requests option, it means you currently have no pending requests. Once someone sends you one, it will appear. You will also get a notification at the top of your screen when a new request arrives, which you can tap to go straight to that request.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can someone tell if I declined their friend request?
No. Facebook does not notify people when you decline their request, and there is no way for them to see that you rejected them. They will only know if they check your profile and realize you are not on their friends list. You can decline requests with complete privacy.
What is the difference between ignoring and declining a request?
Ignoring leaves the request in your inbox so you can decide later. Declining removes it permanently. If you ignore a request, you can still accept it anytime by going back to your Friend Requests. If you decline, you would need to search for the person and send them a new request to connect.
Why am I getting friend requests from people I do not know?
Facebook suggests people based on mutual friends, shared groups, schools, or workplaces. You might also get requests from people who viewed your profile. If requests are unwanted, you can change your privacy settings to allow only friends of friends to request you, or block specific people.
Do I have to accept every friend request I receive?
No. You can decline or ignore any request. There is no penalty for declining, and the person will not be notified. Only accept requests from people you actually want to stay connected with.
What happens to my information if I accept a friend request?
Once you accept, that person can see posts you share with "Friends" only and view information on your profile based on your privacy settings. They can also message you and see your friends list. You control what information is visible by adjusting your privacy settings in Settings.