The basic steps to send a friend request

To add a friend on Facebook, you find their profile, click or tap the "Add Friend" button, and wait for them to accept. The person you send the request to will see a notification and can choose to accept, decline, or ignore it. Until they accept, you are not connected as friends — they cannot see your posts marked "Friends only" and you cannot see theirs.

The fastest way is to search for them by name. Open Facebook, click the search bar at the top, type their name, and press Enter. Look through the results for the person you want — if they have a common name, you may see dozens of profiles. Check their profile picture, location, or mutual friends to make sure you have the right person.

Once you find them, click their profile to open it. On their profile page, you will see a button that says "Add Friend" (on a computer) or a person icon with a plus sign (on a phone). Click or tap it. Facebook will send them a request, and you will see the button change to say "Friend Request Sent" or "Pending".

Key Takeaways

  • Search for the person by name, check their profile to confirm it is the right person, and click "Add Friend" on their profile page.
  • The person you send a request to will see a notification and can accept, decline, or leave it pending — you are not friends until they accept.
  • If someone declines your request, you can send another one later, but Facebook may limit how often you can do this.
  • You can also add friends through mutual connections — if you both know someone, Facebook may suggest them to you.
  • Once someone accepts your request, they can see your posts marked "Friends only" and you can see theirs, depending on their privacy settings.

Finding someone by name when you do not know their username

Facebook profiles are not always straightforward to find by name alone, especially if the person uses a nickname or a common name like "John Smith". The search results will show many profiles, and you need to pick the right one.

Look for clues on the profile before you send a request. Check their profile picture — do you recognize them? Look at their "About" section, which often lists their city, workplace, or school. If you both went to the same high school or work at the same company, that is a strong sign you have found the right person. You can also check if you have mutual friends — if you both know someone, their name will appear under "Mutual Friends" on the profile.

If you are still not sure, you can click on their profile and scroll down to see more information before you send the request. There is no penalty for looking at a profile without sending a request — the person will not be notified that you viewed it.

Adding friends through mutual connections

If you know someone who knows the person you want to add, Facebook will often suggest them to you. When you open the app or website, you may see a "People You May Know" section that shows profiles of people who have mutual friends with you.

You can also ask your mutual friend to introduce you. Some people prefer this — it feels less like a cold request and more like a real introduction. Your mutual friend can send you a message with a link to the person's profile, or you can straightforward mention that you want to connect and ask if they think it is a good idea.

Another way is to find them through a group or event. If you both joined the same Facebook group or are attending the same event, you can see their name in the member list or guest list. Click their name to go to their profile, then send a request from there.

What happens after you send a request

Once you click "Add Friend", Facebook sends a notification to the other person. They will see your name and profile picture, and they can choose to accept, decline, or do nothing. If they accept, you become friends when ready. If they decline, the request disappears and you cannot see that they declined — Facebook does not tell you.

If they do nothing, the request stays pending. After a while — usually a few weeks — Facebook will ask them again if they want to accept. If they still do not respond, the request may expire and disappear from their notifications, though it may still show as "Pending" on your end.

You can cancel a pending request at any time. Go to your profile, click "Friends", find the person's name, and click the "Cancel Request" button. This removes the request and they will not be notified that you cancelled it.

When someone declines your request or you cannot find them

If someone declines your request, Facebook does not notify you. You will straightforward see the "Add Friend" button again on their profile. You can send another request, but Facebook limits how often you can do this — if you send too many requests to the same person, Facebook may temporarily prevent you from sending more.

If you cannot find someone by searching their name, they may have privacy settings that hide their profile from search results. Some people turn off the setting that allows strangers to find them. In that case, you will not be able to find them unless you have a direct link to their profile or you are already connected through a mutual friend.

You can also try searching for them by email address or phone number if you have it. Click the search bar, paste their email or phone number, and see if their profile appears. This works only if they added that information to their Facebook account and did not hide it.

Privacy and what the other person can see

When you send a friend request, the other person can see your name and profile picture in the notification. They can click on your name to view your profile and see what you have shared publicly. What they see depends on your privacy settings — if your posts are set to "Public", they can see them even before you are friends. If your posts are set to "Friends only", they cannot see them until they accept your request.

Once you are friends, both of you can see posts marked "Friends only" and send each other messages. You can also see each other's friend lists, unless one of you has hidden it. If you want to limit what a friend can see after they accept, you can adjust your privacy settings or use Facebook's "Friend Lists" feature to put them in a restricted group.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can someone tell if I viewed their profile before sending a friend request?

No. Facebook does not notify people when you view their profile, even if you are not friends. You can look at someone's profile as many times as you want without them knowing. This is true whether their profile is public or private.

What if I send a request and they never respond?

The request will stay pending on your end, and you will see "Friend Request Sent" on their profile. After a few weeks, Facebook may ask them again, but if they still do not respond, the request may eventually expire. You can cancel it at any time and send a new one later if you want.

Can I add someone if they have their profile set to private?

Yes. Even if someone's profile is private, you can still send them a friend request. They will see the notification and can accept or decline. A private profile just means strangers cannot see their posts or information until you are friends.

What is the difference between adding a friend and following someone?

Adding a friend requires them to accept your request, and once they do, you can see each other's posts (depending on privacy settings). Following someone lets you see their public posts without them accepting anything — they may not even know you are following them. Not all profiles have a follow option.

If someone declines my request, can I send another one?

Yes, but Facebook limits how often you can send requests to the same person. If you send too many requests that are declined, Facebook may prevent you from sending more for a while. It is usually better to wait a few months before trying again.