The basic way to add a friend on Facebook

To add a friend on Facebook, find their profile, click or tap the "Add Friend" button, and wait for them to accept your request. The person you send the request to will see a notification and can choose to accept, decline, or ignore it. Once they accept, you become friends and can see each other's posts, photos, and other shared content based on what privacy settings each of you has chosen.

The simplest path is to search for the person by name. Open Facebook, click the search bar at the top, type their name, and press Enter. Look through the results for the right person — Facebook shows their profile picture, location, and mutual friends to help you find the correct account. Click their name to open their profile.

On their profile, you will see an "Add Friend" button, usually near the top. Click it. That sends a friend request to them. You will see the button change to say "Friend Request Sent" or similar, depending on what device you are using. Now you wait for them to respond.

Key Takeaways

  • Search for the person by name using Facebook's search bar, then click "Add Friend" on their profile.
  • The person you send a request to will see a notification and can accept, decline, or leave it pending.
  • You can also add friends through mutual connections by viewing a friend's friend list and adding from there.
  • If someone declines your request, you can send another one later, but Facebook may limit how often you can do this.
  • Once someone accepts your request, you become friends and can interact based on the privacy settings you both have set.

Finding someone through mutual friends

If you know someone who is already friends with the person you want to add, you can use that connection. Open your friend's profile, scroll down to their friends list, and look for the person you want to add. Click their name to go to their profile, then click "Add Friend."

This method works well when you are not sure you have found the right person by name alone. Seeing that you have a mutual friend gives you confidence you are adding the correct account. It also makes your request feel less like a stranger reaching out — the person receiving it will see that you share a friend in common.

Adding friends from Facebook's suggestions

Facebook shows you a list of suggested friends based on mutual connections, shared groups, and other activity. You can find these suggestions by clicking your profile picture, selecting "Friends," and looking for a "Find Friends" or "People You May Know" section. This varies depending on whether you are on a phone or computer.

Click on a suggested person's name to see their profile. If you want to add them, click "Add Friend." If you do not want to see that suggestion again, you can usually click an X or "Remove" button next to their name. Facebook will show you new suggestions over time.

What happens after you send a request

When you send a friend request, the other person gets a notification. They can accept it right away, decline it, or leave it sitting in their requests without responding. If they accept, you become friends when ready. If they decline, the request disappears and you cannot see that it was declined — only you will know you sent it.

While a request is pending, the button on their profile will show "Friend Request Sent" or "Cancel Request." You can click that button to take back your request if you change your mind. Once you cancel, you would need to send a new request later if you want to try again.

When someone does not respond to your request

If someone does not accept or decline your request, it stays in their notifications until they do something about it. You can see your pending requests by going to your profile, clicking "Friends," and looking for a section that shows requests you have sent. This lets you know which requests are still waiting.

If you want to send another request to someone who declined you or did not respond, you can usually do so after some time has passed. Facebook limits how often you can send requests to the same person to prevent spam, but the exact timing is not publicly stated. If you are blocked from sending another request, waiting a few weeks usually allows you to try again.

Adding friends on mobile versus desktop

The steps are nearly identical on a phone or computer, but the buttons and menus look slightly different. On a phone, you tap the search icon at the bottom of the screen, search for the person, and tap "Add Friend" on their profile. On a computer, you click the search bar at the top, search, and click "Add Friend" on their profile.

If you are using the Facebook app on your phone, the layout is more compact, and some options may be hidden under a menu button (three horizontal lines or three dots). The core action — finding the person and clicking "Add Friend" — remains the same. If you are unsure where a button is on your device, look for text that says "Add Friend" or a plus sign icon.

Privacy and what adding someone means

When you add someone as a friend, they can see your posts, photos, and other content that you have set to be visible to friends. What they actually see depends on the privacy settings you have chosen for each post or photo. You can post something only to friends, only to yourself, to friends except certain people, or to the public — the choice is yours for each piece of content.

Adding someone as a friend does not automatically give them access to everything on your profile. If you have set your birthday, phone number, or address to be visible only to you, friends cannot see those details. You control what is visible through your privacy settings, which you can change at any time. If you add someone and later want to remove them, you can unfriend them, and they will no longer see your friend-only posts.

Frequently Asked Questions

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

Adding a friend means you both agree to be connected, and you can see each other's posts based on privacy settings. Following someone means you see their public posts without them having to accept anything. You can follow someone without being friends, and they may not even know you are following them.

Can I add someone if they have a private account?

Yes, you can send a friend request to anyone, including people with private accounts. Private accounts just mean their profile and posts are not visible to the public until they accept your request. Once they accept, you can see their content based on their privacy settings.

What does it mean if the "Add Friend" button does not appear on someone's profile?

If you do not see an "Add Friend" button, you may already be friends with that person, you may have already sent them a request that is still pending, or they may have blocked you. Check your friends list to see if you are already connected. If you sent a request, look in your pending requests to confirm.

Can I see who declined my friend request?

No, Facebook does not tell you who declined your request. You will only see that the request is no longer pending. The person who declined it will not be notified that you know they declined, and you will not receive a message about it.

How long does it take for someone to see my friend request?

They will see a notification as soon as you send the request, but they may not check it right away. Some people check notifications frequently, while others may not see it for days or weeks. There is no time limit for them to respond.