Where Facebook stores your sent requests

Facebook keeps a record of every friend request you have sent, whether the person accepted it, declined it, or left it sitting in their inbox. You can see this list at any time by going to your profile, opening the Friends section, and selecting "Friend Requests." From there, a menu option shows requests you have sent that are still pending — meaning the other person has not yet accepted or declined.

The exact steps depend on whether you are using Facebook on a computer or phone. On a computer, click your profile picture in the top right, select "Friends," then look for "Friend Requests" in the left sidebar. On a phone, tap the menu icon (three horizontal lines), scroll to "Friends," and tap "Friend Requests." Both routes show you the same pending list.

Facebook does not show you a separate history of requests that were already declined or accepted — once someone accepts your request, they move to your friends list. Once someone declines, the request disappears from your pending list entirely. You can only see the requests that are currently waiting for a response.

Key Takeaways

  • Your sent friend requests appear in the "Friend Requests" section of your profile, accessible from the Friends menu on both computer and phone.
  • Facebook only shows pending requests — ones the other person has not yet accepted or declined — not a history of accepted or rejected ones.
  • You can cancel a pending request by clicking the "Cancel Request" button next to the person's name, which removes it from both your list and their inbox.
  • If someone declines your request, it disappears from your pending list and you will not receive a notification that they declined.
  • Sending a request to someone who has already declined yours will create a new request, but Facebook may limit how often you can do this.

How to cancel a request you have already sent

If you change your mind about a friend request you sent, you can cancel it before the person responds. Find the person's name in your pending requests list, and a button labeled "Cancel Request" will appear next to their name. Click or tap that button, and the request is removed when ready. The person will not receive a notification that you cancelled it — the request straightforward disappears from their inbox.

Cancelling a request does not prevent you from sending another one later. You can send a new request to the same person at any time, though Facebook may slow you down if you send and cancel requests to the same person repeatedly in a short period. There is no official limit stated by Facebook, but the platform does monitor for patterns that look like spam.

What happens when someone declines your request

When someone declines your friend request, Facebook does not notify you. The request straightforward vanishes from your pending list, and you have no way to know whether they declined it or just ignored it long enough that it expired. Facebook does not show you a "declined requests" folder or any record that the person said no.

If you want to send a request to someone who declined you before, you can do so — Facebook allows you to send a new request after a decline. However, if you send multiple requests to the same person and they keep declining, Facebook may eventually prevent you from sending more requests to that person. The exact threshold is not public, but repeated requests to someone who has declined are treated as a potential harassment pattern.

Requests that sit unanswered for a long time

Facebook does not automatically delete pending friend requests after a certain number of days. A request you sent months ago will still sit in your pending list unless the other person accepts it, declines it, or you cancel it yourself. This means your sent requests can accumulate over time if you do not clean them up.

If you want to remove old requests without knowing whether the person declined them, you have to cancel them manually one by one. There is no bulk option to cancel all pending requests at once. If you have sent many requests over time, going through and cancelling the ones you no longer care about can take a while, but it is the only way to clear your pending list.

Why you might not see a request you thought you sent

If you sent a request to someone and cannot find it in your pending list, one of a few things likely happened. The person may have accepted your request without you noticing — check your friends list to see if they are already there. They may have declined it, which removes it from your pending list without notifying you. Or you may have cancelled it yourself and forgotten.

Another possibility is that Facebook blocked the request before it was sent. This happens if the person has their privacy settings set to not receive requests from people outside their friends list, or if they have blocked you. In those cases, Facebook will usually show you an error message when you try to send the request, rather than silently failing. If you do not see an error message and the request is not in your pending list, the most likely explanation is that the person accepted or declined it.

Checking requests on mobile versus desktop

The process is slightly different depending on what device you use, but the information you see is the same. On a computer, the Friends section is easier to navigate because you can see more requests on one screen. On a phone, you have to scroll through the list, and the interface is more compact.

One difference to note: on some older phone versions of Facebook, the "Friend Requests" section may be harder to find. If you cannot locate it in the Friends menu, try searching for "Friend Requests" using the search bar at the top of the app. This usually brings up a shortcut to the right section. The information syncs across all your devices, so a request you cancel on your phone will disappear from your computer's pending list when ready.

What information the other person sees when you send a request

When you send a friend request, the other person sees your profile picture, your name, and a note that you sent them a request. They can click on your name to view your full profile before deciding whether to accept. If your profile is set to private, they will see less information — only what you have chosen to share with people outside your friends list.

The other person does not see when you sent the request, only that it is pending. They also do not see if you have sent them multiple requests in the past or if you cancelled a previous request. Each request appears as a fresh notification in their inbox, with no history attached.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I see a list of all the friend requests I have ever sent?

No. Facebook only shows you pending requests — ones the person has not yet accepted or declined. Once someone accepts your request, it moves to your friends list. Once they decline, it disappears entirely. There is no archive or history of all requests you have sent over time.

If I cancel a request, can the person still see it in their inbox?

No. When you cancel a request, it is removed from their inbox when ready. They will not see it anymore, and they will not receive a notification that you cancelled it. It is as if the request never arrived.

How long does a friend request stay pending before it expires?

Facebook does not expire friend requests. A request you sent six months ago will still be in your pending list unless the person accepts it, declines it, or you cancel it. You have to manually remove old requests you no longer want to send.

What does it mean if I cannot send a request to someone?

This usually means the person has blocked you, has their privacy settings set to not receive requests from non-friends, or you have already sent them a request that is still pending. Try searching for their profile to confirm it exists. If you can see their profile but cannot send a request, they have likely restricted who can contact them.

Will the person know if I send them a request, cancel it, and send another one?

They will only see the most recent request in their inbox. If you cancel a request and send a new one, they will see the new request as a fresh notification, with no indication that you sent and cancelled a previous one. However, if you do this repeatedly, Facebook may prevent you from sending more requests to that person.