You can cancel a friend request you sent by finding it in your profile or the person's profile, then clicking a button to withdraw it
When you send a friend request on Facebook, you are not locked in. If you change your mind, sent it by accident, or realize you do not actually want to connect with that person, you can take it back at any time before they respond. The request straightforward disappears from their notifications, and they will not receive a message saying you cancelled it. The process takes about 10 seconds and works the same way on a phone or computer.
Cancelling a request is different from declining one. When someone sends you a request and you decline it, that is rejecting their request. When you cancel, you are withdrawing a request you started. Both actions are silent — the other person does not get notified either way.
Key Takeaways
- You can cancel any friend request you sent by visiting the person's profile and clicking the "Cancel Request" button that appears where "Add Friend" normally shows.
- Cancelled requests do not notify the other person or leave any trace that you ever sent one.
- If someone sends you a friend request and you want to reject it without accepting, click "Decline" instead of "Accept".
- You cannot cancel a request after the person has already accepted it — at that point you would need to unfriend them instead.
How to cancel a request from the person's profile
The fastest way is to go directly to the person's Facebook profile. Once you are on their profile page, look at the top right area where buttons usually appear. Instead of an "Add Friend" button, you will see a button that says "Cancel Request" or sometimes shows a checkmark with "Request Pending". Click that button, and the request is withdrawn when ready.
On a phone, the button location is the same — top of the profile, usually next to or below their name and profile photo. Tap "Cancel Request" and it is done. You do not need to confirm anything or go through additional steps. The button will change back to "Add Friend" once the cancellation is complete.
How to cancel a request from your own profile
If you want to see all the friend requests you have sent out, you can view them from your own profile. On a computer, click your profile picture in the top left corner, then select "Friends". Look for a section that says "Friend Requests" or "Pending Requests" — this shows people you have requested but who have not yet responded.
Hover over or click on any person in that list, and you will see an option to "Cancel Request". Click it and the request is removed. On a phone, the steps are similar: go to your profile, tap "Friends", find the pending requests section, and tap the cancel button next to the person's name. This method is useful if you want to review all your pending requests at once before deciding which ones to cancel.
What happens when you cancel a request
The person you sent the request to will not see a notification that you cancelled it. The request straightforward disappears from their notifications and their friend request inbox. If they check their pending requests list, your name will no longer appear there. There is no message, no alert, and no way for them to know you sent a request unless they happened to see it before you cancelled it.
This is different from declining a request someone sent to you — that also does not notify them, but it is the opposite direction. Cancelling is for requests you initiated; declining is for requests you received. In both cases, the action is completely silent on the other person's end.
When you cannot cancel a request
Once someone accepts your friend request, the cancel button disappears. At that point, you are already friends with them. If you want to end the connection, you will need to unfriend them instead. Unfriending is a separate action: go to their profile, click the "Friends" button, and select "Unfriend" from the menu that appears.
You also cannot cancel a request if the person has already declined it. Once they decline, the request is gone from both sides, and there is nothing left to cancel. If you want to connect with them later, you can send a new request at any time.
Cancelling requests on mobile apps versus the website
The process works the same way on the Facebook mobile app and the Facebook website, though the button locations look slightly different. On the app, buttons are usually stacked vertically below the person's name, while on the website they appear in a horizontal row at the top of the profile. In both cases, you are looking for "Cancel Request" or a pending status indicator.
If you use Facebook through a web browser on your phone instead of the app, the layout will match the website version. Either way, the action is identical — find the person's profile, locate the pending request button, and tap or click to cancel. The result is the same regardless of which method you use.
Why you might want to cancel a request
People cancel friend requests for many reasons. You might have sent one to the wrong person by accident, or realized after sending it that you do not actually know them well enough to connect. You might have sent a request in a moment of impulse and changed your mind. You could have looked at their profile more closely and decided you do not want to be connected. None of these require explanation — you can cancel without any consequence.
Cancelling is also useful if you sent a request to someone who has not responded in weeks or months. Rather than leaving a stale request sitting there, you can clear it out and start fresh later if you want to. This keeps your pending requests list organized and shows only the people you currently want to connect with.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will the person know I cancelled my friend request?
No. They will not receive a notification, and there is no record that you sent one. If they check their pending requests, your name will straightforward not be there. The only way they would know is if they happened to see the request before you cancelled it.
Can I cancel a request I sent a long time ago?
Yes, as long as the person has not accepted it. You can cancel a pending request at any point, whether you sent it yesterday or six months ago. The cancel button will still appear on their profile.
What is the difference between cancelling a request and declining one?
Cancelling is for requests you sent; declining is for requests someone else sent to you. When you decline a request, the other person does not get notified. Both actions remove the request without creating any notification or record.
If I cancel a request, can I send another one later?
Yes. Cancelling a request does not block you from sending another one in the future. You can send a new request to the same person whenever you want, and they can accept or decline it like any other request.
What do I do if I already accepted someone's friend request but want to remove them?
Once you are friends, you cannot cancel — you need to unfriend them instead. Go to their profile, click the "Friends" button, and select "Unfriend". This removes the connection from both sides, though they will not be notified.