You can cancel a friend request you sent at any time before the other person accepts it

A friend request you sent sits in the other person's inbox until they accept, decline, or ignore it. While it's there, you can remove it — which deletes the request entirely and stops the other person from seeing it. The person won't get a notification that you cancelled it, and they won't see a record of the request afterward. Cancelling takes about 10 seconds and works the same way on phone and computer.

You might cancel a request because you sent it to the wrong person, changed your mind about connecting, or realized you already know them under a different name. Whatever the reason, the process is straightforward and leaves no trace.

Key Takeaways

  • You can cancel a friend request you sent by finding the person's profile and clicking the button that says "Cancel request" or shows a pending icon.
  • The other person will not be notified that you cancelled the request, and they won't see any record of it.
  • Once someone accepts your request, you can no longer cancel it — you can only unfriend them later.
  • If you accidentally sent a request to the wrong person, cancelling it when ready is the cleanest way to fix the mistake.

How to cancel a request on a computer

Open Facebook and go to the profile of the person whose request you want to cancel. You can search for them by name using the search bar at the top of the page. Once you're on their profile, look for a button near the top that shows a pending icon — it usually looks like a clock, a checkmark, or says "Cancel request" in text.

Click that button. The button will change when ready, and the request is gone. You'll see it now shows an "Add Friend" button instead, which means the request has been removed and you could send a new one if you wanted to (though you probably don't want to send another request to the same person right away).

How to cancel a request on your phone

Open the Facebook app and search for the person by tapping the search icon at the bottom of the screen. Type their name and tap their profile from the results. On their profile, look for the button near the top that shows "Cancel request" or a pending icon — on phones it's usually smaller than on a computer, but it's in the same spot.

Tap the button. It will change to "Add Friend" right away, and the request is cancelled. If you're using the mobile web version of Facebook instead of the app, the steps are the same as on a computer.

What happens after you cancel a request

The request disappears from the other person's inbox when ready. They won't see a notification about it, and if they check their friend requests, it won't be there. From their perspective, it's as if you never sent it. There's no way for them to know you cancelled it unless you tell them.

If you want to send a new request to the same person later, you can do that — but it's usually better to wait at least a few days or weeks so it doesn't look like you're sending multiple requests in a short time. Some people find repeated requests annoying.

The difference between cancelling and declining

Cancelling is what you do when you sent the request and want to take it back. Declining is what the other person does when they sent you a request and you don't want to accept it. If someone sent you a friend request and you want to reject it, you'll see a "Decline" button on their request in your inbox — that's a different action from cancelling your own request.

If you decline someone's request, they won't be notified, but they may try to send another request later. If you want to prevent someone from sending you requests at all, you can block them, though that's a stronger action that also hides your profile from them.

What you can't do after someone accepts

Once the other person accepts your friend request, you can no longer cancel it. At that point, you're friends. If you want to end the connection, you'll need to unfriend them instead, which is a different process. Unfriending removes them from your friends list, but they can still see your public posts and send you messages unless you block them.

This is why it's important to cancel a request as soon as you realize you don't want to send it — once it's accepted, you have fewer options for quietly removing the connection.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will the person know I cancelled my friend request?

No. They won't get a notification, and they won't see any record of the request. If they check their friend requests, it straightforward won't be there. The only way they'll know is if you tell them.

Can I cancel a request I sent weeks ago?

Yes, as long as the person hasn't accepted it yet. You can cancel a pending request at any time, no matter how long ago you sent it. Just go to their profile and click the pending button.

What if I can't find the button to cancel?

Make sure you're on the right person's profile — search for them by name if you're not sure. The cancel button is usually near the top of the profile, next to or below their name. If you see "Add Friend" instead, the request was already cancelled or declined. If you see "Friends," they already accepted it and you'll need to unfriend them instead.

Can I cancel a request if I've blocked the person?

If you block someone, any pending request you sent them is automatically cancelled. You don't need to cancel it separately. However, blocking is a stronger action — it also hides your profile from them and prevents them from messaging you.