You can cancel a friend request you sent before the other person accepts it
If you sent a friend request and changed your mind, you can take it back before the person responds. Facebook keeps your request in their notifications until they accept or ignore it — during that time, you have the option to cancel it. The steps differ slightly depending on whether you're using Facebook on a computer or phone, but the process takes less than a minute either way.
Cancelling a request doesn't notify the other person that you withdrew it. They'll straightforward see that the request is no longer there if they check their pending requests. This is different from unfriending someone, which they may notice depending on your privacy settings.
Key Takeaways
- You can cancel a friend request on desktop by visiting the person's profile, clicking the pending request button, and selecting cancel.
- On mobile, open the person's profile, tap the pending request button, and choose to cancel the request.
- Cancelling a request is invisible to the other person — they won't receive a notification.
- Once you cancel, you can send a new request to the same person later if you change your mind again.
How to cancel on Facebook desktop
Go to the profile of the person whose friend request you want to cancel. You can find them by using the search bar at the top of Facebook — type their name and click on their profile from the results.
Look for a button that says "Friend Request Pending" or shows a checkmark with a person icon. Click that button. A small menu will appear with options. Select "Cancel Request" from the menu. The button will change back to "Add Friend," which means your request has been withdrawn.
How to cancel on Facebook mobile app
Open the Facebook app on your phone and search for the person using the search icon at the bottom of the screen. Tap their name to open their profile.
Find the button that shows "Friend Request Pending" — it usually appears near the top of their profile where the "Add Friend" button normally is. Tap this button, and a menu will pop up. Select "Cancel Request." The button will return to "Add Friend," confirming that your request has been cancelled.
What happens after you cancel a request
Once you cancel, the request disappears from the other person's pending friend requests. They won't see a notification about the cancellation. If they check their pending requests list, they straightforward won't find your name there anymore.
You can send a new friend request to the same person at any time after cancelling. There's no waiting period or limit on how many times you can send and cancel requests to the same person, though sending multiple requests in a short time might look unusual to them if they notice.
The difference between cancelling and blocking
Cancelling a request removes the pending request but doesn't change your relationship with the person. You remain strangers on Facebook, and they can still see your public profile and send you a message if your settings allow it.
Blocking is much stronger. When you block someone, they can't see your profile, send you messages, or find you in search results. Blocking is visible to the other person in the sense that they'll notice they can't find you anymore, though Facebook doesn't send them a notification saying you blocked them. If you want to prevent someone from contacting you, blocking is the right tool. If you just want to take back a friend request, cancelling is what you need.
Why you might want to cancel a request
You might cancel a request if you sent it by accident, if you realized you don't actually know the person well enough to be friends, or if you sent it to the wrong person. Some people cancel requests if they're cleaning up their social media activity or if they've decided they want to keep their friend list smaller.
Cancelling is also useful if you sent a request to someone and they haven't responded in a long time. Rather than leave a stale request sitting there, you can cancel it and move on. If you want to reconnect with that person later, you can always send a new request.
What to do if you can't find the cancel option
If the button shows "Add Friend" instead of "Friend Request Pending," it means your request was either already accepted, already cancelled, or never sent. Check whether you're already friends with the person by looking at your friends list or seeing if an "Unfriend" button appears on their profile.
If you're using an older version of the Facebook app, the button location or label might be slightly different. Try updating your app from the App Store or Google Play. If you're on desktop and the button still doesn't appear, try refreshing the page or clearing your browser cache.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will the person know I cancelled my friend request?
No. Facebook doesn't send a notification when you cancel a request. The person will only know if they actively check their pending friend requests and notice your name is no longer there.
Can I cancel a request if the person already accepted it?
No. Once someone accepts your friend request, you're officially friends. At that point, you would need to unfriend them instead. Unfriending is different from cancelling — it removes an existing friendship rather than withdrawing a pending request.
How long does a friend request stay pending?
Facebook doesn't have a set time limit for how long a request stays pending. It remains in the person's notifications until they accept it, ignore it, or you cancel it. Some requests may sit for months or years if the person never responds.
Can I cancel multiple friend requests at once?
Facebook doesn't have a bulk cancel feature. You'll need to visit each person's profile individually and cancel their request one at a time. If you have many requests to cancel, this can take a while, but there's no faster way to do it through the app or website.
What if I accidentally cancelled a request I meant to keep?
You can send a new request to the same person whenever you want. straightforward visit their profile and click "Add Friend" again. There's no penalty for sending multiple requests to the same person over time.