The fastest way to add a friend on Facebook

To add someone as 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 sent the request to will see it in their notifications 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 your privacy settings.

The whole process takes seconds, but the friendship doesn't become active until the other person responds. Some people accept requests immediately; others may take days or weeks. You can cancel a pending request at any time before they respond.

Key Takeaways

  • Search for someone by name using the search bar at the top of Facebook, or visit their profile directly if you have a link.
  • Click the "Add Friend" button on their profile, and your request goes to their notifications — they must accept it for you to become friends.
  • You can find people to add through mutual friends, by looking at who your existing friends follow, or through Facebook's "People You May Know" suggestions.
  • If someone declines your request, you can send another one later, but Facebook may limit how often you can do this.
  • You can remove a friend at any time, and they will not be notified, though they may notice you are no longer on their friends list.

Finding someone's profile to send a request

The search bar at the top of Facebook is the quickest way to find someone. Type their name, and Facebook shows results for people, pages, and groups. Look for the person's profile photo and name to make sure you have the right person — many people share similar names.

If you are not sure of their exact name, type what you know and scroll through the results. Facebook also shows mutual friends below each person's name, which helps confirm you found the right person. Once you find their profile, click on it to open it fully.

If someone sent you a link to their profile or you found them through another website, you can click that link directly instead of searching. Either way, you end up on their profile page, where the "Add Friend" button appears near their name.

Sending a friend request from their profile

Once you are on someone's profile, look for a button near their name that says "Add Friend" or shows a person with a plus sign. Click or tap it. Facebook then sends your request to that person's notifications, and the button changes to show "Request Pending" or "Cancel Request."

The person receives a notification that you sent them a request. They can accept it, decline it, or leave it sitting in their requests without responding. You can see the status of your request by going back to their profile — it will still show "Cancel Request" as long as it is pending.

Adding friends through "People You May Know"

Facebook shows suggestions for people you might want to add in a section called "People You May Know." This appears on your home feed, in the sidebar, or in a dedicated section of your profile. These suggestions are based on mutual friends, shared groups, or other connections Facebook detects.

You can send a request directly from this section by clicking "Add Friend" next to someone's name. You do not have to visit their full profile first. If you are not interested in someone's suggestion, you can click the X or "Remove" option to hide them, and Facebook will show you different suggestions instead.

Finding friends through mutual connections

If you want to add someone you know but cannot remember their name, start with a friend you have in common. Go to one of your existing friends' profiles and look for their friends list. You can usually click "See All Friends" or a similar link to view everyone they are connected to.

Scroll through their friends until you find the person you are looking for, then click "Add Friend" on that person's profile. This method works well when you know someone through a specific friend but do not have their contact information.

What happens after you send a request

After you send a friend request, the other person sees it in their notifications. They have three choices: accept it, decline it, or ignore it. If they accept, you become friends immediately and can see each other's posts and information. If they decline, your request disappears and you cannot send another one right away — Facebook limits how often you can resend requests to the same person.

If they ignore the request, it sits in their notifications until they delete it or it expires. Some requests may expire after a certain period if neither of you takes action, though Facebook does not always make this clear. You can check the status of your pending requests by going to your profile, clicking "Friends," and looking for a "Requests Sent" or similar section.

Removing a friend or canceling a request

If you change your mind after sending a request, click "Cancel Request" on their profile to withdraw it. This removes the request from their notifications, and they will not be told you canceled it. You can send another request later if you want.

If you are already friends with someone and want to remove them, click the "Friends" button on their profile and select "Remove Friend." They will not receive a notification that you removed them, but they may notice you are no longer on their friends list if they look. Removing someone does not block them — they can still send you a new friend request later.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I send a friend request to someone who has not added me back yet?

Yes. You can send a request, and it will sit in their notifications until they respond. You cannot send a second request while the first one is still pending, but you can cancel the first one and send a new request later.

What if someone declines my friend request?

If they decline, your request disappears. Facebook limits how often you can send another request to the same person — usually you have to wait a while before trying again. Some people set their privacy settings to decline all requests automatically, so it is not personal.

Can I see who has sent me friend requests?

Yes. Go to your profile, click "Friends," and look for a section that shows pending requests or requests you have received. You can accept, decline, or ignore each one from there.

Do people know if I look at their profile before sending a request?

No. Facebook does not tell people when you visit their profile. You can look at someone's profile as many times as you want without them knowing.

Can I add someone if their profile is private?

Yes. You can still send a friend request to someone with a private profile. They will see your request in their notifications, and if they accept, you become friends. If they decline or ignore it, you cannot see their posts or information unless they change their privacy settings.