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

If you sent someone a friend request and changed your mind, you can take it back before they respond. Facebook lets you remove the request from your end, and the other person will no longer see it in their notifications. The person won't get a message saying you cancelled it — the request simply disappears from their queue.

The steps differ slightly depending on whether you're using Facebook on a computer or a phone, but both take about 30 seconds. Once you cancel, you can send a new request later if you want to.

Key Takeaways

  • You can cancel a friend request only before the other person accepts or declines it.
  • On a computer, go to the person's profile, find the "Cancel request" button, and click it.
  • On a phone, open the person's profile, tap the button showing "Friend Request Sent", and select cancel.
  • The other person won't see a notification that you cancelled — the request just disappears.
  • After you cancel, you can send a new request to the same person whenever you want.

How to cancel on a computer

Open Facebook in your web browser and search for the person's name using the search bar at the top. Click on their profile to open it.

Look for a button that says "Cancel request" or shows a checkmark with "Friend Request Sent" next to it. This button is usually near the top of their profile, close to where a "Message" button would be. Click that button, and a small menu will pop up. Select "Cancel request" from the menu. The button will change back to "Add Friend" or "Send Friend Request", which means the cancellation worked.

How to cancel on an iPhone or Android phone

Open the Facebook app and search for the person using the search icon at the bottom of your screen. Tap their name to open their profile.

Look for a button near the top of their profile that shows a checkmark or says "Friend Request Sent". Tap that button. A menu will appear with the option to "Cancel request". Tap it. The button will change back to "Add Friend", confirming the request is cancelled.

What happens after you cancel

Once you cancel a friend request, the other person's notifications will no longer show that you sent one. They won't receive a message telling them you cancelled it. If they check your profile, they'll see the "Add Friend" button instead of "Friend Request Sent", but most people won't notice the difference unless they were actively looking at your profile when you sent the request.

You can send a new friend request to the same person at any time. There's no waiting period or penalty for cancelling and resending. If you want to reach out to them in the meantime, you can send them a message instead — you don't need to be friends to message someone on Facebook.

If the person already accepted or declined

Once someone accepts your friend request, you can't "cancel" it in the traditional sense — you're now friends. If you want to remove them, you'll need to unfriend them instead, which is a different action. To unfriend someone, go to their profile, click the "Friends" button, and select "Unfriend".

If someone declines your request, it's already gone. You can send a new request later, but Facebook may show them a message saying you've sent multiple requests if you do it too quickly. Wait at least a few days before trying again.

Cancelling requests you sent long ago

If you sent a friend request weeks or months ago and the person never responded, you can still cancel it using the same steps above. Search for their profile, find the "Cancel request" button, and click it. This is useful if you want to clean up old requests or if you've changed your mind about connecting with someone.

You can also see all your pending friend requests by going to your Friends section and looking for "Friend Requests" or "Sent Requests". Some versions of Facebook show a list of everyone you've sent requests to, making it easier to cancel multiple requests at once.

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 request simply disappears from their notifications. They would only know if they happened to check your profile right after you sent it and then again after you cancelled it.

Can I cancel a friend request after someone accepts it?

No. Once someone accepts your request, you're friends and can't cancel. You would need to unfriend them instead. To unfriend, go to their profile, click "Friends", and select "Unfriend".

What if I can't find the cancel button on someone's profile?

If you see "Add Friend" instead of "Cancel request", the request was already declined or cancelled. If you see "Friends", you're already connected. Try refreshing the page or closing and reopening the app — sometimes Facebook takes a moment to update the button.

Can I cancel multiple friend requests at once?

Facebook doesn't have a bulk cancel feature. You'll need to cancel each request individually by visiting each person's profile. However, some versions of Facebook show a "Sent Requests" list where you can cancel from a menu without opening each profile.

How long does it take for the cancel to go through?

The cancellation is instant. Once you click "Cancel request", it's done. The button will change immediately, and the request disappears from the other person's notifications right away.