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 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 pending list.
The steps differ slightly depending on whether you're using Facebook on a computer or a phone, but the process takes less than a minute either way. Once you cancel a request, you can send a new one later if you change your mind again.
Key Takeaways
- You can only cancel a request you sent; you cannot remove a request someone else sent to you (you can only decline it).
- On a computer, find the person's profile, click the "Cancel request" button, and confirm the cancellation.
- On a phone, open the person's profile, tap the "Cancel request" button, and confirm.
- The other person won't receive a notification that you cancelled the request — it simply vanishes from their pending list.
- You can send a new friend request to the same person after you cancel, though waiting a few days is often a good idea.
How to cancel a request on Facebook's website
Open Facebook in a web browser and search for the person's name using the search bar at the top of the page. Click on their profile to open it. Look for a button that says "Cancel request" — it usually appears near the top of their profile, often in a light gray color next to other action buttons.
Click the "Cancel request" button. A small menu may appear asking you to confirm. Click "Cancel request" again if prompted. The button will change back to "Add Friend" or a similar option, which means the request has been removed. The person will no longer see your pending request in their notifications.
How to cancel a request on the Facebook mobile app
Open the Facebook app on your phone and use the search icon (usually a magnifying glass) to find the person's name. Tap on their profile to open it. Look for the "Cancel request" button — on phones it's usually near the top of the profile, sometimes under a menu button (three dots or lines).
Tap "Cancel request." If a confirmation menu appears, tap "Cancel request" again to confirm. The button will change, showing that the request has been removed. Just like on the website, the person won't be notified.
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, your name simply won't be there anymore.
You can send a new request to the same person whenever you want. There's no waiting period built into Facebook, though it's often courteous to wait a few days or weeks before sending another request, especially if the cancellation was recent. If the person had already declined your original request, you can still send a new one.
The difference between cancelling and declining a request
Cancelling is what you do when you sent the request and want to take it back. Declining is what you do when someone else sent you a request and you don't want to accept it. These are two different actions on two different sides of the friendship.
If someone sent you a friend request and you want to remove it, you don't cancel it — you decline it. Open their profile, find the "Decline" button (usually next to an "Accept" button), and click it. The request goes away, and they won't know whether you declined or simply ignored it.
Troubleshooting: the button isn't showing up
If you can't find a "Cancel request" button on someone's profile, the request may have already been accepted without you realizing it. In that case, you're already friends with the person. If you want to remove them from your friends list, you can unfriend them instead — this is a different action from cancelling a request.
Another possibility is that the person has their profile set to private or has blocked you. If you can't see most of their profile information, you may not be able to see the request button either. Try searching for them again or checking your sent requests list. On the website, you can sometimes see pending requests by going to your profile, clicking "Friends," and looking for a "Requests sent" or similar section.
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 pending list. They won't receive a message or alert about it.
Can I cancel a request if the person already accepted it?
No. Once someone accepts your friend request, you're already friends. You can't cancel at that point. If you want to remove them, you'll need to unfriend them instead, which is a separate action.
How do I see all the friend requests I've sent?
On the website, go to your profile, click "Friends," and look for an option like "Requests sent" or "Pending requests." On the mobile app, tap the menu (three lines), go to "Friends," and look for sent requests. This shows you everyone you've requested but haven't accepted yet.
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 the person's profile and clicking the cancel button. If you have many pending requests, this takes a few minutes but is straightforward.
What if I accidentally sent a request to the wrong person?
Cancel the request immediately using the steps above. Then search for the correct person and send them a request instead. There's no penalty for cancelling requests, so don't worry about it.