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

If you sent a friend request and want to take it back before someone responds, Facebook lets you undo it in a few taps. The person won't get a notification that you cancelled it — the request simply disappears from their inbox. Once they accept your request, you can't cancel it anymore; at that point, you'd need to unfriend them instead.

The steps differ slightly depending on whether you're using Facebook on a phone or a computer, but the process is straightforward in both places.

Key Takeaways

  • You can only cancel a friend request before the other person accepts it; after they accept, you'll need to unfriend them instead.
  • On mobile, open the person's profile, tap the "Cancel Request" button, and confirm your choice.
  • On a computer, visit the person's profile and click the "Cancel Request" button in the same spot where the original "Add Friend" button appeared.
  • The person you sent the request to won't receive a notification that you cancelled it.
  • You can also cancel requests from your Friends list by viewing pending requests and removing them from there.

How to cancel a friend request on your phone

Open the Facebook app and navigate to the profile of the person whose friend request you want to cancel. You can search for them using the search icon at the top of the screen, or find them through your recent searches or contacts.

Once you're on their profile, look for a button that says "Cancel Request" or shows a checkmark with a person icon. Tap that button. Facebook will ask you to confirm — tap "Cancel" or "Remove" in the popup that appears. The request is now cancelled, and the button will change back to "Add Friend."

How to cancel a friend request on a computer

Go to Facebook.com and search for the person's name using the search bar at the top of the page. Click on their profile from the results. On their profile, look for the button that currently shows "Cancel Request" — it's usually near the top of the profile, where the "Add Friend" button would normally appear.

Click that button. A small menu may appear asking you to confirm. Click "Cancel Request" again if prompted. The button will revert to "Add Friend," confirming that your request has been cancelled.

Cancelling requests from your Friends list

You can also manage pending friend requests without visiting individual profiles. On your phone, tap the menu icon (three horizontal lines) at the bottom right, then tap "Friends." Look for a section labeled "Friend Requests" or "Sent Requests" — this shows requests you've sent that haven't been accepted yet.

On a computer, click the Friends icon in the left sidebar, then look for "Friend Requests" at the top. You should see two tabs: one for requests you've received and one for requests you've sent. Click the "Sent Requests" tab to see all the friend requests you've sent. Next to each pending request, you'll see an "X" or "Cancel" button. Click it to remove that request.

What happens after you cancel a request

Once you cancel a friend request, the person won't see it in their inbox anymore. They won't receive a notification telling them you cancelled it — it simply disappears as if it was never sent. If you change your mind later, you can send them a new friend request, and it will appear as a fresh request.

If the person had already accepted your request before you tried to cancel it, you won't see a "Cancel Request" button. In that case, you're already friends, and you'd need to unfriend them if you want to remove the connection.

If you need to unfriend someone instead

If someone already accepted your friend request and you now want to remove them from your friends list, that's a different action. Visit their profile and look for a button that says "Friends" or shows a checkmark. Click or tap it, and you'll see an option to "Unfriend" them. Confirm the action, and you'll no longer be friends.

Unlike cancelling a request, unfriending someone may or may not notify them depending on their privacy settings, but they'll notice if they try to visit your profile and can no longer see your posts or information you've set to friends-only.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will the person know I cancelled my friend request?

No. Facebook doesn't send a notification when you cancel a friend request. The request simply disappears from their inbox without any alert. They would only know if they happened to check their pending requests and noticed it was gone.

Can I cancel a friend request after someone accepts it?

No. Once someone accepts your friend request, you're officially friends. At that point, you can only unfriend them. Cancelling is only an option while the request is still pending — waiting for them to accept or decline.

What if I accidentally sent a friend request to the wrong person?

Cancel the request right away using the steps above. Then search for the correct person and send them a new request. Since the wrong person won't be notified about the cancellation, there's no awkwardness on their end.

Can I see a list of all the friend requests I've sent?

Yes. On your phone, go to Friends and look for "Sent Requests." On a computer, click Friends in the sidebar, then click the "Sent Requests" tab. This shows all pending requests you've sent that haven't been accepted or declined yet.

If I cancel a request, can I send another one later?

Yes. After you cancel a friend request, you can send a new one anytime. Facebook doesn't restrict you from sending multiple requests to the same person, though sending many requests in a short time might look unusual to them.