Facebook is one of the most popular social media platforms, with over 2 billion monthly active users. With so many people using Facebook, it’s common to send and receive friend requests from acquaintances, coworkers, relatives, and even strangers.
Sometimes after sending a friend request, you may change your mind and want to withdraw it before the person accepts it. Whether you sent it to someone by mistake or just don’t want them seeing your profile anymore, you have the option to cancel a pending friend request on Facebook.
Can You Withdraw a Friend Request on Facebook?
Yes, it is possible to withdraw or delete a friend request on Facebook before it is accepted. This allows you to rescind the invitation if you change your mind or made a request by mistake.
If the friend request is still pending, you can easily revoke it through your list of sent requests. Once it has been accepted, however, you cannot directly remove the friend connection. In that case, you would need to unfriend or block the person to remove them from your friends list.
So if you want to take back a friend request that hasn’t been accepted yet, just follow the steps below.
How to Withdraw a Friend Request on Facebook
Here is a step-by-step guide to withdrawing a pending friend request on Facebook:
On Desktop
If you are using Facebook on a computer, here is how to delete a sent friend request:
1. Log into your Facebook account and click on your profile icon in the top right.
2. From the drop-down menu, select “Friends.”
3. On your Friends page, click the “Sent Requests” link on the left sidebar.
4. This will display a list of all the friend requests you have sent that are still pending.
5. Hover over the name of the person whose request you want to remove.
6. Click on the “Withdraw Request” button that appears.
7. The friend request will then be withdrawn immediately. The person will no longer see it on their end.
On Mobile App
To withdraw a friend request on the Facebook mobile app:
1. Open the Facebook app and tap on the three-line menu icon.
2. Scroll down and tap on “Friends.”
3. Tap on “Sent Requests” to see your pending requests.
4. Tap and hold on the name of the person whose request you want to cancel.
5. This will open a menu – tap on “Unfriend.”
6. Tap “Withdraw Request” on the confirmation screen.
7. The friend request will be withdrawn right away.
And that’s all there is to it! The steps are very similar on desktop and mobile, just accessed slightly differently. Following these instructions, you can easily revoke any pending friend request.
What Happens When You Withdraw a Friend Request?
Here is what happens when you withdraw a friend request on Facebook:
– The friend request is immediately canceled on your end and removed from your sent requests list.
– The request also disappears from the other person’s received requests. They will no longer see it pending in their friend requests inbox.
– No notification is sent to the recipient to tell them the request was withdrawn. The request will simply vanish.
– If you change your mind again, you can always send another friend request in the future.
– Withdrawing the request does not block the person or affect your ability to message them.
So in essence, withdrawing a friend request makes it like the request was never sent in the first place. It’s an easy way to rescind social media invitations.
Why Would You Want to Cancel a Friend Request?
There are a few common reasons you may want to withdraw a friend request on Facebook:
– You sent it to the wrong person by mistake and want to cancel it before they accept.
– You no longer want that person to be able to view your profile or timeline.
– You added them impulsively but have now reconsidered being social media friends.
– Your relationship or opinion of the person has changed since sending the request.
– The request was intended for someone with a similar name.
– You want to temporarily withdraw the request for the time being.
Basically, withdrawing a request lets you quickly undo an invitation sent in haste or error. It can be useful for managing your social media contacts.
Can the Person Tell You Withdrew the Request?
When you revoke a friend request on Facebook, the other person is not notified in any way. They will simply see the pending request disappear from their incoming requests list, with no indication it was withdrawn.
There is no way for them to tell that you specifically canceled the request yourself. From their perspective, it will seem like the request just vanished for unknown reasons.
So withdrawing a request is discrete. No automatic messages are sent about it. The person will remain unaware unless you choose to tell them yourself that you revoked the invitation.
How Long do You Have to Withdraw a Request?
You can withdraw a friend request up until the point that the recipient accepts it. Once they confirm the request, it is no longer pending and cannot be directly revoked.
So if you change your mind, be sure to cancel the request as soon as possible before that person logs into their Facebook account and sees it. You generally have a few days, but it depends on how often they check their notifications.
If you really want to preempt someone accepting your request, you could also message them to ask them not to accept it yet because you sent it by mistake. This gives you a chance to withdraw it.
But typically you do not have to rush. Most friend requests sit pending for days or even weeks before the recipient notices them. Just cancel it as soon as you can.
Can You See if Someone Withdrew their Request?
If someone sends you a friend request on Facebook but then withdraws it before you accept, there is no way for you to tell they canceled it themselves.
From your perspective as the recipient, a pending friend request will just seem to disappear. You will not get any notification that the person withdrew it.
So if you notice a request seems to have vanished, it could mean several things:
– The person withdrew the request themselves.
– They deleted their Facebook account entirely.
– They blocked you, which made their friend request disappear.
– It was a fake or spam account that got deleted.
– A technical glitch made the request vanish.
Unless they tell you directly, you have no way to know if someone specifically canceled their friend request to you. It will remain a mystery why it disappeared.
Can You See Withdrawn Requests in Your Activity Log?
No, Facebook does not keep a record of withdrawn friend requests in your activity log.
Your activity log shows posts you’ve made, interactions with friends, and pages you’ve visited. But it does not track pending friend requests that were sent then canceled.
The moment you withdraw a friend request, it’s essentially erased as if it never happened. Neither you nor the recipient will have a record of the canceled request in your logs or profiles. It disappears without a trace.
So you do not have to worry about any embarrassing evidence being retained after you revoke a request. Withdrawn requests vanish completely from Facebook’s logs and notifications.
Are There Any Alternatives to Withdrawing Requests?
If you cannot withdraw a friend request because the person already accepted it, here are some alternatives to sever the connection:
– Unfriend them – This completely removes them from your friends list.
– Restrict them – Stops them from seeing your posts without unfriending.
– Block them – Prevents them from contacting you or viewing your profile.
– Adjust privacy settings – Customize who can see your info/posts.
– Turn off notifications – So you do not see their activity in your feed.
– Delete your account – The nuclear option to withdraw from all friends.
– Ask them to unfriend you – Politely request that they remove the friendship.
– Ignore them – Simply do not interact with them, even if connected.
Essentially, if you cannot directly withdraw the request, you can either remove them as a friend entirely or limit their access to your profile and updates. This achieves a similar effect as rescinding the request.
Can You Resend a Withdrawn Request?
Yes, even after you withdraw a friend request, you can send that person another request in the future without issue.
Withdrawing a request simply cancels it at that moment in time. It does not block you from sending another one down the road.
You remain free to resend friend requests to the same person again. So don’t worry that you are permanently banning yourself if you change your mind later on.
However, you may want to wait a respectable amount of time before sending another request if you withdrew the previous one. Too many requests in a short period could come across as spammy or obsessive. Use your judgement.
But in most cases, withdrawing a request today does not prevent you from requesting that friendship again tomorrow or next month if you reconsider.
In Summary
– You can easily withdraw pending friend requests on Facebook before they are accepted.
– Find the request under Sent Requests and click Withdraw.
– The request completely vanishes from both ends with no notification.
– There is no time limit, but act fast before they accept it.
– Recipients cannot tell if you specifically withdrew the request.
– You can send another request again in the future if desired.
So withdrawing Facebook friend requests is simple and discreet. It rescinds the social media invitation as if you never sent it in the first place. Use this option if you change your mind about connecting with someone on Facebook.
The Bottom Line
Withdrawing a Facebook friend request is the perfect solution if you have second thoughts before the recipient accepts it. All you have to do is cancel the pending request through your sent requests list, and it will disappear from their end with no notice. The process is quick, easy, and private. Just be sure to withdraw any unwanted requests as soon as possible.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you withdraw a friend request after it’s accepted?
No, once a friend request has been accepted, you cannot directly withdraw it. You would need to either unfriend or block the person to sever the connection at that point.
What happens if you delete your account after sending requests?
If you delete your Facebook account, all pending friend requests you’ve sent will automatically be canceled and disappear.
How long do I have to withdraw a request before it expires?
You can withdraw a friend request at any time until the recipient accepts it. There is no expiration date on pending requests.
Will I get notified if someone withdrew their friend request to me?
No, you do not receive any notification if someone withdraws a friend request they sent you. It will just vanish from your requests list.
Can I see a list of requests I’ve withdrawn?
No, Facebook does not keep a log of withdrawn friend requests. Once canceled, they are permanently deleted from records.
What happens if I withdraw a request and resend it?
You remain free to send additional friend requests to the same person even after withdrawing. It does not block you from sending a new request later.
Conclusion
Withdrawing pending friend requests on Facebook is easy, discreet, and reversible if you change your mind down the line. Don’t be afraid to cancel requests if you no longer want to connect with someone. Just remember to withdraw them before they get accepted to fully rescind the invitation.