Facebook is a popular social media platform that allows users to connect with friends, family, coworkers, classmates, and more. When someone sends you a friend request on Facebook, you have the option to accept or ignore the request. Accepting someone’s friend request allows them to view your profile information, see your posts, tag you in photos and posts, and message you on Facebook Messenger. Ignoring a friend request means the person stays a stranger on Facebook and can’t interact with you. This article explains how to accept someone as a friend on Facebook on both desktop and mobile.
Requirements for Accepting a Facebook Friend Request
Here are some key requirements for accepting someone as a friend on Facebook:
- You must have an active Facebook account.
- The person sending the friend request must have a Facebook account.
- You can only accept requests from people you know and want to connect with.
- Facebook’s terms state you must use your real identity on your account.
- If under 18, you must be at least 13 years old to have a Facebook account.
As long as you meet Facebook’s requirements for an account, you can accept friend requests from people you know either on desktop or mobile.
Accepting a Friend Request on Facebook Desktop
Here are step-by-step instructions for accepting someone as a friend on the Facebook desktop site:
- Log into your Facebook account on a computer.
- Click the Friend Requests icon in the top right toolbar. This looks like two speech bubbles. If you have any pending requests, you’ll see a red notification dot on the icon.
- On the Friend Requests page, friend requests are listed under the Received tab.
- Hover over the friend request you want to accept and click Confirm.
- The request sender’s name now appears under your Friends list on your profile.
Once you confirm the friend request, the person is added to your friends list. They’ll also receive a notification that you accepted their request.
Tips for Accepting Friend Requests on Desktop
– You can select multiple requests and confirm them at once to quickly accept several friends.
– If you don’t recognize the name or don’t want to connect, click Delete Request instead to remove it.
– You can also ignore a request to leave it pending. It will stay on your Friend Requests list until you confirm or delete it.
Accepting a Friend Request on Mobile
On Facebook mobile, here’s how to accept someone as a friend:
- Open the Facebook app on your smartphone.
- Tap the Menu icon (three horizontal lines) in the top right corner.
- Scroll down and tap Friends.
- Tap Requests at the top of the screen.
- On the Requests screen, tap Confirm next to the person’s name to accept the request.
- The name now appears under your Friends list on your profile.
The process of accepting friends on mobile is very similar to desktop. The main difference is accessing the Friend Requests is through the menu instead of an icon in the toolbar.
Tips for Managing Friend Requests on Mobile
– Swipe left on a request and tap Delete to remove it.
– Tap on a request to view the person’s profile before accepting.
– You can turn friend request notifications on or off in Settings & Privacy.
Who Can Send You Friend Requests?
Here are some common ways people may send you friend requests on Facebook:
- Friends of friends – If someone is friends with your friends, they can send you a request.
- Coworkers or classmates – People you know from work or school can request to connect.
- Family members – Relatives you’re not already friends with can send requests.
- Acquaintances – People you’ve met briefly in person can look you up and add you.
- Strangers – Anyone can send you a request, but it’s best not to accept requests from people you don’t know.
As a rule of thumb, only accept requests from people you know and trust in real life. If someone random adds you, feel free to ignore or delete the request.
Limits on Friend Requests
Facebook does limit the number of requests you can send and receive over certain periods of time:
- Outgoing Requests: You can send a maximum of 5000 requests per day. If you hit the limit, you have to wait 24 hours before sending more.
- Incoming Requests: If you get too many requests in a short time, Facebook will temporarily block new requests. This is to prevent spam.
These limits help reduce frivolous requests from strangers and prevent abuse. As long as you manage friend requests responsibly, you likely won’t run into any issues.
Accepting Friends Vs Followers
It’s important to understand the difference between friends and followers on Facebook:
- Friends – When you accept someone’s friend request, they can see your posts, photos, information, and more based on your privacy settings. You can also interact and message each other.
- Followers – If you have a public profile, people can follow you without being your friend. Followers can only see your public posts and info, but don’t have full access to your profile.
In most cases, you would only accept friend requests from people close to you and follow requests from brands, influencers, artists, and other public figures you’re interested in.
Managing Your Friends List
Your Facebook friends list will grow as you continue accepting requests over the years. Here are some tips for managing your list:
- Unfriend people you no longer know or interact with. This keeps your feed relevant.
- Organize friends into Lists like Close Friends, Work Friends, or Acquaintances.
- Customize which friends see your posts using the audience selector.
- Limit old posts and photos so only certain friends can see them.
- Take breaks from Facebook if you feel overwhelmed by friend interactions.
Maintaining a healthy and curated friends list ensures you have meaningful connections on Facebook without feeling bombarded.
Troubleshooting Friend Requests
Here are some common troubleshooting tips for friend requests:
If you’re not receiving requests:
- Double check your privacy settings. Ensure you have requests enabled.
- Make sure notifications are turned on for new friend requests.
- You may have hit the limit for incoming requests. Try accepting some to free up space.
If your requests are getting ignored or deleted:
- Only send requests to people you know – don’t spam strangers.
- Respect it if someone doesn’t accept your request.
- Don’t send repeat requests if someone deletes your initial request.
If you think your account is hacked:
- Change your password immediately and enable two-factor authentication.
- Check the Activity Log for any suspicious posts or messages from your account.
- Report suspicious activity to Facebook through the Help Center.
Following Facebook’s rules closely and using common sense will help avoid most issues with managing friends. But if something seems wrong, take action right away to secure your account.
Conclusion
Accepting someone as a friend on Facebook is an easy process, but also an important decision. Connecting on social media allows people into your digital social circle, so only accept requests from those you know and trust. Manage your friends list responsibly by pruning old connections, organizing friends into Lists, and customizing privacy settings. This ensures you have a quality group of friends on Facebook who can view and interact with your profile appropriately.