Sending a Facebook friend request is easy – you simply search for the person’s profile, click “Add Friend”, and the request is sent. But what if you change your mind and want to cancel the request before it’s accepted? Revoking a pending friend request on Facebook is possible, it just takes a few simple steps.
Can I cancel a sent friend request on Facebook?
Yes, you can indeed cancel a Facebook friend request that you’ve sent to someone which hasn’t been accepted yet. This is useful if you change your mind about connecting with someone on Facebook. As long as the recipient hasn’t accepted your friend request, you can revoke it entirely on your end.
Why would I want to cancel a Facebook request?
There are a few reasons why you may want to cancel a pending Facebook friend request:
- You sent the request to the wrong person by accident.
- You no longer wish to connect with that person on Facebook.
- You want to temporarily revoke the request for privacy reasons.
- The recipient has not responded and you’ve changed your mind about connecting.
- You want to re-send the request at a later time.
Regardless of the reason, it’s good to know that you can easily take back a friend request on Facebook before it’s accepted.
How can I see pending Facebook requests I’ve sent?
To cancel a sent Facebook friend request, you first need to view your pending requests. Here’s how:
- Go to your Facebook profile page and click on the Friends button.
- On the Friends page, click the Requests link at the top.
- This will display two tabs – Friend Requests and Sent Requests. Click on Sent Requests.
- You will now see a list of all pending friend requests you’ve sent to people.
Step-by-step guide to canceling a Facebook request
Once you’ve located the pending request you want to revoke, follow these steps:
- Click on the dropdown arrow to the right of the person’s name.
- Select Cancel Request from the dropdown menu.
- A confirmation box will pop up – click on the Cancel Request button.
- That’s it! The friend request has now been canceled and the person will no longer see it on their end.
It’s a very quick and straightforward process to withdraw a pending friend request on Facebook. The recipient will not be notified that you’ve canceled it – it will simply disappear from their friends list.
Does the recipient get notified if I cancel a request?
No, the recipient is not notified if you cancel a pending Facebook friend request that you’ve sent to them. The revoked request simply disappears from their list of pending requests without any indication to them.
So you can comfortably cancel a request without the awkwardness of the recipient knowing you changed your mind. The process is discreet on Facebook’s platform.
Can I re-send a canceled friend request?
Yes, if you cancel a pending Facebook friend request, you can easily send another request to the same person again in the future. To do so:
- Go to the person’s Facebook profile.
- Click the Add Friend button.
- This will re-send a friend request to them, even if you had previously canceled an initial request.
There is no limit to the number of times you can cancel requests and re-send them. You remain in full control.
Does the canceled request stay in my sent requests list?
No, once you cancel a pending Facebook friend request it is immediately removed from your sent requests list. You will no longer see it under the Sent Requests tab.
This helps keep your requests list clean and up-to-date. Only active pending requests will stay there until the recipient accepts them or they expire.
Can I cancel a request after the recipient has seen it?
Yes, you can retract a Facebook friend request at any time until the recipient formally accepts it. Even if they’ve seen the notification and it’s sitting in their pending requests list, you can still withdraw it by following the cancellation steps.
The important cutoff point is when the recipient clicks to confirm your request. Once they have officially accepted, it’s too late to revoke it.
What happens if the request expires before I cancel it?
Facebook friend requests that are not responded to within 14 days automatically expire. If this happens before you manually cancel the request, it will simply disappear from both ends without any action needed.
So if you change your mind about connecting with someone, try to cancel the request as soon as possible. Don’t wait for it to hit the 14-day expiration point.
Can I cancel a request on mobile?
Yes, you can cancel pending Facebook friend requests directly from the Facebook mobile app as well. Follow these steps:
- Open the Facebook app on your iPhone or Android device.
- Tap on the Menu icon (3 horizontal lines).
- Go to Friends > Sent Requests.
- Tap the Cancel Request button next to the request.
The process works seamlessly on mobile just as it does on desktop. You get the same discretion and control.
What happens if I block someone after sending a request?
If you block someone on Facebook after sending them a friend request, the pending request will automatically be canceled. Blocking prevents any further interaction, so it inherently withdraws any outstanding requests or messages.
In this scenario, the former recipient also wouldn’t be notified about the blocked request being revoked. It would simply disappear from their end.
Can I cancel a friend request on Messenger?
Unfortunately you cannot directly cancel a Facebook friend request from within Messenger. You will need to use the Facebook app or website to view your sent requests and hit the Cancel Request button.
Messenger only shows accepted connections between friends. For pending requests, use the Facebook platform to withdraw them before acceptance.
What are some alternatives to canceling a request?
Instead of fully canceling a friend request on Facebook, here are some other options to consider:
- Hide your friend requests from their timeline after connecting so there’s less public association.
- Unfollow them after connecting to avoid seeing their posts.
- Limit past posts they can see using the audience selector tools.
- Delete them as a friend later if you change your mind again.
But if you really want to revoke the request, cancellation is the only way to fully remove that pending connection.
Can someone cancel a friend request I’ve sent them?
The recipient cannot directly cancel or revoke a friend request you’ve sent them on Facebook. Their only options are to accept or ignore it until it expires after 14 days.
Only the sender of the request has the ability to proactively withdraw it. The recipient needs to wait until it lapses or accept it.
Conclusion
Canceling a pending Facebook friend request is straightforward – simply view your sent requests, click the dropdown next to the name, and select Cancel Request. This immediately retracts the request discreetly so the recipient is unaware.
You can always re-send a new request later if you change your mind again. Don’t hesitate to cancel requests if you need to for privacy or networking strategy purposes. Use this guide to easily manage your outgoing connections.