What is the Facebook friend request glitch?
The Facebook friend request glitch refers to an issue where users suddenly receive a flood of friend requests from strangers on Facebook. This influx of requests seems to come out of nowhere and from accounts the user does not know.
Some key things to know about this glitch:
– It involves receiving dozens or even hundreds of friend requests in a short span of time, sometimes within a few hours.
– The requests come from accounts of strangers around the world that the user does not know.
– The user did not do anything to trigger or initiate these requests. They seem to come randomly.
– The issue appears to be some sort of glitch in Facebook’s system, not the result of hacking or spamming by accounts sending requests.
When did reports of this glitch begin?
Reports of the Facebook friend request glitch first surfaced in the summer of 2020.
In July 2020, numerous Facebook users took to social media to complain about receiving strange waves of friend requests from unknown accounts.
The volume of requests ranged from a few dozen to a few hundred in some cases, all arriving over short periods of time like a single day.
Some users reported accepting a few requests just to see who the accounts belonged to, only to find they were complete strangers located in different countries around the world.
This confirmed the requests were not coming from bots or targeted spam, but appeared to be some error causing accounts to randomly send requests.
Have there been other instances reported since?
Yes, while the summer of 2020 saw the first wide-scale reports of this glitch, there have been other noticeable waves of users experiencing the same sudden influx of friend requests in the years since.
In October 2021, a spike of complaints about the friend request glitch emerged again, indicating it was still an ongoing intermittent issue.
There was another flurry of reports in January 2022, suggesting the problem pops back up from time to time.
Whenever it rears its head, dozens or hundreds of users take to social media over a short period to vent about the annoyance of a fresh wave of unsolicited requests.
So while it is not happening on a constant daily basis, the glitch appears to recur every few months for some subset of users.
What causes the Facebook friend request glitch?
Facebook has never officially explained what causes the friend request glitch to occur. There are, however, a few leading theories based on the available information:
Bug in friend recommendation algorithm
The most common belief is that it is caused by some bug or error in the friend recommendation algorithm Facebook uses.
This system analyzes your profile and activity to suggest new accounts you may know or want to connect with, factoring in things like shared friends, networks, groups, etc.
A problem in this algorithm may be mistakenly identifying accounts as potential friend candidates and triggering requests to be sent between accounts that have no real connection at all.
Issue with contact uploading
Another theory is that it has something to do with users uploading their mobile phone contacts to Facebook. This is a feature that allows you to check for friends on Facebook based on the contacts in your phone.
An error in how these numbers are handled could result in the system misinterpreting uploaded contacts as friend recommendations and sending requests.
Hacking or spamming activity
While most evidence points to this being some internal system error, there is also the possibility that external hacking or spamming could play a role.
Accounts being hacked to send spam requests en masse could manifest itself in a similar way and make it seem like a glitch. However, Facebook has not indicated this is the cause.
How has Facebook responded?
Facebook has acknowledged the reports of these friendship request waves but has not provided much insight into what is causing it or when it may be fixed.
Here are a few key responses:
– In 2020, a Facebook spokesperson attributed it to a “bug” and said they were working on a fix, without providing details.
– Facebook representatives have responded to some users reporting the issue, asking for more information to investigate. However, the problem persists.
– They have provided general suggestions like blocking unknown accounts, tightening privacy settings, and being cautious about accepting requests. But no solution.
– Facebook has not communicated anything officially through their channels on this recurring glitch, only replying to individual user complaints.
Overall, Facebook is aware of the problem but has been opaque about what is specifically causing it and their ability to permanently resolve it anytime soon.
What can users do about the glitch?
Since this appears to be an internal system issue, there is no perfect fix on the user end. However, there are a few steps those receiving a wave of requests can take to manage it:
Ignore or delete the requests
You can simply ignore or delete the requests to clear them out. While it can be time-consuming to remove hundreds individually, it will resolve that batch. Just be prepared for the possibility of a repeat wave happening again later.
Tighten privacy settings
Make sure your friend requesting settings are not too open. Under “Preferences,” restrict requests to “Friends of Friends” or “Only Friends” so random strangers cannot send them to you.
Report offending accounts
Flag any accounts sending you requests for “pretending to be someone else.” While likely not malicious, this signals to Facebook something problematic is occurring.
Block suspicious accounts
Prevent specific accounts from interacting with you by blocking them. However, this is mainly useful for repeat offenders rather than one-time waves.
Post about the issue
Increase visibility and pressure on Facebook to address this by posting and complaining about it through social media. The more users voice frustration, the more urgency for a fix.
The bottom line
Based on the available information, the Facebook friend request glitch appears to be the result of some internal system error that causes batches of requests to be sent out randomly between accounts with no connections. While Facebook has acknowledged complaints, the problem continues to recur periodically, leaving users confused and annoyed. There are steps you can take to manage these mystery waves of requests, but ultimately the onus is on Facebook to locate the underlying software or algorithmic issue causing this glitch and implement a permanent fix. Until then, users should remain skeptical of any sudden influx of friend requests on the platform.