What does it mean if my friend request says cancel request?

When you send a friend request on Facebook, you will see one of two statuses under the person’s name – either “Friend Request Sent” or “Cancel Request.” If it says “Cancel Request,” it means you have already sent a friend request to this person that is still pending. They have not yet confirmed it. Seeing the “Cancel Request” option allows you to withdraw your initial request if you change your mind before the person accepts it.

Why Would I See “Cancel Request”?

There are a few reasons you may see the “Cancel Request” option after sending a friend request on Facebook:

You sent a request recently and the person has not accepted it yet. This is the most common reason.

You sent a request in the past that the person never responded to. It is still sitting in their pending requests.
You accidentally sent a duplicate request. The first one is still pending.
There was an error and the original request was not properly recorded. Facebook still thinks it is pending.

In all these cases, the “Cancel Request” button allows you to withdraw the initial request. This prevents the person from getting duplicate requests from you or clears up any errors in the system.

Should I Cancel the Request?

Whether you should cancel a pending Facebook friend request depends on the situation:

If you changed your mind for any reason and no longer want to be friends, canceling the request withdraws it politely.

If you think the request was sent by mistake or believe there is an error, canceling it and resending it may fix the problem.
If a lot of time has passed (weeks, months, years) canceling the old one and sending a new one may prompt them to respond.
If you do not know the person well, canceling avoids leaving the request hanging indefinitely if they do not respond.

However, if you know the person well and are sure they just have not logged into Facebook to see the request yet, you may want to give them more time before canceling it. Use your own judgment.

How Do I Cancel a Facebook Friend Request?

It is easy to cancel a pending Facebook friend request:

Go to the person’s Facebook profile page.

Find and click the “Cancel Request” button. This is near the Add Friend/Follow buttons.
A pop-up will appear confirming you want to cancel the request. Click “Cancel Request.”
The button will disappear. This means your friend request has been withdrawn.

Here are some tips for canceling Facebook friend requests:

You must cancel requests individually. You cannot mass cancel multiple pending requests.
After canceling, you can send a new friend request immediately if desired.

The person will not be notified when you cancel the request.
You can view past and current requests under the Friends section of your Facebook profile.
If someone cancels their friend request to you, it will disappear from your pending list.

What Happens When I Cancel a Friend Request?

Here is what happens when you cancel a pending friend request on Facebook:

The friend request is withdrawn. It disappears from the person’s pending requests.
The person is not notified or alerted. Facebook does not tell them you canceled.

Any notifications related to the request disappear. For example, email or app notifications.
You can send them another friend request immediately if desired.
Your profiles remain searchable to each other. You can still find each other on Facebook.

No message is posted on either profile. Canceling is private.
If the person sent you a friend request also, canceling theirs does the same.

In summary, canceling a friend request simply cancels that specific request. It does not block, remove or unfriend the person in any way. You can continue to interact as normal, just as if the canceled request never happened.

Should I Message the Person When I Cancel the Request?

There is no obligation to message someone when you cancel a pending Facebook friend request. The cancellation is private and they are not notified. However, sometimes a message is a nice courtesy:

If you know the person well, you may want to let them know you canceled and why. This saves them wondering why it disappeared.
If you want to explain why you no longer want to be friends, a message clears the air.

You can apologize for any mistaken or unwanted requests. This resolves awkwardness.
Messaging maintains transparency and honesty in your relationship.

However, for casual acquaintances or people you do not know well, a message may not be necessary when canceling a request. Use your best judgment based on your relationship.

What To Say When Canceling a Facebook Friend Request

If you decide to message someone after canceling a Facebook friend request, here are some polite, honest messages to send:

“Hi [name]! Just wanted to let you know I canceled my friend request. I’m trying to keep my friend list small these days. I hope you understand – no hard feelings!”
“Hey [name], I noticed we hadn’t interacted much since I sent my friend request, so I went ahead and canceled it. I’m trying to pare down my Facebook contacts. Hope you’re doing well!”

“Hi [name], I wanted to apologize for the friend request. It was an accidental click – I’m still getting used to this new phone! No need to accept. Wanted to clear that up – don’t want to be a nuisance.”
“Hello! I canceled the request I sent you. I realized I don’t know you well enough to connect on Facebook. Didn’t want to leave it lingering. No offense intended!”

The important things are to be polite, acknowledge canceling the request, and explain your reasons. This resolves any confusion or awkwardness.

Can the Person See I Canceled the Friend Request?

No, when you cancel a pending friend request on Facebook, the other person is not notified or alerted in any way. Here is what they will see:

Your canceled friend request simply disappears from their pending requests list.
Their Facebook notifications will not mention you canceled the request.

They will not get an alert that the request was withdrawn.
There is no public notice or post made about the cancellation.
The only way they know is if you personally message them.

So in most cases, the person has no idea you canceled the request unless you inform them directly. The cancellation is completely private on Facebook’s end. They will simply notice your request no longer appears in their pending list someday.

Will They Get Notified If I Send a New Request?

If you cancel a friend request and later send another new request, the normal notifications will apply. When you send a brand new request, even if a previous one was canceled, they will get the usual pending request notifications.

These include:

A notification badge on their requests icon.
A flagged friend request in their list.
Possible email or push notifications about your new request (their settings depending).

So yes, they will know about your new request after a cancellation. Facebook treats it as an entirely new request.

What If I Accidentally Deleted the Request?

If you think you may have accidentally deleted or ignored someone’s friend request to you, rather than canceling your request to them, not to worry. Here is what to do:

Check your previous requests under your Friends list. Their request may still be there.

If not, they can simply resend the request if they still want to connect.
You can also initiate sending them a new friend request if you would like.

So if you make a mistake, just have the person resend their request or you send one yourself. As long as you still want to be friends, you can remedy the situation easily.

Can I Undo Cancelling a Friend Request?

If you change your mind after canceling a Facebook friend request, you cannot simply undo the cancellation. Here are your options:

You will have to send an entirely new friend request.
The person will be notified as if it is your first request to them.

You can message them to explain you canceled by mistake if you want.

So while you cannot undo canceling a request, you can immediately send a new one to the person. This will restart the process as if it is the first time.

Things to Remember About Canceling Facebook Friend Requests

Here are some key things to keep in mind when canceling pending Facebook friend requests:

Canceling withdraws your request but does not remove or unfriend the person.
They do not receive any notification when you cancel.
You can send a new request right after canceling if you want.

Messaging them is optional but can be polite if you know them.
Be thoughtful about avoiding duplicate or unwanted requests.
Always be civil and gracious in your communications.

With the right approach, canceling a Facebook friend request does not have to be a big deal. Being open, honest and tactful goes a long way. This allows you to gracefully withdraw requests when needed.

Conclusion

When you see “Cancel Request” next to someone’s name on Facebook, it simply means you have already sent them a friend request that is still pending. Clicking that button withdraws your initial request politely without notification. This allows you to remedy any errors, retract accidental requests, or change your mind gracefully. While canceling is painless, always be considerate by avoiding unwanted requests and explaining your reasons – this maintains goodwill. With the right approach, canceling requests is easy breezy!