There are a few reasons why some Facebook profiles may display “Message” instead of the “Add Friend” button:
They have reached the friend limit
Facebook allows users to have up to 5,000 friends on their profile. Once someone reaches the maximum friend capacity, the “Add Friend” button will be replaced with “Message” for other users who are not already friends with that person.
This is done to prevent new friend requests from being sent once the limit has been reached. The profile owner won’t be notified of new friend requests either. So “Message” allows non-friends to still contact that user through Facebook Messenger, without being able to send a pending friend request.
Their profile is private
If someone has a private profile that limits who can see their info and send friend requests, the “Add Friend” button will be replaced by “Message.” This allows non-friends to message them, while keeping the profile private.
Some reasons users make their profiles private include:
- They only want friends, family, and certain people accessing their info
- To limit random friend requests from strangers
- More privacy and security over who can interact with them
The “Message” button allows them to still be contacted by non-friends through Messenger, even though friend requests are disabled.
They have blocked you
If you search for someone who has blocked you on Facebook, their profile may display “Message” instead of “Add Friend.”
This happens because blocked connections are one-way on Facebook. So while you may still see their profile, they have blocked you from being able to interact with them.
Some reasons someone may block another user include:
- To end an unwanted friendship or connection
- Bullying, harassment, or other abusive behavior
- Ex-friend or ex-partner who they no longer wish to associate with
- Preventing a stranger or acquaintance from viewing their profile or contacting them
In this case, the “Message” button exists to prevent you from sending a friend request to someone who has purposefully blocked you.
They are not searchable
Some Facebook users opt out of being searchable on Facebook. This means only existing friends will be able to find and interact with their profile.
If you try to search for someone who has enabled this privacy setting, you may see a “Message” button instead of “Add Friend” when you locate their profile.
Making a profile unsearchable prevents strangers, acquaintances, or non-friends from being able to send friend requests or access their profile. The “Message” option allows them to still be contacted by existing friends through Messenger.
They have disabled friend requests
Facebook offers settings that allow users to disable receiving friend requests from non-friends. This automatically changes the “Add Friend” button to “Message.”
Some reasons people may disable friend requests include:
- To prevent unwanted contact from strangers
- Being overwhelmed by too many pending requests
- Maintaining privacy over who can interact with their profile
With requests disabled, Facebook allows messaging so they can still be contacted by non-friends through Messenger if needed.
It’s a business, organization, or specialty profile
Facebook Pages represent businesses, organizations, brands, public figures, artists, entertainers, groups, or other entities. Pages have followers rather than friends.
When viewing a Facebook Page, you will see a “Message” button rather than “Add Friend” because you follow and interact with Pages differently than individual personal profiles.
It’s a memorialized account
Facebook memorializes user profiles when they receive proof that the account owner has passed away. Memorialized accounts are a place for friends and family to gather and share memories of that person.
In memorialized profiles, the “Add Friend” and “Message” buttons are replaced with an “Invite to Follow” button. This allows existing friends to invite others who knew the deceased person to follow the memorialized profile and interact within that space.
Conclusion
In summary, there are a number of reasons why certain Facebook profiles may display “Message” rather than the standard “Add Friend” button:
- The profile has reached the maximum friend limit
- The profile is set to private
- You have been blocked by that user
- The user has opted out of searchability
- Friend requests are disabled for that profile
- It is a Page rather than a personal profile
- The account has been memorialized
The “Message” button allows users in these situations to still be contacted through Facebook Messenger, even if direct friend requests or profile access is restricted. This allows for some level of communication without fully opening the profile up to non-friends.
Understanding when and why “Message” replaces the “Add Friend” button can help explain these variations encountered on Facebook profiles.
Friend Limit Statistics
Here are some statistics on Facebook friend limits:
| Friend Limit | 5,000 friends |
|---|---|
| Average number of friends per user | 338 |
| Percentage of users who have hit the limit | Less than 1% |
As the data shows, reaching the maximum 5,000 friend capacity affects only a very small portion of Facebook users globally. Most people maintain an average friend network well below that threshold.
Growth of Facebook
Here is some data on Facebook’s growth over the years:
| Year | Active Users | New Users Added |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 100 million | 100 million |
| 2011 | 600 million | 500 million |
| 2015 | 1.4 billion | 800 million |
| 2020 | 2.7 billion | 1.3 billion |
The massive growth in Facebook users over the years has made it one of the most influential social networks globally. The peak periods of rapid user expansion were between 2008 to 2011, and 2015 to 2020.
Facebook Usage by Age
Here is a breakdown of Facebook usage by age demographic:
| Age Group | Percentage Who Use Facebook |
|---|---|
| 18-29 | 79% |
| 30-49 | 83% |
| 50-64 | 77% |
| 65+ | 54% |
This data shows that Facebook remains highly popular across age groups, with particularly heavy usage among adults under 50. Usage starts to taper off among older demographics who tend to adopt social media at lower rates.
Gender Breakdown of Facebook Users
The gender breakdown of Facebook users worldwide is:
| Gender | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Female | 45% |
| Male | 55% |
While a slight majority of users are male, Facebook has a relatively even gender split among its billions of users globally.
Most Popular Age Groups on Facebook
Here are the most popular age segments on Facebook currently:
| Age Range | Percentage |
|---|---|
| 25-34 | 29% |
| 18-24 | 22% |
| 35-44 | 17% |
Young adults in the 18-34 age range make up a majority of Facebook’s active user base. They represent the platform’s most coveted demographic segments among marketers as well.
Race/Ethnicity of Facebook Users
The race and ethnicity distribution on Facebook is:
| Race/Ethnicity | Percentage |
|---|---|
| White | 75% |
| Hispanic | 12% |
| Black | 11% |
| Asian | 4% |
Facebook has a diverse user base, but a majority identify as Caucasian. The platform continues working to expand its reach across ethnicities and races globally.
Messaging Non-Friends
When the “Message” button appears instead of “Add Friend,” it allows you to contact non-friends in a couple ways:
Through Facebook Messenger
The primary way is by initiating a Messenger conversation. You can click “Message” and it will open a Messenger window where you can type out a message to the recipient. This allows you to communicate without sending a pending friend request.
Messaging someone this way will indicate you are not Facebook friends and show your message requests. The recipient can choose to reply, ignore, or report unwanted messages.
Commenting on Public Posts
For profiles and Pages that have public posts, commenting is another way to potentially initiate contact without friending or following. The profile owner will be notified of comments you leave on their public posts.
However, this is less direct than a Messenger message. Recipients often ignore or delete comments from non-friends and may never see it. But it can be an alternative way to try reaching out.
Building Connections
If your goal is to eventually connect as friends on Facebook, here are some tips for profiles displaying “Message” instead of “Add Friend”:
- Politely introduce yourself in your message and share any personal connections you may have
- Reference a shared interest, group, event, or pages you both follow
- Ask open-ended questions to get the conversation started
- Respect if the recipient does not respond and avoid messaging excessively
- Build a rapport through Messenger before eventually asking to connect as friends
With an approach based on common ties, interests, and mutual connections, you may be able to build enough of a relationship for them to eventually accept your friend request. However, respect privacy and only message an appropriate number of times if they do not respond.
Troubleshooting Tips
If you encounter the “Message” button instead of the expected “Add Friend,” here are some troubleshooting tips:
- Check if their profile is private, business/organization, or memorialized
- See if you are blocked by searching their name from another account
- Look for any custom friend limits or hidden settings on their profile
- Consider if you had any past negative interactions that may have led to blocking
- See if others who are mutual friends can view or interact with the profile normally
- Determine if the profile belongs to someone you actually know versus a stranger
These steps can help identify what exact condition is triggering the “Message” button so you understand why the standard options are restricted.
Summary
The main reasons the “Add Friend” button changes to “Message” on Facebook include reaching friend limits, privacy settings, blocking, being unsearchable, memorialization, or belonging to a Page rather than personal profile. The “Message” option maintains some communication without allowing full profile access.
Troubleshooting profile issues, respecting privacy preferences, and building relationships gradually can help navigate profiles where friending or following is limited. With care and understanding, useful Facebook connections can still be made.