You can cancel a friend request you sent, and Facebook will notify the person
When you send a friend request on Facebook, you can take it back at any time before the other person accepts or declines it. Canceling a request removes it from their notifications and from the "Friends" tab on their profile. The person will see that the request is gone, though Facebook does not send them a separate notification saying you canceled it.
The steps differ slightly depending on whether you are using Facebook on a computer or a phone, but both methods take less than a minute. You do not need to contact Facebook support or do anything beyond what is shown here.
Key Takeaways
- You can cancel any friend request you sent before the person accepts or declines it.
- On a computer, go to the person's profile, find the "Cancel request" button, and click it.
- On a phone, open the person's profile, tap the button that says "Cancel request" or shows a clock icon, and confirm.
- The person will see the request disappear but will not receive a notification that you canceled it.
- Once someone declines your request, you can send a new one after a few days, but Facebook may limit how often you can send requests.
How to cancel a request on a computer
Open Facebook in your web browser and search for the person's name using the search bar at the top of the page. Click on their profile to open it.
Look for a button near the top of their profile that says "Cancel request" or shows a clock icon with a checkmark. Click that button. A small menu may appear asking you to confirm — if it does, click "Cancel request" again. The button will disappear, and the request is now canceled.
If you cannot find the button, make sure you are looking at the right person's profile. Some profiles are set to private, which can hide certain buttons, but the cancel button should still be visible on most profiles.
How to cancel a request on your phone
Open the Facebook app and search for the person using the search icon at the bottom of the screen. Tap their name to open their profile.
Look for a button near the top of their profile that says "Cancel request" or shows a clock icon. On some phones, this button may appear as a small icon rather than text. Tap it once. Facebook will ask you to confirm — tap "Cancel request" in the popup that appears. The button will change, and the request is canceled.
If you are using Facebook Messenger instead of the main app, you can also cancel requests from the "People" tab. Tap "People," find the person in your pending requests, and swipe left on their name (iPhone) or press and hold (Android) to see the cancel option.
What happens after you cancel a request
Once you cancel a request, it disappears from the person's notifications and from their "Friends" tab. They will not see a notification saying you canceled it. If they check your profile, they will simply see the option to add you as a friend again, as if you had never sent a request.
You can send a new request to the same person right away. However, if the person declined your request (rather than you canceling it), Facebook may prevent you from sending another request for several days. This limit exists to prevent spam and repeated requests to people who have already said no.
Why you might want to cancel a request
People cancel requests for many reasons. You may have sent a request to the wrong person by mistake, or you may have changed your mind about connecting with someone. You might also cancel if you realize you do not actually know the person well enough to be friends, or if you sent a request while upset and now want to take it back.
Canceling is also useful if you sent a request and the person has not responded in a long time. Rather than leaving a pending request sitting there, you can cancel it and move on. If you want to reconnect later, you can always send a new request.
If the person already accepted or declined
If the person has already accepted your request, you are now friends. To remove them, you will need to unfriend them instead of canceling the request. You can do this by going to their profile, clicking the "Friends" button, and selecting "Unfriend" from the menu.
If the person declined your request, the request is already gone from both of your accounts. You cannot cancel a request that has been declined — it has already been rejected. You can send a new request after a few days if you want to try again, but Facebook may limit how often you can do this to the same person.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will the person know I canceled my friend request?
No. Facebook does not send a notification when you cancel a request. The person will simply see that the request is no longer pending. If they check your profile, they will see the option to add you as a friend, but they will not receive any alert about what happened.
Can I cancel a request after the person has already accepted it?
No. Once someone accepts your request, you are friends, and canceling is no longer an option. To remove them from your friends list, you will need to unfriend them instead. Go to their profile, click "Friends," and select "Unfriend."
How long does it take for a canceled request to disappear?
The request disappears immediately when you click cancel. The person will see it gone from their notifications and pending requests right away, though there may be a slight delay of a few seconds on slower connections.
Can I send a new request to someone right after canceling?
Yes, you can send a new request immediately after canceling. However, if the person declined your original request (rather than you canceling it), Facebook will not let you send another request for several days to prevent spam.
What if I cannot find the cancel button on someone's profile?
Make sure you are on the correct person's profile and that you actually sent them a request. If their profile is set to very private, some buttons may be hidden, but the cancel button should still appear. Try refreshing the page or closing and reopening the app. If the button still does not appear, the person may have already declined your request.