You can decline a friend request without sending a message, or block the person entirely so they cannot contact you
Facebook gives you two separate actions when someone sends you a friend request you do not want. Declining simply removes the request — the person may not know you turned them down, and they can send another request later. Blocking prevents that person from seeing your profile, messaging you, or sending you another friend request unless you unblock them first.
Which one you choose depends on whether you want to leave the door open. If you know the person and just do not want to be friends right now, declining works. If you want to stop contact entirely, blocking is the stronger option.
Key Takeaways
- Declining a friend request removes it from your inbox but does not prevent the person from sending another one later.
- Blocking a person stops them from seeing your profile, messaging you, or sending friend requests, and they will not be notified that you blocked them.
- You can decline a request in two taps from your friend requests list, or block someone from their profile or message thread.
- If you block someone by mistake, you can unblock them anytime, and they will have no record that you blocked them.
How to decline a friend request
Open Facebook and tap the menu icon (three horizontal lines) at the bottom right of your screen on mobile, or look for the menu in the top right on desktop. Select Friends, then tap Friend Requests. You will see a list of pending requests.
Next to each request, you will see two buttons: a checkmark to accept and an X to decline. Tap the X button. The request disappears from your list. The person who sent it will not receive a notification that you declined — they simply will not see you as a friend.
That person can send you another friend request at any time. If you want to prevent that, use the block option instead.
How to block someone from their profile
Go to the person's Facebook profile. Tap the three dots (more options) near the top of their profile, usually next to the message button or add friend button. A menu will appear with several choices.
Select Block from the menu. Facebook will ask you to confirm. Tap Block again. The person is now blocked — they cannot see your profile, send you messages, or send you a friend request.
Blocking someone does not delete past messages between you, but they will not be able to see those conversations either. If you were already friends with this person, blocking them also removes them from your friends list.
How to block someone from a message thread
Open your messages and find the conversation with the person you want to block. Tap and hold on their name or the message thread, or right-click on desktop. A menu will appear.
Look for an option that says Block or Block Messages. Select it and confirm. The person is now blocked, and you will not receive messages from them.
How to block someone who sent you a friend request
You can block someone directly from your friend requests list without declining first. In your Friend Requests section, tap the three dots next to their name instead of the X button. Select Block from the menu that appears.
This is faster than declining and then blocking separately, and it accomplishes the same result — the person cannot contact you or see your profile.
What happens when you block someone
When you block a person on Facebook, they cannot see your profile, posts, or photos. They cannot send you messages or friend requests. If you were already friends, they will no longer see you in their friends list, but Facebook does not send them a notification saying you blocked them.
However, they may figure it out if they try to visit your profile and see a message saying they cannot view it. If you want to undo a block, you can unblock the person anytime by going to your settings, finding the block list, and selecting unblock next to their name.
How to manage your blocked list
To see everyone you have blocked, tap the menu icon and go to Settings & Privacy, then Settings. Scroll down and select Blocking. You will see a list of all blocked accounts.
Next to each blocked person, you can tap Unblock to restore contact. Once you unblock someone, they can send you friend requests and messages again, and they can see your profile. There is no record left that you blocked them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will the person know if I decline their friend request?
No. Facebook does not notify someone when you decline their request. They will simply not see you as a friend, and they may not realize you turned them down. They can send you another request later unless you block them.
Can a blocked person still see my old posts or messages?
No. Once you block someone, they cannot see your profile, posts, photos, or past messages. Existing messages between you will not appear in their inbox either. However, if you unblock them later, they can see everything again.
What if I block someone by mistake?
You can unblock them anytime. Go to Settings, select Blocking, find their name, and tap Unblock. They will have no notification or record that you blocked them, and you can be friends again if you both want to.
Can I block someone without declining their friend request first?
Yes. You can block someone directly from your friend requests list by tapping the three dots next to their name and selecting Block. You do not need to decline first — blocking accomplishes both actions at once.
If I block someone, will they see that I am no longer their friend?
If you were already friends before blocking, they will notice you are no longer in their friends list. However, Facebook does not send a notification saying you blocked them. They may figure it out if they try to visit your profile and cannot access it.