You can cancel a friend request on Facebook in seconds, and the other person won't be notified
When you send a friend request on Facebook, you can take it back at any time before the other person accepts or declines it. Cancelling a request removes it from their notifications and from your sent requests list. The person you sent it to will not receive a notification that you cancelled it — the request simply disappears from their inbox.
The steps differ slightly depending on whether you're using Facebook on a computer or a phone, but both routes take less than a minute. You don't need to contact Facebook support or explain anything to the other person. Once someone accepts or declines your request, you can no longer cancel it, but you can always send a new one later if you change your mind.
Key Takeaways
- You can cancel any friend request you sent before the other person accepts or declines it.
- On a computer, go to your profile, select "Friends," find the pending request, and click "Cancel Request."
- On a phone, open the Facebook app, tap the menu icon, go to Friends, and swipe left on the pending request to cancel it.
- The other person will not be notified that you cancelled the request.
- Once someone accepts or declines your request, you can no longer cancel it — you would need to send a new request instead.
How to cancel a friend request on a computer
Open Facebook in your web browser and go to your own profile by clicking your name or profile picture in the top left corner. Once you're on your profile page, click the "Friends" button or link — this shows your current friends and any pending requests you've sent.
Look for the section that says "Friend Requests Sent" or similar wording. You'll see a list of people you've sent requests to who haven't responded yet. Find the person whose request you want to cancel, and click the button that says "Cancel Request" next to their name. The request disappears immediately, and you'll return to your friends list.
How to cancel a friend request on an iPhone or Android phone
Open the Facebook app and tap the three horizontal lines (the menu icon) at the bottom right of your screen. Scroll down and tap "Friends." You'll see options including "Friend Requests" — tap that option to see your incoming and outgoing requests.
At the top of the screen, you should see a tab or section for requests you've sent. Tap it to see the list of people you've sent requests to. Find the person you want to cancel, and swipe left on their name (on iPhone) or long-press their name (on Android). A "Cancel Request" button will appear — tap it to remove the request immediately.
What happens after you cancel a request
Once you cancel a friend request, it's gone from both your sent requests list and the other person's notifications. If you change your mind later, you can send a new request whenever you want. There's no waiting period or penalty for sending multiple requests to the same person over time, and Facebook won't warn them that you've sent a request before.
The other person will have no record that you sent a request and then cancelled it. They won't see it in their notifications, their message requests, or anywhere else on their account. From their perspective, the request never existed. If they happened to see the notification before you cancelled it, they might remember it, but Facebook itself leaves no trace.
When you can't cancel a request anymore
If the other person has already accepted your friend request, you can no longer cancel it — you're now friends. To remove them from your friends list, you would need to unfriend them instead, which is a different action. Unfriending someone is also quick and private, and they won't be notified unless they notice you're no longer on their friends list.
If the other person declined your request, the request is already gone and there's nothing to cancel. You can send a new request if you want, but Facebook doesn't prevent you from doing so or warn you that they declined before. Some people choose not to send a second request out of respect, but the platform itself has no rule against it.
Why you might want to cancel a friend request
You might cancel a request because you sent it by accident, changed your mind about connecting with that person, or realized you don't actually know them well enough. Some people cancel requests if they haven't heard back in a long time and don't want the request sitting in someone's inbox indefinitely. Others cancel when they realize they've sent a request to someone they've already connected with on a different platform or in real life.
There's no downside to cancelling a request. The other person won't be offended or notified, and you can always send a new request later if circumstances change. Cancelling is a low-stakes action that takes seconds and leaves no trace.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will the person know I cancelled my friend request?
No. Facebook does not send a notification when you cancel a request. The request simply disappears from their inbox, and they have no way of knowing you sent one unless they happened to see it before you cancelled it.
Can I cancel a request if the person already declined it?
No, because there's nothing left to cancel. Once someone declines your request, it's removed from both your accounts. You can send a new request whenever you want.
What if I cancel a request and then want to send one again?
You can send a new request immediately. There's no waiting period or limit on how many times you can send requests to the same person. Just go through the same steps as before.
Does cancelling a request affect my friendship with someone?
No. Cancelling a request only affects pending requests — requests the other person hasn't responded to yet. If you're already friends with someone, cancelling a request doesn't apply because there is no pending request to cancel.
Can I see a list of all the requests I've sent?
Yes. On a computer, go to your profile and click "Friends," then look for "Friend Requests Sent." On a phone, open the Facebook app, tap the menu icon, go to "Friends," then tap "Friend Requests" and select the tab for requests you've sent.