Summary

On Facebook, people can send you friend requests to become friends. If you accept, they can see your posts and pictures. When you sent friend requests on Facebook, the person can say yes or no. If they don’t reply, it’s “Pending,” meaning they haven’t decided yet. Before, having lots of Facebook friends was important, but now, too much can be overwhelming. If your friend list is too big or has people you don’t want, it’s time to clean it up. By canceling pending friend requests that aren’t helpful anymore, you control who sees your stuff.

Source: How to Cancel Pending Friend Requests on Facebook

How to Cancel Pending Friend Requests on Facebook

You’re scrolling through your Facebook newsfeed when you notice a few pending friend requests from people you barely know or haven’t talked to in years.

While Facebook friendships once measured your social standing, many now see these as clutter that gets in the way of meaningful interactions.

If your friend list has ballooned out of control or includes people you’d rather not stay in touch with, it’s time for pruning. Read on to learn how to cancel those pending friend requests without hurting feelings.

Source: Friend Requests

Understanding Facebook Friend Requests

Facebook friend requests are when someone sent friend requests on Facebook app for you to become friends. Accepting a request lets that person see your posts, photos, and personal information.

What Does Pending Friend Request Mean on Facebook?

When your Facebook sent friend request, the recipient can accept or ignore it. If they don’t respond right away, the request will show as “Pending.” This means the person you sent the request to has not yet accepted or declined it.

Source: Pending Friend Requests 

How to Cancel Pending Sent Friend Requests on Facebook

Once a request has been sent to you, it will appear in your Friend Requests folder for 14 days. Within that time, you can accept, ignore, or delete all pending friend requests Facebook has.

To cancel pending friend requests Facebook, follow these steps:

Desktop Facebook Site

Facebook Mobile App

Log in to Facebook and click the arrow icon in the top right to open the menu. Select “Friends” from the menu. This will open your Friends page. Click “Friend Requests” on the left side of the page. This will show you a list of the pending friend requests you’ve sent. Locate the pending request you want to cancel and click “Cancel Request” next to it. Repeat these steps to cancel any additional pending requests. Your Friends page will now only show active friend requests and friends.

Open the Facebook app on your phone and tap the menu icon (three horizontal lines) in the top right corner. Select “Friends” from the menu. Tap “Friend Requests” at the top of the screen. Pending friend requests will be listed under “Awaiting your response.”  Tap “Cancel Request” or “Delete Request” at the bottom of the screen. The request will immediately be removed from your pending requests.

Source: Cancel Pending Friend Requests

How to See Pending Friend Requests on Facebook

Checking your pending friend requests on Facebook is essential when you wish to cancel a friend request. Sometimes, you might sent friend request by mistake. It is either to someone you didn’t intend to or to change your mind about connecting with a person.

To see pending friend requests Facebook, follow these steps:

Facebook Web

iOS/iPhone

Sign in to facebook.com using your account information. Select “Friends” on the left column. Choose “Friend Request” from the Friends section on the left. You will see all the friend requests you sent waiting for approval on your screen.

Open the Facebook app on your iPhone. Tap the menu icon (three horizontal lines) in the top right corner of the screen. Scroll down and tap “Requests”. This will help you view pending friend requests and messages. You may need to update your Facebook app if you don’t see the “Requests” option.  Go to the App Store, tap “Updates”, and install the latest version of Facebook. The latest versions have options to view and manage friend requests and messages.

Source: Facebook

How Many Pending Friend Requests Can I Have on Facebook?

Facebook allows you to have up to 1,000 pending friend requests at a time. But, having too many requests can become overwhelming. So, it’s a good idea to go through and accept or decline requests. 

Yet, pending unanswered friend requests can frustrate the sender and reflect poorly on you. People may think you’re ignoring them or don’t value their friendship. With that in mind, it’s best to respond to requests within a week or so of receiving them.

Source: Facebook Newsfeed

Unwritten Facebook Friend Request Rules

Facebook friend requests come with some unwritten rules of etiquette. Following these guidelines helps ensure your requests avoid awkward social situations:

Source: Add People You Know

1. Only Add People You Know

Accepting friend requests from strangers can affect your privacy and security. In fact, scammers often create fake profiles to send friend requests to get your personal information or install malware.

To be safe, never accept a request from someone claiming to be from a company. This might be under Facebook, a bank, or a government agency. Legitimate companies do not contact people through friend requests.

Remember to double-check the profile before accepting. Look for signs that could be fake, like a lack of photos, friends, or posts. See if you have mutual friends who could attest to the person. If something feels off, it’s best to ignore the request.

Source: Report Spammy Friend Requests 

2. Report Spammy Friend Requests

If you receive friend requests that seem suspicious or spammy, you should report them to Facebook. This helps ensure a safe community for all users.

To report a pending friend request, simply:

1. Go to your Facebook homepage.
2. Click the Friend Requests option on the left menu. 
3. Locate the request you want to report and click the three dots in the upper right corner. 
4. Select “Report Spam or Scam” from the dropdown menu.
5. Choose the option that best describes why you’re reporting the request. 
6. Click Submit. 

You can report as many pending requests as needed. Facebook relies on user reports to help know and remove spam accounts. So, your reports make a difference in improving safety and quality on the platform.

Source: Review Pending Friend Requests 

3. Review the Pending Friend Requests You Have Sent

It’s common to send a request to the wrong person or have second thoughts about connecting with someone. In these situations, having the option to review and manage your pending friend requests is valuable.

To do that, log into Facebook and click the friend requests icon (two silhouettes) at the top of your homepage. This will show you a list of the friend requests you have sent that are still pending.

Any requests that have been accepted will no longer appear on the list. Look through the names in your list of pending requests and see if you still wish to connect with each person. Some reasons you may want to cancel a request include:

• The recipient is someone you no longer wish to be friends with.
• You accidentally sent the request by mistake.
• The request has been pending for a long time with no response.
• Your circumstances have changed, and you no longer consider being friends appropriate.
• Your Facebook sent friend requests without permission.

Source: Block Pending Friend Requests

4. Block Pending Friend Requests From Strangers

On Facebook, you can control who can ask to be your friend. If you don’t set this, anyone can ask to be your friend.

To prevent unwanted friend requests from strangers on Facebook, you can block people before they send you a request. Here are the steps to block friend requests from strangers:

1. Click on the Account menu (where your picture is) at the top right.
2. Go to Settings & Privacy> Settings > Privacy.
3. Under How People Find and Contact You, find Who can send you friend requests? 
4. Click Edit. 
5. You can choose Everyone or Friends of friends.

Source: How to Hide Your Friend List

5. Hide Your Friends List

Keeping your online information secure is important. By hiding sensitive data like your friends list, you gain more control over your privacy and share details selectively. 

Scroll to the top of your Facebook profile page and select the “Friends” option from the menu. This will bring up your full list of Facebook friends. At the top of the page, you’ll see the option to “Edit Privacy”. Select that option.

From there, you can choose who can see your friends list. The options include:

• Public: Anyone on or off Facebook can see your friends list.
• Friends: Only your Facebook friends can see your friends list.
• Only Me: Hides your friends list from everyone except you.

To hide your friends list from everyone, select “Only Me”. Once you save your new privacy settings, your friends list will be hidden from all other Facebook users. They will no longer be able to browse the names of people you are connected with on Facebook.

Master Your Friendships on Facebook

You have the power to curate your social connections on Facebook. By canceling pending friend requests that no longer serve you, you gain control over who has access to your profile and updates. 

Choose to connect with intention and care for your digital well-being. Cancel those pending requests and craft an online community that energizes and inspires you. Your future Facebook self will thank you.

Ever find this content helpful? If yes, check out our additional blog posts on Intrinsic Writing Solutions.

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