How to Resolve “Cannot Send Friend Request on Facebook
Facebook Friend Request why Can’t I Send.
Attempting to send a Facebook friend request?
It’s one of Facebook’s most important features.
And now you’d like to add someone to your network. But something happens that prevents you from doing so!
There are a few reasons why how to send a friend request on facebook.
And a few issues that are out of your hands.
Let’s investigate it and attempt to find a solution!
How to Submit and Reject a Friend Request on Facebook
The procedure for how to send friend request on facebook has remained largely unchanged.
As with most social media platforms, you can search for them by name. You’ll be able to find them if they have a public profile.
You may also be able to see them if they have a ‘friend of friend’ setting and you have a mutual friend.
If you have a mutual friend, go to their profile and scroll through their Friends tab until you find the friend request on facebook.
Simply click the ‘add friend’ button to send them a standard Facebook friend request.
Go to their profile if you suddenly realise you’ve chosen the wrong person.
The ‘add friend’ button has been replaced with a ‘cancel request’ button, which you can click to cancel the request.
Why do some Facebook profiles lack an add friend button?
On rare occasions, you will come across a profile with no ‘add friend’ button.
This is because their privacy settings prevent anyone who does not already have a connection from sending them a friend request.
If this is the case, you may have to accept that you will be unable to add them as a friend.
Why can’t I just follow someone on Facebook instead of adding them?
You can also have the choice to follow someone without adding them as a friend.
Once more, the individual has chosen this based on their privacy settings. People are able to follow them but not add them as friends.
Hence, all you can do is follow them to see the updates they permit followers to see.
They have the option to limit the audience for each post they make to only their friends or to a smaller group of people.
Why Am I Unable to Add Someone on Facebook?
Now that we’ve covered the fundamentals of adding, or not being able to add, someone on Facebook, let’s look at the most common issues.
These can come from your profile how to see friend request sent on facebook from the person to whom you are attempting to send the request.
That means there isn’t always much you can do.
Their privacy settings prevent you from viewing their account.
Facebook is spending a lot more time these days emphasising privacy settings to users. This means that people are more likely to change their privacy settings.
You won’t be able to send a request to someone if their account is set to ‘friends of friends’ and you don’t have a mutual friend.
You can still send them a Messenger message, but it will be recorded in the’message request’ section. The frequency with which they check this will determine how frequently they see the request!
You also like:Solving the Facebook Request Sending Issue: A Comprehensive Guide
They have blocked you on Facebook.
Another common reason for being unable to add someone on Facebook is if they have blocked you.
They can do this for a variety of reasons. It could be an accident or a deliberate act.
However, if they’ve blocked you, you won’t be able to see their profile or any public content.
You will also be unable to contact them.
Have you already blocked them?
If you’ve previously communicated with the person, you may have blocked them. As a result, you are effectively blocked.
However, you can check for this.
Simply go to Settings > Privacy > Blocking.
You’ll see a list of people you’ve blocked on Facebook here. If the person you want to add is there, unblock them before sending the request.
Their account was deactivated.
You cannot send a friend request to someone who has deactivated but not deleted their account. However, they are still visible on Facebook.
Unless they have the account scheduled to be deleted, in which case it will vanish.
You can still send a Messenger message while it is deactivated.
Is their Facebook account restricted?
If someone is placed in ‘Facebook jail’ for various reasons, they will not respond to your request.
Most of the time, people are prohibited from using Facebook for a specific period of time. It could be a day, a week, or a month. It may be worthwhile to return later to see if they have reappeared.
Depending on how much trouble they are in, you may still be able to send them a Messenger message!
They have the greatest number of friends.
With billions of users, it may seem strange, but there is a limit to the number of friends you can have on Facebook.
There is currently a limit of 5,000 friends. You will be unable to add anyone with this phone number.
However, you can still use Messenger contacts. They can unfriend someone else if they want to add you.
Have you sent a large number of friend requests in a short period of time?
Finding new people to connect with can be enjoyable. We occasionally get overly excited and send a large number of friend requests in a short period of time.
However, this can appear to be bot behaviour, making Facebook suspicious! It may then restrict your ability to add someone for a period of time.
If this happens, you should be notified so you know when you can add friends again.
Then just add them slowly the next time!
Have you already requested something?
If you’ve sent a request and the recipient hasn’t responded, you won’t be able to send another.
Perhaps you sent the request a while ago and it got lost among other notifications.
You can send a Messenger message even if you can’t send another.
They have turned down your friend request.
Unfortunately, if you send a friend request and the recipient declines it, you will not be able to send another.
If it was done by mistake and you contact them, they may send you a friend request instead. Try Messenger once more.
It’s sometimes a Facebook glitch.
Occasionally, the issue is as arbitrary as a Facebook glitch. It’s a ‘Facebug.’
You can always retry later.
Check to see if your app requires any updates and if there are any problem notifications.
If the issue persists, you can always contact Facebook support for assistance.
You may also be interested in: How to Find a Facebook Account by Phone Number.
6 Responses to “You might not know this person”
UPDATE: A new bug has been reported by a number of readers. When you try to send a friend request, the following error message appears:
You appear to be unfamiliar with this individual. Send requests to people you know to see their Facebook updates.
I discovered that a few years ago, some people received a similar error:
Only include people you know.
Please send friend requests only to people you know personally. Please let us know if you believe you are seeing this by mistake.
One possible explanation is that Facebook is attempting to improve account security and privacy. However, it appears to be an unusual approach. Facebook typically encourages users to add friends – I’ve recently received suggestions from FB to add people I’ve never met!
But be cautious if you’ve just created a new account. If your friend requests are ignored or reported as unwanted, your account may be flagged as violating community standards. Start by adding only people you know who would want to be your Facebook friend!
Here are the solutions to the problem of “Only add people you know personally.”
- As your Facebook profile picture, use your real name and a photo of yourself.
- Take it easy! Take a break for at least 24 hours if you sent a large number of requests prior to receiving the error message. Then…
Sync your phone’s contacts:
- In the mobile app, go to Settings.
- Tap Upload Contacts after scrolling down to Permissions.
- For more information, click Learn More.
- If you want to, enable Upload Contacts.
This might help FB recognize who you do know when sending friend request
- Text the potential Facebook friend and request that they send you a friend request.
- In person, inquire whether this is guaranteed to work if they agree to it.
- Ask them if you can friend them on Facebook the next time you see them at school, work, or wherever you know them from.
- Ask if they have a minute right now so you can “assist them in finding you.”
- Open the Facebook app and instruct them on how to find your profile.
- Accept their request immediately! The issue has been resolved.
3. Do you have a new account? Once you’ve made a few friends, only send requests to people you have something in common with. That is, your new Facebook friends’ FB friends. This should increase Facebook’s trust in your new account.
Please enlighten the community if you know more! Leave a comment below.
Adding a Facebook friend
Adding someone to Facebook is a natural part of the experience. However, there are times when things simply do not work as they should.
Use these suggestions and ideas to help you troubleshoot the issue.
And understand that there will be times when you simply cannot send a friend request – but you could contact them off Facebook and ask them to add you.
