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Why Can’t I Send a Friend Request on Facebook? Top Tips

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purple textured banner says can't add a facebook friend?

Can’t send a friend request on Facebook?

“Friending” is one of Facebook’s key features.

Now you want to add someone to your list of connections – but you can’t!

There are a few reasons why you can’t send a friend request to someone on Facebook.

Sadly, some issues are out of your control.

One thing you can control is new Professional Mode!

Let’s dig in and see if we can fix your friending.

facebook profile with disneyland castle banner shows add friend button.

How to Send and Cancel a Friend Request on Facebook

The process to add someone on Facebook hasn’t changed much.

You can search for them by name, as with most social media platforms. If they have a public profile, you’ll be able to find them this way.

You may also see them if they have a ‘friend of friend’ setting, and you have a mutual friend.

If you do, you can go to that mutual friend’s profile and scroll through their Friends tab until you find the person you want to add.

From here, you can just select the ‘add friend’ button and they will receive a standard Facebook friend request.

list of friend's friends shows how to add from here.

If you suddenly realize it’s the wrong person, go to their profile.

The ‘add friend’ button will now become a ‘cancel request’ button you can click, and the request will vanish.

Why is there no add friend button on some Facebook profiles?

Occasionally, you will see a profile where there is no ‘add friend’ button.

That’s because they have their privacy settings in a way that anyone who doesn’t have an existing connection can’t send them a friend request.

If this is the case, you might have to accept you can’t add them as a friend.

Why can’t I add someone on Facebook, only follow?

Another situation you might encounter is the option to follow someone but not send a friend request.

Again, this is a privacy settings choice the person has made. It allows people to follow them but not to send a friend request.

So, you can follow them to see the updates they allow followers, but that’s all.

With each post they make, they can choose if the want it seen by only friends, or an even more selective audience.

How facebook users can select an audience for each post they make.

Why Can’t I Add Someone on Facebook?

Now we know a few of the basics of adding, or not being able to add, someone on Facebook, let’s look at the most common problems.

These sometimes come from your profile, but sometimes from the person you are trying to send the request to.

That means there isn’t always a lot you can do about it.

Their privacy settings mean you can’t see their account

Privacy settings is something Facebook spends a lot more time highlighting to users these days. This means that people are more likely to change their settings to tighten privacy.

If someone has their account set to ‘friends of friends’ and you don’t have a mutual friend, you won’t be able to send them a request.

You can still try to send them a Messenger message, but this will go into the ‘message request’ section. Then it depends on how often they check this for them to see the request!

facebook message requests button to check for messages from non friends.

They have blocked you on Facebook

Another common reason for not being able to add someone on Facebook is if they’ve blocked you.

There are loads of reasons they can do this. It may be an accident, or intentional.

However, if they’ve blocked you, you can’t see their profile or any public content.

You also won’t be able to message them.

Have you blocked them?

If the person is someone you’ve had contact with before, you may have blocked them. The result is similar to them blocking you.

But you can check for this.

Just go to your Settings then Privacy > Blocking.

Here you’ll see a list of the people you’ve blocked on Facebook. If the person you want to add is there, you can unblock them and then send the request.

where to block and unblock facebook users.

Their account has been deactivated

If someone has deactivated their account but not deleted it, you can’t send a friend request. But you can still see them on Facebook.

Unless they’ve scheduled the account to be deleted, at which point it will vanish.

While it’s deactivated, you can still send a Messenger message.

Has Facebook restricted their account?

If someone ends up in ‘Facebook jail’ for various reasons, they won’t show up for you to send a request.

Most of the time, people are restricted from using Facebook for a set period. It might a day, a week, or a month. So it can be worth checking back later to see if they reappear.

Sometimes you still have the option to send them a Messenger message, depending on how much trouble they are in!

They have the maximum number of friends

It seems weird with billions of users, but there is a cap on the number of friends you can have on Facebook.

Currently, there’s a limit of 5,000 friends. If you try to add someone that has this number, you won’t be able to.

But you can still go down the Messenger contact route. If they want to add you, they can unfriend someone else.

Have you tried NEW Professional Mode?

If you’ve reached Facebook’s standard 5,000-friend limit, you can activate Professional Mode on your profile to expand your connections.

This feature is designed for creators and public figures who want to interact with a larger audience.

By enabling Professional Mode, your profile becomes a platform-like setup where people can follow you without sending a friend request, while you can still manage privacy for personal posts.

To activate it, go to your profile, click the three-dot menu, and select Turn On Professional Mode.

This option allows you to connect with a broader audience, while maintaining a personal touch for closer connections.

screenshot of facebook profile shows where to add new professional mode.

Have you sent a lot of friend requests in a short time?

It can be fun to find new people to connect with. Sometimes we get a bit excited and send a whole bunch of friend requests in a short time.

But that can also look a bit like bot behavior and make Facebook suspicious! It may then limit your ability to add someone for a while.

You should get a notification if this happens, so you’ll know when you’ll be able to add friends again.

Then just add them a little slower next time!

Have you already sent a request?

If you have sent a request and the person hasn’t actioned it, then you won’t be able to send another.

Maybe it’s been a while since you sent the request, and it’s become lost among other notifications.

While you can’t send another, you can send a Messenger message.

They have denied your friend request

Sadly, if you send a friend request and the person declines it, you won’t be able to send another one.

However, if it was done by mistake and you reach out to them, they could send you a friend request instead. Once again, try Messenger.

Sometimes it’s a Facebook glitch

Occasionally, the problem is something as random as a glitch on Facebook. A ‘Facebug.’

You can always try again later.

Check that your app doesn’t need any updates, and see if there are any notifications about problems.

Account Verification and Security Measures

Facebook employs strict security measures to protect its platform from spam, bots, and fraudulent accounts.

If your account triggers these measures, you might temporarily lose the ability to send friend requests.

Common reasons for these restrictions include:

  • Unusual Activity: Sending many friend requests quickly, especially to people you don’t know personally, can flag your account as suspicious.
  • Ignored or Declined Requests: If several friend requests you’ve sent go unanswered, are declined, or are marked as unwanted, Facebook may temporarily block you from sending additional requests to prevent spam-like behavior.
  • Account Verification Issues: If your account information (like your name, photo, or email) appears incomplete, mismatched, or fake, Facebook may limit your interactions until the account is verified.
  • Repeated Violations: Ongoing or repeated breaches of Facebook’s community standards, even if minor, can lead to stricter account restrictions over time.

How to Resolve These Issues

  1. Review Pending Friend Requests: Navigate to the Friend Requests section and cancel any that have been pending for a long time. This can help reset your activity patterns and reduce the likelihood of further blocks.
  2. Verify Your Account: Ensure your profile has accurate and complete information, including a recognizable profile picture, real name, and an updated email address. If prompted by Facebook, you can also proactively verify your account by uploading an ID.
  3. Limit Friend Requests: Avoid sending multiple friend requests in a short period, particularly to people with whom you don’t have mutual connections.
  4. Wait It Out: If Facebook temporarily restricts you, the block typically lasts several hours to several days. Use this time to see what activity might have caused a problem and avoid it when the restrictions are removed.

By understanding these measures and how to address them, you can reduce the likelihood of being flagged and maintain smoother interactions on the platform.

You might also enjoy: How to Find a Facebook Account by Phone Number.

7 Solutions to “You may not know this person”

UPDATE: Here’s a new glitch that has been reported by several readers. You try to send a friend request, and this error message pops up:

It looks like you may not know this person. Send requests to people you know personally to see their updates on Facebook.

I found that a few years ago, some people got a similar error:

Only add people who you know
Please only send friend requests to people who you know personally. If you think you’re seeing this by mistake, please let us know.

A possible reason is that Facebook is trying to improve their security and the privacy of accounts. But it seems like a strange way to go about it.

Facebook usually loves for users to add friends – I’ve recently gotten suggestions from FB to add people I don’t know at all!

But if you just created a new account, beware. If people ignore your friend requests or report them as unwanted, your account may be flagged as violating community standards. Be sure to start by only adding people you know, who would want to be your Facebook friend!

Here Are the Solutions to “Only add people you know personally”

1 | Make sure you’re using your real name, and your own photo as your Facebook profile picture.

2 | Slow down! If you’ve sent a bunch of requests before getting the error message, take a break for at least 24 hours.

3 | Do you have a lot of unanswered friend requests? It might be smart to pull some of them. In fact, I’d retract all the ones over a month old, or that seem unlikely to get a positive response.

Unfortunately, it appears the only way to do that is to individually visit the profiles of those you’ve “friend-requested” and choose the “cancel request” button.

Then…

4 | Sync the contacts from your phone:

  • Go into the Settings in the mobile app.
  • Scroll down to Permissions and tap Upload Contacts.
  • Tap Learn More for additional info.
  • Turn on Upload Contacts, if you decide to.

This might help FB recognize who you do know when sending friend requests!

where to upload contacts in facebook app.

5 | Text the potential FB friend and ask them to send you a friend request.

6 | In person ask: this is guaranteed to work, if they agree to it.

  • The next time you see them at school, work, or wherever you know them from, ask if you can friend them on FB.
  • Ask if they have a minute right then so you can “help them find you.”
  • Have them open the FB app and prompt them on how to find your profile.
  • Then accept their request right away! Problem solved.

7 | New account? Once you start building a few friends, only send requests to people you know in common. That is, FB friends of your new Facebook friends. This should help Facebook trust your new account.

Please enlighten the community if you know more! Leave a comment below.

Adding Someone on Facebook

Adding someone to Facebook is a natural part of using the platform. But there are times when things just won’t work as they should.

Use these tips and ideas to help you troubleshoot the problem.

And know there will be some times when you just can’t send a friend request – but you could contact them off FB and ask them to add you.

Next, check out How to See More Friends Posts on Facebook.

woman's hand reaching for friend at the beach says why can't I add a friend on Facebook.

Comments

  1. I’m typing to send friend request to someone on Facebook but Facebook says i can only send friend request to someone i know why please remove this from Facebook it’s not good at all at all

    Reply

    • Unfortunately, it’s extremely unlikely this will go away. I’ll be updating the post with detailed reasons why, soon.

      Reply

      • Tried and was rejected on to family members and my adult granddaughters boyfriend. I have not sent out tons of requests, have my real name and photo. What the heck? I even messaged him on messenger asking him if I could and he said yes. We both communicated and it still won’t let me.

        Reply

  5. I am having this issue as well, but facebook won’t let me friend request friends of mutual friends. It is so aggravating.

    Reply

  6. I am getting this message also: It looks like you may not know this person. Send requests to people you know personally to see their updates on Facebook.

    I have about 400 facebook friends, and I can’t access them now. I have tried asking my friends in a message to request me as a friend, but it already says I am their friend, so that doesn’t work. Am I lost to my 400 friends? How many friends does Facebook allow?

    Reply

    • You can have up to 5,000 friends on Facebook. But I’m having a hard time understanding what your issue is. You are friends but you “can’t access them now.” Yet you can message them. It sounds like an odd, hopefully short-lived, glitch.

      Reply

  7. There have been times for me, as well, when I looked up an old school friend but FB doesn’t see them connected to anybody else in my contacts, so it assumes I don’t know the person. I’m a military brat who’s made acquaintances all over Canada, and most of them are completely separate.
    Why does Facebook assume all my friends know each other? .. then it wants to urge me to add people I don’t know (just because they know people I know).

    Silleeee…..

    Reply

  8. Yeah this is moronic by FB. I literally cannot add my sister-in-law who also shares the page with my brother because we supposedly don’t know each other. Seriously? I’m trying to add someone now that I’ve been friends with in the past and they are tagged in posts. Nope. And if I can’t add them then how do they add me?

    And sending someone a message on FB that you’re not friends with is generally pointless. FB has set it up so that you’re not going to get a message from someone you’re not friends with unless you think to go click on message requests which FB will not notify you that you have. FB can share and sell our personal information but we can’t add family. This is just ridiculous.

    Reply

    • The message thing is kind of a safeguard and I don’t want to imagine how much spam we’d get if people knew their messages would come to our main inbox. But the friends thing is starting to sound near impossible to circumvent. I’ll have to check further.

      Reply

      • Please do! It’s stupid that we can’t send a friend request to a person that we ‘don’t know’ personally. I know my neighbor yet I can’t send them a request because the dummies at Facebook say I don’t know them?? Stupidest thing I ever heard.

        Reply

        • I dug in again today and unfortunately found nothing new. Added a suggestion to delete some pending friend requests. But unfortunately, for a lot of accounts, I think this is a FB problem and the user won’t be able to fix it.

          Reply

  9. My wife and I met another couple on vacation. We tried (in person) to add each other as friends and both get the message similar to; “you don’t know this person, add people you know”.
    Well now we know them, so to speak, why can’t we add them?
    We are able to communicate via Messenger easily, and they comment on my posts, but we can’t connect??? Seems foolish.

    Reply

    • You’re right, it’s silly. Facebook can’t have any idea if we know someone. And the fact that you’re communicating right on FB shows that they’re clueless.

      Looks like you found a workaround: follow each other. If FB eventually lets you connect as “friends,” would you let us know?

      Reply

  10. Just recently have had the issue with Friend requests being blocked by Facebook saying “you don’t appear to know this person….” Facebook can’t possibly know who I know. I’m not FB friends with all my acquaintances.
    In one case, a person a met on vacation sent me a request that was rejected for the “unknown” issue. But I was successfully able to request her!
    Today, a guy I’ve known for over 15 years requested and was blocked for this reason. I got the same rejection notice when I tried. I’m not in FB jail. I have less than 200 Friends.
    Facebook should not be censoring who we request and who we accept. We’re quite capable of that.
    FB fails miserably in protecting us from scams and so many other bad things. Why so concerned over something so innocuous as a Friend Request?

    Reply

    • You’re 100% right. This issue is ridiculous. I appreciate you taking the time to share your experience.

      Reply

      • I had the same problem a couple of days ago. My friend was found in FB. I know her from 1999, we had some good trips together. But we live in different countries. I think one of the goals of FB to find friends we lost in the time. But FB is not allowing sending the friend’s request: “you don’t appear to know this person. “

        Reply

        • Finding our friends and staying in touch is probably the main goal of Facebook USERS. But as a publicly-owned company, Meta’s main goal is to maximize shareholder value by generating as much profit as possible. How this is helping them do that, I have no idea.

          Reply

  11. I opened a new Facebook account and wherever I send friends request to people it’s impossible, what could this be . Help?

    Reply

  12. I got logged out of my old account, I made a new one using my email address. I can’t recover my old account due to not being able to delete this account and not having my old phone numbers. My new number is currently being used on a account that’s not mine. How do I recover my old account?

    Reply

    • This is an issue I’ve yet to see since most people keep their numbers forever. But apparently if you get a “new” number it may have been used in the past. I hope another reader can help!

      Reply

  13. My page is public. I checked all the right things, all my post are hidden and my freind request is gone. It only says follow. When people who trys to find me only sees one post from 2010. All the other public post are gone. Can you tell ne what happened and what I can do to get it back

    Reply

    • It sounds like you’ve reached the limit for FB friends. Is that possible? It once was 5k. Maybe someone else will have another idea.

      Reply

    • If your page has no admins, do you see a “claim this page” option? If not, sounds like you need to start a new page and avoid the tactics that got your admins banned.

      Reply

  15. My sister in law is trying to send me a friend request and she gets this message. It is absurd to think people only know people they share mutual friends with in FB. I even changed my settings for friend requests to allow everyone, so she could befriend me.

    Reply

      • I’m getting same message that I can’t send friend request looks like I don’t know this person is to everyone I Try to add

        Reply

    • I sent a friend request to an ex-colleague some time ago, and then forgot about it. Then quite recently, changed my privacy settings to ‘friends only’, and it’s just suddenly dawned on me that I may have inadvertently interfered with the friend request process, is that a possibility?

      Reply

  17. i have checked all settings for me and my friend. I still can not friend him. And when i tried to friend him he just disappeard and i can no longer see him. Why is this.

    Reply

    • Unfortunately FB does what they want. Have you tried reaching out to him by another method and asking him to send you a friend request?

      Reply

  18. I’m having the same problem setting up my account, it gives an error that says “It looks like you may not know this person. Send requests to people you know personally to see their updates on Facebook,” whenever i try friending anyone. Make this right please

    Reply

  19. So i had to make a new account and keep getting this error. And I have discovered that you have to have 9-10 mutuals to friend someone for it to let the request go through. Fun times.

    Reply

  20. when am sending friend request fb is telling me to add people who i know and its my new account its being annoying

    Reply

    • This is either a new policy, or a bug. It’s been reported a few times here. Have you tried syncing contacts from your phone?

      Reply

  21. My Facebook I think got hacked I try to send a person I know a friend request it says I can’t send request to people you know but I do know them

    Reply

    • If there are no other reasons to think your account was hacked, you are most likely mistaken. This is a known bug.

      Reply

      • My first account was hacked so i open another account items when added a friend request they told me the access is error they told me try again if i try it again the same system show to me

        Reply

        • My first account was hacked so i open another account items when added a friend request they told me the access is error they told me try again if i try it again the same system show to me

          Reply

          • You may need to wait a bit. Also occasionally FB gives an error warning when something actually worked!

  22. I am setting up my mom’s Facebook page…I befriended “me” for her, but when I try to add anyone else, it says that I can’t because “I don’t know that person personally.” That doesn’t make any sense. It’s so frustrating!

    Reply

    • That does sound odd. I’m not sure which account you’re logged into tho. Have you checked the privacy settings?

      Reply

      • I’m having the same problem setting up my brother’s account, it gives an error that says “It looks like you may not know this person. Send requests to people you know personally to see their updates on Facebook,” whenever we try friending anyone.

        Reply

        • Thanks for letting me know! I hope others will chime in because it’s curious that both of you so far are working on someone else’s account.

          But it doesn’t prompt you to sync your contact book, or something like that?

          Reply

    • I’m typing to send friend request to someone on Facebook but Facebook says i can only send friend request to someone i know why please remove this from Facebook it’s not good at all at all

      Reply

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