How to Cancel a Friend Request on Facebook

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: August 14, 2022 Tested

This wikiHow teaches you how to delete a Facebook friend request that you've sent or an unwanted request that you've received using the Facebook website or the Facebook mobile app.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Using Facebook's Desktop Website

1
Go to http://www.facebook.com. Use the link or type the URL into a web browser and press ⏎ Return.
- If you're not automatically logged in, sign in.
2
Click on the icon that's a silhouette of two people in the upper-right part of the window.

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3
Click on Delete Request next to an incoming friend request you'd like to cancel.
4
Cancel a friend request that you sent. To do so:
- Click on the search bar at the top of the screen.
- Type the name of the person to whom you sent the request.
- Click on their profile.
- Click on Friend Request Sent to the right of the person's name at the top of their profile.
- Click on Cancel Request, then click on Cancel Request again to confirm.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Using Facebook's Mobile App

1
Open the Facebook app. It's a blue app with a white "f".
- If you're not automatically logged in, sign in to the app.
2
Tap ☰ in the lower- (iPhone) or upper- (Android) right corner of the screen.
- On iPad, tap Requests at the bottom of the screen. It's an icon that's a silhouette of two people.
3
Tap Friends. It's an icon that's a silhouette of two people.
4
Tap Requests at the top of the screen.
5
Tap Delete next to an incoming friend request you'd like to cancel.
6
Tap Undo (iPhone) or CANCEL (Android) next to a friend to cancel a friend request that you've sent.
- On iPhone or iPad, if you don't see the Undo option on the "Requests" screen, tap the search bar at the top of the screen, type the name of the person you sent the request to, tap their profile, then tap Undo near the top of their profile.

Community Q&A

Question

What does it mean when my friend requests say Undo?

Community Answer

When you send out a friend request and the person has not yet accepted or declined, you can select Undo to revoke the friend request.
Question

Will they know I cancelled a friend request?

Community Answer

They can, if they check your page and see that the "Friend Request Sent" has changed back to "Add Friend." However, you can block the person if you want to avoid this.
Question

Will the notification be retracted when I cancel a friend request?

Community Answer

If you cancel someone's friend request or decline it, they cannot tell that you canceled the friend request until they either go to your page and it says to add friend or until they go to their friends list and see that you are not on it.