Why Can’t I Add Someone on Facebook?

by Khadija Anwar
4 minutes
Why can't I add someone on Facebook

Facebook has a very user-friendly interface that makes it easy for even first-time users to navigate. To connect, you send your family and friends friend requests and update them with every ongoing activity. Sending friend requests is easy, but sometimes you can’t send one. Have you ever thought, why can’t I add someone on Facebook?

Also Read: How to Fix When the Facebook Messenger Isn’t Sending Messages?

However, if you have to add someone but can’t do it, you might want to check out the below-mentioned reasons.

Reasons You Can’t Add Someone on Facebook

There can be many reasons why you cannot add someone on Facebook. A few of them:

They Haven’t Accepted Your Friend Request

Your friend request could still be pending. Nobody is sure why they haven’t accepted it yet. Perhaps, they haven’t checked friend requests in a while. You can also recheck whether the friend request you sent is still pending.

friend request

You or Another Person Has Reached the Friend Limit

You are allowed to have 5000 friends on Facebook. If you want to add more people, unfriend old ones first. You can also follow someone instead of adding them to a friend list. After following, you will be able to see their social post. 

Note: If people who sent you friend requests have reached the limit of 5000, you won’t be able to add them. You can see their friend request but can’t accept them.

They Have Restricted Friend Request

Facebook offers multiple privacy options. If you cannot add someone, the common reason could be they have restricted friend request privacy. 

Only friends of friends can send a friend request. The option of sending friend requests isn’t public. And you have no mutual friends with that friend. This reason won’t allow you to send a friend request.

friends of friends

Account is Deactivated

You may also find it hard to add someone on Facebook because they have deactivated their account. When Facebook user deactivates their account, their activity remains intact unless they delete the account. However, no one can send friend requests unless they activate their account.

Account is deactivated

The Friend Request Was Deleted

This could be a common reason for not adding someone on Facebook. They might have accidentally deleted your friend request, or you might have canceled it long ago.

Just to double-check, go to the person’s profile and review if the friend request is still pending; if not, you can send it again.

You Have Blocked Them

It is also better to check your block list if you search for someone on Facebook but can’t find their profile. Especially If it’s been a while since you did this, it’s entirely possible you blocked that person & forgot. You can unblock someone by going through privacy & settings.

blocked people

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You Are Blocked

This can also be a reason not to be able to add someone on Facebook. If you had a fraction with someone, they might have blocked you by visiting your profile or interacting. Ensure you are not blocked by asking them directly via another communication source.

You Have Been Blocked From Sending a Friend Request

If you are unable to send a friend request, it’s because

  • Recently you have sent massive friend requests across Facebook.
  • Your past friend requests have gone unanswered.
  • Your friend requests are marked as unwelcome.

Facebook put this block temporarily, and you might be able to send a request soon.

You Are Already Friends on Facebook

You might forget the other person, and you are already friends on Facebook. Visit their profile, and check the “add friend” status to clarify your confusion.

you are already friend with that person

FAQs

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

Here are a few reasons someone might not have an “add friend” button on their Facebook profile:

  • The first reason is that the person may have their privacy settings set to “friends only,” meaning that only people who are already friends can see their profile. 
  • The second reason is that the person may have set their profile to “invisible,” which means that it doesn’t appear in search results, and people can’t send friend requests to them. 
  • The third reason is that the person may have been banned from Facebook for violating the site’s terms of service.

How can you tell if someone has restricted you on Facebook?

If you’re unsure whether someone has restricted you on Facebook, there are a few ways to check. First, try visiting the person’s profile. 

They may have restricted you if you can’t see their profile information, posts, or anything else. Another way to check is to send them a message.

If you can’t send a message, or if your message appears as “Pending” in their inbox, they may have restricted you. Finally, you can try posting on the person’s profile. 

They may have restricted you if your post doesn’t appear or you can’t see their profile.

Khadija Anwar

Meet Khadija Anwar, an accomplished tech writer with over 500 published write-ups to her name. Her impressive portfolio can be found on the ContentStudio blog, LinkedIn, and the Fiverr platform.

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