Have you met a familiar face on Facebook, but you either can't find the "Add a friend" button or it's greyed out? If so, don't worry; You're not the only one. Not being able to add someone as a friend on Facebook is usually due to the person's privacy settings, but other factors can also be the cause.
If you want to know why the "Add a friend" option does not appear on Facebook, look no further. In this article, we'll help you identify the problem and offer potential solutions.
Add a friend not appearing on Facebook
Let's see why "Add Friend" is not showing as an option in Facebook and what you can do about it:
User has restricted their privacy settings
Each Facebook user can customize their privacy settings according to their preferences. One of the many privacy settings available is to limit who can send you friend requests. You can choose between two options: “Everyone” or “Friends of Friends”.
If you choose "Everyone", anyone with a Facebook account can send you a request. This is the default option. But if you change the settings and select "Friends of Friends", you will severely limit the number of people who can add you as a friend. Only people who are friends with one of your friends will see the "Add a friend" option.
So if someone has changed their privacy settings to "Friends of Friends", you won't be able to send them a request. You can try adding a friend of the user you want to send a friend request to first.
User declined your friend request
If you added a Facebook user as a friend and they deleted it, you might not see the "Add Friend" option for a while. Facebook does not inform its users when a friend request is declined, so this can serve as a sign.
Facebook does this to prevent misuse of the "Add Friend" button. Typically, you will see the pimple again after several days.
Additionally, the "Add Friend" button may become unclickable or greyed out, indicating that they have declined your friend request.
In this case, there is nothing you can do other than wait for the option to send the request to become available again.
User reported your friend request
Each user can report a friend request once they have deleted it. If someone reported your request, you won't see the "Add a friend" option for a long time.
You or the person you want to add has reached the friend limit
Facebook allows each personal account to have up to 5 friends. If you have more, you will not be able to send friend requests. Likewise, if the person you're trying to add has more than 000 friends, you won't see the "Add Friend" option when you view their profile, or it will be grayed out.
You have been blocked from sending requests
If you're new to Facebook and have added a lot of people in a short time, Facebook may temporarily block you from sending friend requests. It can also happen if several people have reported your requests or if you have a lot of unanswered ones.
Usually this block only lasts a few days. Here's what you can do to prevent this from happening in the future:
- Send requests only to people you know.
- Use your real name. Of course, it's not a rule, but some people may ignore your request if they don't know who is behind the profile.
- Do not send multiple requests at once.
Facebook app issues
Another possibility is that the Facebook app is not working properly. In most cases, it is because it is not updated or has temporary problems.
Update the app
To avoid performance issues, you should regularly update all your apps, including Facebook.
If you have an iPhone, here's how to make sure you're using the latest version:
- Open the menu and go to the App Store.
- Enter “Facebook” in the search bar and tap on it.
- If a newer version is available, an "Update" button will appear to the right of the app. If you see the "Open" button, you are already running the latest version.
Android users should follow these steps to check if they are running the latest version:
- Open your menu and go to the Play Store.
- Type “Facebook” in the search bar.
- Tap the "Update" button to install the latest version of the app. If you have the "Open" button as an option, no updates are available at this time.
Reinstall the app
If updating your app doesn't work, you can try reinstalling it.
Here's how iPhone users can reinstall the Facebook app:
- Find the Facebook app in your menu or home screen, press and hold it.
- You will see a menu appear. Tap "Delete app".
- Go to App Store and reinstall Facebook.
If you have an Android device, follow the instructions below:
- Locate the Facebook app on your phone and hold the icon.
- Tap "Uninstall".
- Open the Play Store and install Facebook.
Contact Facebook Support
If you don't understand why you don't see the "Add a friend" option, contact Facebook support:
- Open the Facebook app.
- Tap the three lines under the chat icon in the upper right corner.
- Scroll down and tap "Help and Support".
- Choose "Report a problem" and follow the instructions.
Follow the Facebook Rules
In most cases, not seeing the "Add Friend" option is not a bug. Unfortunately, there's not always much you can do about it because Facebook does its best to protect its users and their privacy. We hope you found this article useful and that you were able to find out why you can't send friend requests. If not, contact Facebook support.
Do you still see the "Add a friend" option on Facebook? If the answer is no, have you found out why? Tell us in the comments section below.
