Facebook came out as a revolutionary app in 2004 and completely changed the way we connect with our friends. Who thought that simply pressing the button “Add Friend” could help you add people from all over the world?
Even though the process is pretty simple, you may find yourself asking why cant I add someone on Facebook.
This write-up will mention 10 possible reasons behind the problem. So, read on if someone unfriended you on Facebook, and you’re not able to add them or someone else as an FB friend.
Fact Check
A standard Facebook account can only add a maximum of 5,000 friends. If you want to add more, you may have to change your account to a Facebook page.
Have you recently tried to send a friend request to someone only to find out that it was ignored or failed?
The situation can make you wonder, why can’t I add someone on FB? And the following reasons could be behind that:
The most obvious reason is that your friend request is still pending. If you’ve recently sent a friend request, the recipient could have been busy and didn’t get the time to check the requests.
In a situation like this, it is better to give some time to the process and wait until they accept your friend request. You can also text them personally to remind them about this.
Facebook has a limit of 5,000 friends, and you cannot add more than that. So, if you or the recipient have reached the FB friend limit, adding more friends is not possible in both cases.
Moreover, if the person sending you a request has reached the maximum limit, you won’t be able to accept their friend request. It will be visible, though, but you can’t accept it.
If that’s the case, see the recently added new friends on Facebook and unfriend the old ones. You can also follow someone if you don’t want to add them. This way, you’ll be able to see the content they post, but they won’t be added to your friend list.
You cannot send requests or add someone with a deactivated FB account. A person cannot receive any requests until they reactivate their account.
Moreover, you can send messages if they’re active on Facebook Messenger, but if you’re planning to add them via Messenger, it’s not possible.
If it’s been a while since you sent the request and the person hasn’t added you yet, they might’ve deleted it. So, instead of thinking about why I cannot add a friend on Facebook, visit the recipient’s profile and check if the “Add Friend” button is available or not.
If it’s there, the person deleted your request. Now, it’s up to you if you’d like to send the request again or not.
Facebook is known for the privacy options it offers. So, if you’re not able to add someone on this social media app, it could be because the person has restricted friend requests for privacy.
By having the request restricted, only friends of friends are able to send the requests. If you don’t have any mutual friends, it is not possible to send one. In addition, if adding new people is restricted, you’ll find the “Add Friend” button missing on Facebook.
To send a friend request, you must find the person on FB. However, if you can’t seem to access the recipient’s profile, it could be because you’ve blocked them.
Being a regular user of this social media platform, you might’ve blocked them for some reason a while ago, and it’s entirely possible you forgot.
So, if you want to have a look at the accounts you’ve blocked:
| Go to: Settings & Privacy >> Settings >> Blocking |
Then, click See your blocked list to find all accounts you’ve blocked.
If the person you want is present on the list, you can unblock them by clicking or tapping the Unblock button beside their name.
You’ve tried your best, but you’re unable to find someone on Facebook to whom you want to send a friend request. It is very likely that they’ve blocked you.
So, when somebody blocks you on FB, you can neither visit their profile nor interact with them in any way over the platform. In this case, you can ask them directly about this or try some methods to figure out who blocked you on Facebook.
Sometimes, the social media platform places temporary bans on specific users and bars some accounts. It is usually done to protect the privacy of other FB users. So, if you’re unable to send friend requests, you might have been blocked by the social media platform by doing so.
This could be possible because of the following reasons:
However, this ban is temporary, and you’ll soon be able to add trusted contacts on Facebook.
As mentioned earlier, your friend request could be marked as spam. The users on FB have the option to report any profile to FB support. Once you’re reported, you won’t be able to add them.
So, it may confuse you and raise questions like how come I can’t add someone on Facebook. Remember that this only restricts you from adding that specific person. Meaning you can send requests to other users on the platform.
Seems unlikely to be mentioned, but you two could be already friends on Facebook. So, before you start wondering why wont it let me add someone on Facebook, it is better to open the person’s profile and check if the “Add Friend” button is available or not.
So, these are the possible reasons why you’re not able to add someone. And, if you’re still unable to do so, contacting Facebook support is always the best option to ensure there’s any issue with your account.
If you don’t see the “Add Friend on any Facebook profile, it means the user has adjusted their privacy settings and restricted friend requests.
This happens when the person has set to accept friend requests from friends of friends only. If you want to add them, it is better to ask them to send you a request.
No, there’s no limit to sending requests within a specific day. However, you cannot add more than 5,000 friends.
The duration of a temporary block on FB depends upon the severity of the violation and the user’s history on the platform. However, a temporary block can last for at least a few hours but can be as long as 30 days.
