You may not be able to add someone on Facebook due to their privacy settings, or they may have deactivated their account. This can also happen if they have blocked you or Facebook has blocked you from sending friend requests due to suspicious activity or reaching the maximum number.
Why Can’t I Add Someone on Facebook: 5 Reasons
Here’s a deeper look at possible reasons why you can’t add someone on Facebook:
1. User Changed the Privacy Settings to Friends of Friends.
On Facebook, it’s up to each user to customize their privacy settings. You can control who can send you friend requests. The two choices are Everyone and Friends of friends.
When you choose Everyone, anyone with a Facebook account can send you a friend request. But if you switch the settings to Friends of friends, only the friends of your Facebook friends can add you. So, if someone’s privacy settings are set to Friends of friends, you won’t be able to add them to your friend list unless you have at least one mutual friend with them.
2. The User Deleted Your Friend Request
When the other user deletes your friend request, you won’t see the Add Friend option for a while. Facebook will re-display the Add Friend button after a few days to prevent overuse.
Sometimes, you may see the Add Friend button becomes unclickable. That means your friend request got denied, which is why you can’t add someone on Facebook to your friend list. In such cases, all you can do is wait and send them a friend request again if the other user has denied your friend request accidentally.
3. They’ve Reached Their Friend Limit
If a friend has reached the 5000 friends limit, you won’t be able to send them a friend request. Facebook allows its users to have a maximum of 5000 friends. If you try to send a friend request, you’ll get a notification that you’ve reached the limit of friends on Facebook.
Alternatively, if you look at someone’s profile and don’t see the Add Friend option, they might have more than 5,000 friends. People with public accounts can have followers and friends on Facebook. So, you can check out the Follow button instead. This way, you’ll be following them instead of friending them. But if you really want them on your friend list, you’ll have to remove some old friends to add new ones.
4. Maybe Their Account Got Deactivated
When someone deactivates their account, Facebook usually keeps it up for a while unless they completely delete it. When an account is deactivated, it can’t accept any friend requests. So, if someone’s Facebook account is deactivated, you won’t be able to add them to your friend list.
People can deactivate their Facebook accounts if they want a timeout from social media. It could be temporary or permanent, depending on the user’s needs. But they can still use Messenger, so you can send them a message while their account is deactivated.
5. They’ve Blocked You
If you’re unable to add someone on Facebook, it’s possible that they have blocked you. So, when you search for their account, you won’t be able to find them. In case you were friends earlier or have ever interacted with them on Messenger, try to open their profile through Messenger. If that doesn’t work, they have probably blocked you.
Another way to find out if someone has blocked you, try sending them a message. If you are unable to send the message, it is likely that you have been blocked. But note that this could also happen if they have deactivated or deleted their account. So, don’t jump to that conclusion until you’ve confirmed.
Why Can’t I Add Someone on Facebook, But I Can See Their Profile?
Even if you see a person’s profile, you can’t add someone on Facebook if they have set their privacy settings to Friends of friends. Or else, they may have reached their limit or denied your request. It’s also possible that Facebook restricted their account for some reason.
When you can see someone’s profile on Facebook but still can’t add them, it could mean a number of things. Maybe they only allow friends of their friends to send friend requests. So, you’d need to be mutual friends with at least one of their friends. Alternatively, they or you reached the friend limit, or your request got denied. It’s also possible that Facebook restricted the account in question for suspicious activities or other reasons.
Why Can’t I See the Add Friend Button on Someone’s Facebook Profile?
If you don’t see the Add Friend button on someone’s Facebook profile page, they’ve set their privacy settings in a way that strangers can’t add them as friends on Facebook. So, if the other person has such privacy restrictions, you won’t see the Add Friend button on their Facebook profile.
Facebook users generally adjust their privacy settings to prevent unwanted friend requests. In this way, they try to protect themselves from spam and strange friend requests on this platform.
How to Contact Someone I Can’t Add on Facebook? -5 Possible Ways
There are some workarounds to contact someone that you can’t add on Facebook. You could send them a message through a mutual friend, contact them online via another platform, or reach out to them through a different means of communication. You can also ask a mutual friend to introduce you and help add them to your friend list.
However, keep in mind that if the person has blocked you or has deactivated their account, these methods may not be possible. With that said, there are some possible workarounds to contact someone you can’t add to Facebook. Some of them are mentioned below:
1. Send a Friend Request To A Mutual Friend
If you want to befriend someone as a friend on Facebook, you need to have at least one mutual friend with them. For sending friend requests, follow these steps:
- Open the Facebook app.
- Tap on the Search bar on top.
- Type any person’s name linked to the person you want to befriend.
When you become friends with that mutual individual friend, you can send a request to the person you want to befriend.
2. Wait For Them To Accept
Remember that before adding a Facebook user to your friend list, they must accept your friend request. But if you have trouble getting your friend accepted, you can try sending them a message outside of Facebook. Other than that, you may need to wait for them to accept your request on their own.
3. Send Them Another Request After a While
If your friend has accidentally rejected your friend request, there is a workaround to add them to your friend list. All you have to do is wait because the Add Friend button on Facebook will appear again after a few days if the other person has denied your friend request.
Or since you can’t send them a friend request again, as they have marked it as spam, they will have to send you a friend request on Facebook instead. In this way, you can add them to your friend list on Facebook.
4. Unfriend Some Friends From the List
If you are over your friend limit on Facebook, you need to delete some old friends from your Friends list to add new friends. To do this, follow these steps:
- Open the Facebook App.
- Tap on the Horizontal three lines icon.
- Select Friends.
- Tap on Your friends on top.
- Now find those names you want to unfriend, and tap on the three-dot icon beside it.
- Now tap Unfriend.
5. Check the Blocked List and Unblock the Person
It’s possible that you blocked that person in past and forgot about it. In this case, look at your blocked friend list and unblock the person you want to add as a friend. Here are the steps to follow:
- Open the Facebook app.
- In the top right corner, tap the three-horizontal line icons.
- Drop down the menu and select Settings & Privacy.
- Tap on Settings.
- Tap Blocking.
- Now, check the list and unblock the person you want to befriend.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why can’t I find someone on Facebook, and I’m not blocked?
If you cannot find someone on Facebook, they may have set their privacy settings to limit who can search for and view their profile. In this case, you can try asking a mutual friend to check their privacy settings or send you a link to the person’s profile.
How can you tell if someone has you restricted on Facebook?
When someone restricts you on Facebook, you won’t:
1. Be able to communicate with them.
2. See chats with them anymore.
3. Receive any more notifications from them.
4. Be able to see their active status, and they won’t be able to see yours, either.
How long does Facebook restriction last?
Facebook restrictions last from one day to a maximum of 30 days, depending on the violation act committed by the user. Facebook first warns users who violate its guidelines and standards with notifications. But if the user continuously violates these standards, they will earn a strike, and Facebook will restrict some activities on their account.
What is the difference between blocked and restricted on Facebook?
Blocking someone on Facebook is a way to completely cut off all communication with them on the platform. On the other hand, adding someone to your Restricted list will limit their access to your content and interactions but will not completely block all communication.
Why can’t I add someone on Facebook?
If you can’t add someone on Facebook, it’s possibly because they have set their Privacy to Friends of Friends, deleted your friend request, deactivated their account, or blocked you. It is also possible that they have reached the maximum limit of friends, so, Facebook won’t allow them to receive or accept your friend request.
