Open Settings & privacy → Privacy Checkup
Choose the card “How people can find you on Facebook”.
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Finding you
Who can send me a friend request?
You choose. Facebook’s Privacy Checkup lets you limit friend requests to <b>Friends of friends</b> instead of Everyone, so strangers can’t add you.
How to do it
Find “Who can send you friend requests?”
Switch it from Everyone to Friends of friends.
Review pending requests
Decline the ones you don’t recognise — declining doesn’t notify the sender.
What each option means
| Setting | Who can add you | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Everyone | Any Facebook account | Public figures, pages-style use |
| Friends of friends | Only people with a mutual friend | Most personal accounts |
Worth knowing
Limiting requests to friends of friends doesn’t hide your profile — people can still find and view whatever your profile audience allows. Set both if you want to stay private.
Questions
Will someone know I declined their request?
No. Facebook doesn’t tell people when you decline or ignore a friend request.
Can I block someone from ever adding me?
Yes — blocking a person removes the connection and stops them finding or adding your account.
Sources
Facts are checked against these Facebook Help pages. Items marked “not yet verified” are confirmed before this guide is published.