Why Can I Only Follow Someone On Facebook | Instead Of Add Friend

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✎ Key Takes:

» Certain profiles have restricted friend requests due to privacy settings, displaying a “Follow” button instead. Tapping it adds them to your “Following” list.
» Sent friend requests place individuals in your “Following” list, even if the request is pending.
» Seeing “Following” on someone’s profile indicates that you’ve either followed them or sent a friend request. Upon acceptance, you’ll continue to follow that person.

Why Can I Only Follow Someone On Facebook:

Here are the reasons why you might only see the ‘Follow’ button and not an ‘Add Friend’ option:

1. Enabled The Follow Feature

If you notice the option to solely follow someone on Facebook, it indicates they’ve activated the “Follow” feature on their profile.

This feature permits individuals to receive public updates without being added as friends.

By following someone, their public posts will appear in your News Feed. However, you won’t gain access to their private information or the ability to message them.

It’s important to note that individuals can set their profile to restrict followers to friends or friends of friends only.

2. For Its Privacy Settings

If you’re unable to send a friend request on Facebook and only see a Follow button, it’s likely due to the user’s privacy settings. They may restrict friend requests to friends of friends, and since you lack mutual connections, sending a request isn’t possible.

Adding the user to your friend list requires them to adjust their privacy settings to receive requests from a broader audience. You might consider sending a message to the user, asking them to modify their privacy settings to enable receiving friend requests from everyone.

3. That is A Page Not Profile

You won’t find an “Add Friend” button on a Facebook Page because these pages can’t be added to your friend list. Instead, you can follow them by clicking the blue “Follow” button if you’re interested in their content.

The “Add Friend” button is exclusively available on individual profiles on Facebook, allowing you to send a friend request to that user.

Why Does It Say Follow Instead Of Add Friend On Facebook:

When you’re able to see posts from individuals on Facebook who aren’t your friends, it’s likely because they’ve opted for the “Follow” feature instead of adding friends. This choice enables you to view their public posts without sending a friend request.

Many use this option to maintain a personal Facebook profile primarily for close friends and family. If you encounter someone with the “Follow” option enabled, you can click “Follow” to view their public updates without having to be their friend.

Friend Request Vs Following Someone On Facebook:

The primary distinction lies in the level of interaction permitted with the profile. Here’s a breakdown of what each signifies:

🔴 Friend Request:
When you accept a friend request, both parties indirectly acknowledge knowing each other. Acceptance leads to mutual following. Friends on Facebook are individuals known personally, often through shared connections known as mutual friends.

🔴 Following on Facebook:
Followers display interest in your updates despite being outside your real-life connections. Facebook offers control options, allowing you to manage your profile interactions.

You can set limits on who can follow you:

Step 1: Access the settings page and select public posts.
Step 2: Within the first row, locate the ‘Who can follow me’ option.
Step 3: Choose between ‘Public’ and ‘Friends’ as the preferred option.

Why Can’t I Add Someone On Facebook But Only Follow:

These are the following reasons behind this:

1. Friend Request Limitations

If you’re unable to add someone on Facebook but can only follow them, it could indicate that you’ve reached your friend request limit.

Consider canceling any pending friend requests sent to others. Afterward, try sending a friend request again after a while.

Blocked or Unfriended

If you’re only able to follow someone on Facebook and not add them, it could indicate that they have either blocked or unfriended you. This action involves removing you from their friend list, restricting your ability to send a friend request.

To confirm, check if you can still view their profile, posts, and updates. If you’re unable to do so, it’s likely that they have blocked you.

3. Mutual Friends

If you’re only able to follow someone on Facebook and unable to add them, it’s likely because you lack any mutual friends with that person.

Ensure to verify if you share any mutual friends with the individual you intend to add. If no mutual friends exist, you won’t be able to send them a friend request, but you can still follow their public posts.