How to Restore Deleted & Blocked Names to Facebook
By Irene A. Blake
Although you normally have full control over who appears on your Facebook Friends list, it's possible you'll find that some of your Facebook friends have unexpectedly been blocked or deleted if a hacker gets a hold of your login information or a software error occurs on Facebook's end. To try to restore one or more names, you need to use Facebook's friendship and privacy tools.
Send a Friend Request
Facebook doesn’t notify a person when you delete him from your Friends list. Instead, Facebook simply removes you from his Friends list. To restore the friendship, you need to ask him to re-add you to his list. Type the person’s name in the “Search for People, Places and Things” field, select the name on the drop-down results menu to go to his Timeline and then click “+ Add Friend.” After you send the request, send him a message asking him to accept it. Click the “Message” button, write the message and then click “Send.”
Unblock via Privacy Shortcuts
If you've blocked someone, the process to restore his name requires that you unblock it. Go to your Facebook Home page and click the padlock on the navigation bar to open the Privacy Shortcuts menu. Select “How Do I Stop Someone From Bothering Me?” on the drop-down menu and then select the “View All Blocked Users” link. Click the “Unblock” button next to the person’s name, then click the “Confirm” button. If the person is a friend, go to his Timeline, submit a friend request and send a follow-up message.
Unblock via Main Settings
You can also unblock a person’s name through the main settings screen that displays all of the settings tools for your account. Click the navigation bar gear icon and select “Account Settings” or “Privacy Settings” on the drop-down menu. Select “Blocking” at the bottom of the second section on the left sidebar to open the Manage Blocking screen and then look for the name of the person you want to unblock in the Block Users section. Click the “Unblock” link next to the person’s name and then click “Confirm” to remove the block.
For Consideration
A deleted or blocked friend might not realize that he is no longer connected to you on Facebook. To try to prevent miscommunication and hurt feelings, fully explain the reason you’re asking to be re-added to his Friends list in the message you send with the Add Friend request. If you purposely deleted or blocked a friend, simply advise him that you need to re-add him without going into any explanation. If a friend is already aware of the situation that caused the deletion or block, still send a message as a friendly reminder. You can’t restore a name if the other person has blocked you or doesn’t want to re-add you as a friend. Information in this article applies to Facebook as of October 2013.
References
Writer Bio
Based in Southern Pennsylvania, Irene A. Blake has been writing on a wide range of topics for over a decade. Her work has appeared in projects by The National Network for Artist Placement, the-phone-book Limited and GateHouse Media. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from Shippensburg University.