When people you know are setting up their social media accounts, remind them to avoid having the site send out invites for them. Often Facebook or LinkedIn newcomers think they must allow the site to invite folks from their email address book to connect with them. Then they blame the site for “making” them send out a mass email.

The sites do this on purpose.

There is a point where it appears that you can’t progress in setting up your account unless you allow LinkedIn to send out these invites. Here’s the work-around:

  • Log out of LinkedIn
  • Open a new browser
  • Log into LinkedIn from the new browser and proceed.

Facebook is not quite as forceful. Just say no when the site asks if you want them to email your address book and continue with the account set up.

But what can be done if you inadvertently sent out invites on LinkedIn or friend requests on Facebook?

3d Illustration: A group of people, and a magnifying glass. Find a new man in the social network

 

Process for Removing LinkedIn Connection Invites

  • You can see all the invites you have sent by clicking on the silhouette icon on the menu bar. The icon is just to the left of the small photo of you.
  • Then click on the words “See all” just below that icon.
  • At the top right you will see two silhouettes and a downward pointing arrow. Click on that arrow and then select “Sent invitations.”
  • You can remove all the invites sent on a particular day by clicking on the word “Select,” which is followed by the number of invites you sent that day.
  • Then click on the blue button at the top that says “Cancel requests.”
  • Then click on the button that says “Continue.” Now all the requests that went out that day are canceled.
  • To remove just one invite, click on the circle to the left of the person’s name, and follow the same steps described above.

 

 

Process for Removing Facebook Friend Requests

  • Click on the two silhouettes icon on the top of the page.
  • Then click on “Find Friends”.
  • Then click on “View Sent Requests”.
  • To cancel the request, hover over “Friend Request Sent” and select “Cancel Request”.
  • A blue button that says “Cancel Request” will appear. Click on it. .

 

For what it’s worth, until I wrote this blog post, I had not ever taken the time to review the pending Facebook friend requests that I had made, and I ended up removing them all. Even after a long time, if someone has not responded, you can still rescind the invitation.

You may wonder why LinkedIn offers the extra step of “Continue” and Facebook offers “Cancel Request”. It’s most likely to keep you from inadvertently cancelling an invite or request that you really did want to send.

 

How About You?

Have you or someone you know had a social site send out connection invites or friend requests by mistake? What advice do you give on this issue to people who are new to LinkedIn or Facebook?

 

About Joyce

Joyce Feustel, Founder of Boomers' Social Media Tutor

Joyce Feustel helps people, especially those age 50 and up, to become more comfortable using social media, especially Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and Twitter.

She works with business owners, business development professionals, leaders of nonprofit organizations, job seekers, retired people, consultants, and many others. Find her at www.boomerssocialmediatutor.com.