Your friends list is your inner circle on Couchsurfing. Building it out makes it easier to chat, share trips, and stay connected with the people you've met along the way.
How Do I Send a Friend Request?
You can send a friend request from any member's profile.
On mobile:
- Open the member's profile
- Tap Add Friend in the upper right corner of the screen
On the web:
- Open the member's profile
- Click Add Friend in the upper right corner of the page
Once you send the request, the other member will get a heads-up in their Activity Center. As soon as they accept, a chat between the two of you opens automatically. Easy as that.
How Do I View and Respond to Friend Requests?
Incoming friend requests show up in your Activity Center and on the Requests tab at the top of your Friends page.
On mobile:
- Tap Library
in the bottom navigation bar
- Tap your profile
in the upper right corner
- Tap Friends on your profile page
- Tap Requests at the top of the page
On the web:
- Click your profile
- Click Friends on your profile page
- Click Requests at the top of the page
From there, you can Accept or dismiss (tap or click the X) any incoming request. If you dismiss someone, they can still reach you through a chat request, so the door isn't fully closed.
Changed your mind about a request you sent? You can pull it back by tapping or clicking Cancel Request on the member's profile.
How Do I Find Friends on Couchsurfing?
Couchsurfing surfaces friend suggestions based on your activity, so you'll spot people you might know on your Feed and Friends page. You can add them straight from those suggestions.
You can also search for specific members using Explore :
On mobile:
- Tap Explore
in the bottom navigation bar
- Tap the search bar and select the People category
- Search by name or handle
On the web:
- Click Explore
- Click the search bar and select the People category
- Search by name or handle
For more suggestions, head to the Friend Suggestions tab at the top of your Friends page. Haven't connected your contacts yet? You can do that from the Connect button on your Friends page to find people you already know.
How Do I Add a Close Friend or Unfriend Someone?
Close Friends lets you mark certain connections as part of your inner circle. You can add or remove someone from your Close Friends anytime, no hard feelings.
Unfriending removes someone from your friends list entirely. You can always re-send a friend request later if you change your mind.
The good news: the steps for both are the same. Once you land on the right menu, you'll see options for Add to Close Friends and Unfriend. Pick whichever fits.
There are two ways to get there, depending on where you are in the app.
Option 1: From the member's profile
On mobile:
- Open the member's profile
- Tap Friends in the upper right corner of the screen
- Tap Add to Close Friends or Unfriend
On the web:
- Open the member's profile
- Click Friends in the upper right corner of the page
- Click Add to Close Friends or Unfriend
Option 2: From your friends list
On mobile:
- Tap Library
- Tap your profile
- Tap Friends on your profile page
- Tap the three dots beside the friend's name
- Tap Add to Close Friends or Unfriend
On the web:
- Click your profile
- Click Friends on your profile page
- Click the three dots beside the friend's name
- Click Add to Close Friends or Unfriend
To see only your Close Friends, use the Close Friends filter on your Friends page.
Note: You can have up to 12 Close Friends at a time. If you've hit the limit, you'll need to remove someone before adding a new one.
A Couple Things to Know:
- You can re-send a friend request even if someone previously dismissed it. If they're not into it, they can block or report you.
- You can browse your friends' friends from their profile.
- You can search for friends by name using the search bar on your Friends page.
- Want to block or report someone instead? Open their profile, tap or click More in the upper right corner, then choose Block User or Report. Blocking is separate from unfriending.
Need more help? Get in touch. You can also reach us anytime through Settings → Contact Support.