Firebase Android Java - Can't Get Value Of A Child

So I have been trying to implement a way to check if the user had already sent a friend a request to the profile visited, or if the user has received a friend request from the profile visited. Based on the results, the buttons will be set to sent request, accept request ,add friend or friends

However, in my Firebase function, the first 3 if statements aren't met, even if one of them was supposed to be met. The first else if statement should have worked because I already sent a friend request to the profile visited.

When I ran a debug, it shows something like value = {sentFriendRequests={jmarston=2}}. So Firebase knows that I added John Marston as a friend, but for some reason the else if statement wasn't working. Its the else statement that works instead

My code is down below:

checkFriendRequestStatus function

private void checkFriendRequestStatus(final ButtonStatus buttonsCallback, final String strSignedInUID, final String visitedUsername, final String strVisitedUID) {
        final DatabaseReference checkFriendRequestsRef = database.getReference("friend_requests/test/" + strSignedInUID);
        checkFriendRequestsRef.addListenerForSingleValueEvent(new ValueEventListener() {
            @Override
            public void onDataChange(@NonNull DataSnapshot dataSnapshot) {

                // choice is 1 to show buttons, then select which buttons to show with second params
                if (dataSnapshot.child("friends/" + visitedUsername).getValue(String.class) == strVisitedUID) {
                    buttonsCallback.setButtonStatus(1, 1);
                }
                else if (dataSnapshot.child("sentFriendRequest/" + visitedUsername).getValue(String.class) == strVisitedUID) {
                    buttonsCallback.setButtonStatus(1, 2);
                }
                else if (dataSnapshot.child("receivedFriendRequests/" + visitedUsername).getValue(String.class) == strVisitedUID) {
                    buttonsCallback.setButtonStatus(1, 3);
                }
                else {
                    buttonsCallback.setButtonStatus(1, 4);;
                }
            }

            @Override
            public void onCancelled(@NonNull DatabaseError databaseError) {

            }
        });
    }

onViewCreated function

@Override
    public void onViewCreated(View view, Bundle savedInstanceState){
        sRFullName = (TextView) view.findViewById(R.id.sRUFullNameET);

        addFriendBtn = (Button) view.findViewById(R.id.sRUAddFriendBtn);
        sentRequestBtn = (Button) view.findViewById(R.id.sRUFriendReqSentBtn);
        acceptRequestBtn = (Button) view.findViewById(R.id.sRUAcceptRequestBtn);
        wereFriendsBtn = (Button) view.findViewById(R.id.sRUWeFriendsBtn);

        final String strVisitedUserID = getArguments().getString("sRUserID");
        final String visitedUsername = getArguments().getString("sRUsername");

        ShPreference = getActivity().getSharedPreferences(MyPREFERENCES, Context.MODE_PRIVATE);

        // converts Stringed userID back to Int
        final String strSignedInUID = ShPreference.getInt(currentUserID, 0) + "";
        final String signedInUsername = ShPreference.getString(currentUsername, "");
        // converts the userSignedIn id to string
        //final String strSignedInUID = userSignedInID + "";

        // checks if the current User visited has been sent a friend Request
        checkFriendRequestStatus(new ButtonStatus() {
            @Override
            public void setButtonStatus(int choice, int button) {
                /**
                 * The choice params is for the choose if to show or hide buttons.
                 * The buttons params selects which buttons are to show or hide
                 */

                addFriendBtn.setVisibility(View.GONE);
                sentRequestBtn.setVisibility(View.GONE);
                acceptRequestBtn.setVisibility(View.GONE);
                wereFriendsBtn.setVisibility(View.GONE);

                // if choosed to show buttons
                if (choice == 1) {
                    // show buttons depending on the friendRequest status
                    if (button == 1) {
                        wereFriendsBtn.setVisibility(View.VISIBLE);
                    }
                    else if (button == 2) {
                        sentRequestBtn.setVisibility(View.VISIBLE);
                    }
                    else if (button == 3) {
                        acceptRequestBtn.setVisibility(View.VISIBLE);
                    }
                    else {
                        addFriendBtn.setVisibility(View.VISIBLE);
                    }
                }
            }
        }, strSignedInUID, visitedUsername, strVisitedUserID);


        // sets the name with the Full Name; called from SearchResultsAdapter
        sRFullName.setText(getArguments().getString("sRFullName"));
    }

To compare String object use equals instead of == (double equals). Double equals will compare reference not their values.

Update your code of comparison like below:

private void checkFriendRequestStatus(final ButtonStatus buttonsCallback, final String strSignedInUID, final String visitedUsername, final String strVisitedUID) {
        final DatabaseReference checkFriendRequestsRef = database.getReference("friend_requests/test/" + strSignedInUID);
        checkFriendRequestsRef.addListenerForSingleValueEvent(new ValueEventListener() {
            @Override
            public void onDataChange(@NonNull DataSnapshot dataSnapshot) {

                // choice is 1 to show buttons, then select which buttons to show with second params
                if (dataSnapshot.child("friends/" + visitedUsername).getValue(String.class).equals(strVisitedUID)) {
                    buttonsCallback.setButtonStatus(1, 1);
                }
                else if (dataSnapshot.child("sentFriendRequest/" + visitedUsername).getValue(String.class).equals(strVisitedUID)) {
                    buttonsCallback.setButtonStatus(1, 2);
                }
                else if (dataSnapshot.child("receivedFriendRequests/" + visitedUsername).getValue(String.class).equals(strVisitedUID)) {
                    buttonsCallback.setButtonStatus(1, 3);
                }
                else {
                    buttonsCallback.setButtonStatus(1, 4);;
                }
            }

            @Override
            public void onCancelled(@NonNull DatabaseError databaseError) {

            }
        });
    }