Xbox Friend Requests Reintroduced After 10 Years

Xbox has listened to its community and reinstated the friend request system, a feature many gamers have missed. Discover more about this eagerly awaited return to the platform.

Xbox Addresses Longstanding Community Demand for Friend Requests

‘We’re So Back!’ Xbox Users Exclaim

Xbox is bringing back a fan-favorite feature from the Xbox 360 era: friend requests. Announced via a blog post and on X (formerly Twitter) earlier today, this update marks a significant shift from the more passive social system that has been in place for the past decade.

"We’re thrilled to announce the return of friend requests," said Xbox Senior Product Manager Klarke Clayton in the official announcement. "Friends are now a two-way, invite-approved relationship, giving you more control and flexibility." This means Xbox users will once again have the ability to send, accept, or decline friend requests through the People tab on their consoles.

Previously, the Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S utilized a "follow" system, allowing users to view each other's activity feeds without explicit approval. While this created a more open social environment, many missed the control and intentionality of friend requests. The system often blurred the lines between friends and casual acquaintances, as it lacked the ability to filter mutual connections.

The "follow" feature will continue to exist for one-way connections, enabling users to follow content creators or gaming communities and stay updated on their activities without needing a reciprocal follow.

Existing friends and followers will be automatically converted to the appropriate category under the new system. "You’ll stay friends with people who had also added you as a friend previously and continue following anyone who hadn’t," clarified Clayton.

Privacy remains a priority for Microsoft. The return of friend requests comes with new privacy and notification settings, allowing users to control who can send them friend requests, who can follow them, and which notifications they receive. These settings are accessible through the Xbox settings menu.

The reintroduction of friend requests has sparked a wave of positive reactions on social media. Users are celebrating with comments like "we’re so back!" and humorously pointing out the oddity of the previous system, which left them with followers but no notifications.

Some users didn’t even realize the feature had been missing, highlighting the appeal to social players looking to build online connections while not diminishing the fun of solo play. After all, sometimes the best victories are earned on your own terms.

The exact release date for the full rollout of friend requests on Xbox hasn’t been announced yet. However, given the overwhelming demand from fans, it’s highly unlikely that Microsoft will backtrack on this feature, especially as it’s currently being tested by Xbox Insiders on consoles and PC "beginning this week." According to Xbox’s X post, more details about the "full rollout" are expected later this year.

In the meantime, you can join the Xbox Insiders program and be among the first to experience the feature’s comeback. Simply download the Xbox Insider Hub on your Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, or Windows PC—it’s as easy as sending a friend request.