Friend Requests Return to the Xbox Ecosystem as Company Listens to Community Feedback

Xbox has announced that friend requests are returning across the company’s ecosystem. After an extended period in which requests were unavailable, players across consoles, PC, and gaming handhelds can use the new friends and follower experience.

Announced via Xbox Wire, the company confirms that with the return of friend requests, players can send, accept, and delete requests. Unlike the previous follower-focused experience, the new friend ecosystem enables users to approve or decline invites, making it “a two-way, invite-approved relationship.” That said, the follower feature will remain. As a “one-way connection,” users can still be updated on another’s shared content including a game they’re playing or a club.

The Xbox team has announced that the improved friends and followers experience is debuting for Alpha Skip-Ahead players on Xbox consoles. Additionally, players enrolled in the PC Gaming preview on Windows PCs and handheld devices will also be granted access before a wider rollout.

Once available, you can begin managing your friends and followers by:

• Hitting the Xbox button on your console to open the guide
• Navigate to the ‘People’ tab to find all existing friends in the Friends list
• Accept or delete new friend requests
• Search for someone new to send a request of your own

On top of streamlining the friend request process, Xbox is also adding privacy and security functions to better allow you to tailor your experience. You can manage who sends you friend requests or can follow your account by:

• Going to the ‘Settings’ menu and selecting ‘Account’
• Scroll to ‘Privacy & Online Safety’ and ‘Xbox Privacy’
• You’ll now see the option for ‘View details & customize’
• Select ‘Friends, follows, and clubs’
• Customize your settings per your preference

“We want to thank all the Xbox Insiders for the feedback you share with us. Your feedback is a key part of our process,” the Xbox team says. The follower system was first introduced in the Xbox One era, where it took the place of a traditional friends system. It allowed players to follow others as if it were more of a social media platform. Users could follow and see played games and other “social” experiences. The returning friends experience harkens back to what was in place during the original Xbox and Xbox 360 generations.