A decade after ditching Xbox friend requests, Microsoft is bringing them back

Microsoft has announced it's bringing friend requests back to Xbox after more than a decade, with its new "friends and followers experience" set to go live for Insiders this week.

Xbox hasn't had friend requests since 2013, when - as part of its transition from Xbox 360 to Xbox One - Microsoft introduced a social-media-style system making it possible to follow activity feeds without the need for explicit approval. If the other party reciprocates, a follower becomes a friend, so both can chat, message, and game.

Soon, though, Xbox will introduce a more traditional "two-way, invite-approved" friend request system that Microsoft says will give users "more control and flexibility". This'll sit alongside the existing "one-way" follower system, so users can still easily follow player, club, or game feeds.

Once the change comes into effect, friend requests can be sent, accepted, or deleted from the Xbox guide's People tab - and all existing friends and followers will update automatically when the system goes live, their status remaining unchanged.

Xbox's updated friend system will also be accompanied by new privacy and notification settings, giving players the tools (available both on-machine and online) to set notifications and determine who can send them friend requests or follow their account.

All this will initially launch for Alpha Skip-Ahead users on Xbox consoles, plus PC Gaming preview members on Windows PCs and handheld devices, "beginning this week". It'll then be rolled out to everyone once testing is complete. "We want to thank all the Xbox Insiders for the feedback you share with us," Microsoft adds. "Your feedback is a key part of our process."