Friend requests are coming back to Xbox, and Insiders can try them out right now

Microsoft is planning a major update to the Friends and Followers experience that its Xbox ecosystem offers. The update will bring back friend requests alongside new privacy settings and better management options. Xbox console owners in the Alpha Skip-Ahead Insider ring and Insiders on the PC Gaming preview on Windows can now access the new features.

To start off, Microsoft has made friend requests a feature again, requiring both parties to accept the "two-way, invite-approved relationship" before they become friends. Followers will keep the existing functionality of being one-way:

We’re thrilled to announce the return of friend requests! Now, you can easily send, accept, or delete friend requests, making it simpler to connect with others. Friends are now a two-way, invite-approved relationship, giving you more control and flexibility. Meanwhile, following someone remains a one-way connection, allowing you to stay updated with their shared content, whether it’s another player, club, or game.

The company says that current friends and followers will not be affected by the new features and that only fresh additions will go through the request system.

Following the update, console owners can press the Xbox button to open the Guide and head to the People tab to find existing friends and any friend requests that have come their way. From here, friend statuses can be changed for any existing or pending entry, while new requests can also be sent to other players.

Microsoft is also adding new privacy and notification settings for a more customized experience regarding incoming friend requests, as follows:

You can manage who can send you friend requests, or follow your account, directly from your Xbox console by navigating to Settings > Account > Privacy & online safety > Xbox privacy, then select View details & customize > Friends, followers & clubs to customize your settings. You can also update your notification preferences on Xbox consoles from Settings > Preferences > Notifications.

Other than from a console, these settings can also be changed online by heading to the Xbox website's "Privacy & online safety" page and logging in to the relevant account. These new features should begin rolling out to all Xbox users once Insiders finish testing them out, though there is no timeline attached to that yet.