You’ve selected Add Friend in the Xbox app, but the friendship isn’t complete until the other player accepts your request. The app also has separate controls for finding recent players and accepting incoming requests. Here’s how to use each route on PC and check the account permission that blocks adding friends.
Add a friend using their gamertag
Sign in to the Xbox app on your PC, then select Friends at the bottom of the screen. Enter the player’s gamertag in the search box and press Enter to display the results.
Right-click the matching result and select Open Profile. Choose Add Friend to send a request. Remember that the other player must approve your request before you become friends.
Find someone you just played with
The recent-player list lets you find a recorded player without typing their gamertag. Sign in to the Xbox app and open Friends. Select More options (…), then choose Recently played with.
Find the account you want to add and select Add Friend (+) for that player. Wait for the player to approve the request.
Accept an incoming friend request
If someone has already sent you a request, start by signing in to the Xbox app. Open Friends > Friend Requests, then select Accept Request (+) beside their request to become friends. If you sent the request instead, the other person needs to accept it on their account.
Older tutorials describe adding someone immediately or using Follow to fill your friends list. Current Xbox friendships require a request and approval; More > Follow creates a following relationship, not an approved friendship.
Use Game Bar while you are playing
Install the Xbox app on your PC if it isn’t already installed. Sign in to the Xbox app, then press Windows logo key + G to open Game Bar. Open Widget menu and select Xbox Social.
Select Sign in if Game Bar prompts you. Enter the player’s gamertag in the search box, then press Enter to search. Select Add friend to send the request. Remember that Game Bar requests also need the other player’s approval.
Check account restrictions that block adding friends
For a child account, an online safety restriction on adding friends blocks the request. Ask the family organizer to sign in at account.xbox.com/settings using the parent’s account. Children cannot change their own restricted account settings.
Select the child’s account and open Online Safety. Set You can add friends on Xbox Live to Allow, then select Submit to save the change. Return to the Xbox app and try sending the friend request again.
Discover suggested players and Steam connections
The Xbox app’s Friends > Find more friends screen shows suggested players based on your account and available connections. Each suggested player’s profile has an Add Friend control for sending a request. The player still needs to approve it.
Steam linking provides another way to discover connections. Your gamertag or profile picture opens the menu containing Settings > Account. The Linked accounts area contains Steam and its Link control, which starts the linking prompts.
Once those prompts are complete, Friends > Find more friends is where you review suggested players again. Linking a network does not automatically create an approved Xbox friendship; sending a request and receiving approval remain separate steps.
Try the mobile app as another route
The Xbox mobile app on Android or iOS lets you send a request using the same Microsoft account you use on PC. The friendship belongs to that Xbox account.
Sign in to the Xbox mobile app with that account, then select Search at the bottom. Open People and enter the player’s gamertag. Select Done and open the matching profile.
Select Add friend and wait for the recipient to approve the request. If this route also fails for a restricted child account, ask the family organizer to review the permission to add friends described above.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can someone accept my PC friend request on an Xbox console?
Yes. On Xbox One or Xbox Series X|S, press the Xbox button. Find the request in Notifications or the People tab. Select the request, then choose Accept.
How many Xbox friends can I have?
Xbox supports up to 1,000 friends.
How long does an Xbox friendship link last?
A friendship link generated in the Xbox mobile app expires after one week or after 16 friends use it. The person who created it can also deactivate it.
Do I need to share my real name to add a friend?
No. Sharing your real name is optional in Xbox’s console friendship workflow. The PC app lets you find a player using their gamertag.