How to enable cross-platform play for your child on Xbox
If your kids want to crossplay with friends outside of Xbox Live, you’ll need to enable it first.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
If you have a family group set up with your Microsoft Account and for Xbox, then you’ll already know about some of the great features for controlling what your kids have access to. But one thing they may want to use is actually hidden behind a setting you might not know exists.
Crossplay.
This is specifically referring to cross-network play, that is, playing with friends outside the Xbox Live walls. When it comes to some of today’sbest Xbox gameslike Minecraft and Minecraft Dungeons, it’s perfectly possible for your kids to play from theirXbox Series Swith their friends on Nintendo Switch and PlayStation, for example, but to do so, you’ll have to give them the magic permission first.
There are a couple of different ways to enable it and we’ll walk you through each.
How to set up crossplay in the Xbox Family Settings app
If you have a family group set up for anything relating to your Microsoft account, there are a couple of mobile apps you should definitely have. For managing Xbox-specific settings, theXbox Family Settingsapp is the one to have and the one we’re using here.
Grab it for eitheriPhoneorAndroidand get logged in with your Microsoft Account before following these steps.
This will now enable crossplay outside Xbox Live, but it won’t enable communication with those platforms.
Get the Windows Central Newsletter
All the latest news, reviews, and guides for Windows and Xbox diehards.
How to set up crossplay on the web
If you’d rather set this up on the web, it’s very straightforward also. You can either login directly, or you can go via Xbox app for Windows 10 or 11
This will now enable crossplay outside Xbox Live, but it won’t enable communication with those platforms.
Xbox Series X/S
Main
Richard Devine is a Managing Editor at Windows Central with over a decade of experience. A former Project Manager and long-term tech addict, he joined Mobile Nations in 2011 and has been found on Android Central and iMore as well as Windows Central. Currently, you’ll find him steering the site’s coverage of all manner of PC hardware and reviews. Find him on Mastodon atmstdn.social/@richdevine
