• Set Up Your System
• Family Settings (Xbox Live)
• Connectivity Video
• Join Xbox Live

Messaging with Xbox 360

Game Invites

Game invites are a fast and easy way to rope your friends into multiplayer action. You don't have to exit your game to extend an invite. Just call up the Xbox Guide from wherever you are to fire one off. Invitations let your friends know, whatever they're doing, that you want them to join your game.

To send a game invite:

1. Sign in to Xbox Live and begin playing an Xbox Live multiplayer-enabled game.
   
   For information about connecting to Xbox Live, see Connect to Xbox Live.
2. Press the Xbox Guide button.
3. Select Messages. (When you select the left-most box in Community, the word becomes Messages.)
4. Select Create New, Game Invite.
5. Select or enter a gamertag, then select Send Invite.
6. Create another invite if you want (or send a voice or text Message, a Private Chat Invite, or a Friend Request). When you're finished, press the Xbox Guide button to return to your game.
   
   When your invitee accepts your invite, you'll see his or her gamertag appear.

For a list of all Xbox Live multiplayer-enabled games for Xbox 360, see our catalog of Xbox Live games. (Check the boxes for Xbox 360 and Xbox Live Multiplayer Enabled, then click Search.)

To learn about sending and receiving friend requests, see Friends with Xbox 360.

Voice Messaging

It's fun, it's convenient, and it's another great feature that ties the Xbox Live community closer together. It's voice messaging, and it's a piece of cake. All you need is a gamertag and an Xbox 360 Headset.

Use voice messaging to deliver your friend requests with flair. Or you can just say hi.

To send a voice message:

1. Connect your Xbox 360 Headset to your controller and put it on.
2. Go to the Xbox Live area of the Xbox Dashboard and sign in to Xbox Live.
   
   For information about connecting to Xbox Live, see Connect to Xbox Live.
3. From the Xbox Live area, select Messages, Create New, Message.
4. Select or enter a gamertag.
5. From the Message screen, select Add Voice.
6. Select Record Message and speak your message into your headset's microphone. The recording will conclude after 15 seconds; select Stop to end the recording sooner.
   
   To listen to your voice message, select Play Message. To rerecord your message, use the left stick (LS) or the directional pad (DP) to select Record Message again.
7. When you'reready, select Done, Send Message.