I still remember the first time I tried to team up with my little sister to farm Artifacts in Genshin Impact. I’d hit Adventure Rank 16 ages before her, so I sat around for weeks waiting for her to grind through the early story so we could run domains together. If you’re in the same boat, or just confused why you can’t send a friend request to someone on PlayStation while you’re on mobile, learning how to play Genshin Impact with friends doesn’t have to be a frustrating hassle. This guide breaks down every step you need, from unlocking co-op to planning fun group activities that don’t just feel like endless grinding.
How to Play Genshin Impact with Friends: Unlocking Co-Op First
Before you can jump into a friend’s world, you have to meet a few non-negotiable requirements the game doesn’t explain super clearly. A lot of new players assume they can team up as soon as they make an account, but HoYoverse locks co-op behind early progression to make sure you understand basic combat and mechanics first. I made this mistake on my second alt account last year, I grinded chests for hours to hit AR16 and couldn’t figure out why the co-op icon was still greyed out.
These are the exact requirements you need to meet to unlock co-op play:
If you’re playing with someone brand new to the game, give them a heads up to prioritize the main story first if they want to team up fast. Skipping quests to explore will only delay their co-op unlock, even if they hit AR16 early. Once you both meet the requirements, the co-op icon will pop up in the top left corner of your screen, and you can start sending friend requests.
Cross-Platform Friend Request Tips to Avoid Headaches
Genshin Impact supports full cross-play across every platform, but sending friend requests works a little differently than most other multiplayer games. You can’t add someone using their PlayStation gamertag or Steam username, for example. The only reliable way to add a friend across devices is using their HoYoverse UID, the 9-digit number tied to their Genshin account.
You can find your own UID in the bottom right corner of your main menu screen, or in the account settings tab. When you enter a friend’s UID to send a request, double check that you typed all 9 digits correctly, one wrong number will send the request to a random stranger instead. You can only play with friends who are on the same server region as you, so make sure you and your friend picked the same server when you made your accounts. If you made your account on the North America server, you can’t team up with someone on the Europe or Asia server, even if you have their correct UID.
PlayStation players used to have strict cross-play restrictions, but those were lifted a few years ago. You just have to make sure your cross-play settings are turned on in your PSN settings, and that your HoYoverse account is linked properly. Requests you send to players who haven’t unlocked co-op yet won’t disappear, they’ll show up as soon as that player hits AR16 and finishes the required story quests, so you don’t have to resend them later.
Fun Co-Op Activities You Can Do With Friends
A lot of players assume co-op is only for grinding domains and world bosses, but there’s way more to do with friends than just farm loot. Some of my favorite Genshin memories are from silly group sessions with my friends, not the times we spent grinding for perfect Artifact sets. You can mix practical grinding and fun easily, so you don’t feel like you’re wasting time when you team up.
Domain and boss farming is still the most popular co-op activity for a reason. Running a level 90 domain with four players cuts the run time in half, and you get the exact same rewards as you would playing solo. It’s perfect if you’re trying to farm ascension materials for a new character fast. Open world exploration is way more fun with friends too, you can split up to hunt for Oculi, solve tricky puzzles, or race across Sumeru’s rainforest on your mounts. I once spent three hours exploring the Chasm with two friends, we found 12 hidden chests none of us had stumbled on during our solo playthroughs.
Most limited-time events have dedicated co-op modes that give extra rewards for playing with friends, from Misty Dungeon runs to crossbow shooting challenges. Serenitea Pot co-op is one of the most underrated features too, you can visit your friend’s teapot to buy rare items from their traveling salesman, help them build decorations, or just show off your own custom house. If you’re a higher AR player, you can also help lower AR friends beat tough bosses they can’t handle alone, like the Oceanid or Azhdaha. Lower AR players still get scaled rewards for these fights, so they don’t miss out on loot even if you carry them through the whole battle.
Common Co-Op Mistakes to Steer Clear Of
I’ve made every single one of these mistakes over the last four years playing Genshin, so save yourself the awkwardness and frustrated DMs from random players. Most co-op drama comes from small, easy to avoid mistakes, so a little common courtesy goes a long way when you’re playing with other people, even if they’re your close friends.
Always ask permission before taking items like Violetgrass, Crystal Chunks, or limited local specialties from someone else's world. A lot of players save these materials for character ascension, and it’s incredibly rude to take them without checking first. I once had a random join my world to run a domain, then stole 18 of my Qingxin flowers I’d been saving for Xiao’s ascension before I could say anything. I blocked them immediately, and most other players will do the same if you steal their resources.
Don’t bring a severely underleveled character to a high level domain run unless the team agrees first. I once had a level 20 Amber join my AR55 domain run, she died in one hit from the first enemy and we had to carry her the whole time, making the run take three times longer than it should have. If you’re underleveled and want to join a run for materials, just be honest about your character levels first, most people are happy to help if you’re upfront. Also, don’t leave mid-run without saying something, if you have to go afk or log off suddenly, type a quick message in the chat so your team doesn’t wonder why you vanished mid-boss fight.
At the end of the day, Genshin Impact is way more fun when you’re playing with people you like. Whether you’re grinding for the perfect Artifact set, exploring a new region for the first time, or just messing around with silly character builds, learning how to play Genshin Impact with friends opens up a whole new side of the game you won’t get playing solo. Don’t stress if you run into small issues at first, most cross-play kinks can be fixed with a quick check of your UID or server settings. Next time you log on, send that friend request you’ve been putting off, you won’t regret it.