How do I add a friend to game center in IOS 10?

Can anyone explain how a developer would go about doing this? The API documentation and instructions still refer to deprecated methods. After several months, that seems unacceptable. How can I determine a GameKit player ID from one of the local device's contacts without using the default GKMatchMakerViewController? I already built a custom matchmaking GUI using the matchmaking API. I want to present the local player with their contacts so that they can choose who to invite but I cannot see how to translate a contact to a playerID.

In addition to removing player photos, this has really thrown a wrench in my effort. Other places on the forums claim that there are no plans to re-implement either of these features.

Actually, I forgot to point out that I upgraded the iPad two times. In some cases, I probably originally lost content on my own accord, but I think my game saves were in Game Center and now lost. Stuff with Facebook, my stuff saves. I'm talking online social games to, stuff you shouldn't lose, but it is probably more terrible companies than Game Center leaving.

Still, losing Game Center did suck, but no one I know uses iOS, so its not a big deal.

Hello carlomg1302,

Game center was removed in iOS 10. Now you can use iMessage for inviting friends. Refer to this helpful link if you need instructions: http://appleinsider.com/articles/16/06/20/inside-ios-10-with-game-center-app-gon e-invites-are-managed-by-messages

If you have any more questions feel free to reply!

Good Luck!

-Julian P.

So really what you are saying is Apple wants us to be lonely and never play game with people we know. There for making it nearly impossible to have internet friends. And this means we are all lonely and have no friends :(

I have the same issue, but I recently got an android phone and there is a solution.

1. Backup your iPhone/iPad data

2. Transfer everything to an android phone and get your friends to do the same

3. Open Play Games on android

4. Add friends

5. It's self explanatory but get your iPhone /ipad and piff it at a wall

Don't know if it'll work for you but it worked for me!

Since this update in IOS it is ridiculous!! I try to send messages but they are always undeliverable. I play Megapolis and if I type in Social Quantum ID - message is returned. I can't type in Game Center name because that isn't an address! How in the world can I add friends. I have the same screen in settings for Game Center ... my name, remove all friends. That's it! Fix it!

I have hundreds of people in contacts, and most of the people I wish to game with are not there. I know their game center I'd, but no personal information. Even for those whose personal information I do know, fails to work with the new invitation system. This change in behavior is a nightmare of ill-considered changes with no regard for the user experience whatsoever; basically everything that Steve Jobs despised. I cannot play key online games with people, even if I know them due to this clumsy change. Total incompetence on the part of the design team responsible.

We are now in August 2017, and no signs of a fix, a workaround or new support from game developers. it seems too, that with this new design you will ONLY be able to play games with people with whom you share your personal contact information? Wow - that's a blessing for parents!

How add my friend in this

You no longer add friends to Game Center. Now you invite people through iMessage for specific games. This behavior needs to be implemented by developers who use Game Center, so it is a per-game feature.

what was wrong with having the app!!

noone sends invites.....

..……..................

adding friends

and having track of our downloaded games and their downloaded games

and those recommend games

and deleting any saved progress on particular game so you can start the game again from zero

was not needed??? Lol thank you @apple

thank you very much for totally removing such useful app

and thank you for adding such waste invite feature

thank you thank you thank you duck you.

So until the developers update their apps we're stuck in no man's land? Overall this just seems to separate something out that didn't need it. It removes the "social" from "social gaming" completely. 😟 I can send someone an iMessage but that doesn't add them to a game in anyway. I can send them an invite to play a game, but that doesn't seem to add them to my friends list in game in anyway as it's just a link to download the software. Apple could have rolled this out a LOT better than they are w/ out putting their users through this limbo period.

You can use a different device that doesn't have iOS 10 if you have another.

No you dont. The only thing the games send now is a link to play the game. It does not give a link to be friends. This update is WAY worse than the old 3 or 4 that mucked up the works. Its the beneath diapers that sat in a bag for a month with vomit, lama spit and broccoli then sat in a hot car for a week and we had to open that bag last month!

Way to go Apple(or should we start calling it Onion? iO(nion)S 10!

I totally agree with you! 😠