Do this first
The quick route
- Verify that the intended save owner has already started the hosted session.
- Refresh the friends-game menu after the host is fully in the session.
- Try the current Join Code, especially for cross-platform players.
- Read any connection warning shown in the host or join menu.
- Check that both system clocks are accurate and game versions are compatible.
- Restart the game on both ends and have the host create one fresh session.
What should normally happen
According to the official FAQ, a friend's active game should automatically appear in the friends-game menu when that person is on your platform friends list. Players outside that platform relationship can join with the code from the live host session.
Run one controlled retry
Close the session once, update both copies of the game, restart both devices, then let only the intended host create the session. Version 1.4.10 adds more specific network errors and warnings in the host and join menus, so record that wording before retrying.
Escalate with useful details
If the controlled retry fails, save the exact warning, each player's platform and game version, whether the system clocks are accurate, and whether friends-list discovery and Join Code entry fail in the same way. Those details are more useful to support than repeated blind retries.
Sources checked
Where this answer comes from
Official friend discovery, Join Code, system-clock, version, and restart checks.
OfficialBig Walk Version HistoryOfficial network, error-message, and host/join warning changes in 1.4.10.
CommunityCommunity report: problems joiningA community report used to identify the missing-session symptom.
Links and claims last checked August 24, 2026. Community sources describe reported symptoms, not guaranteed fixes.