Please try the following steps to refresh your friends list and see if it helps:

1. Sign out of Facebook in the game: Open the game → Settings → (For iOS tap Accounts)→ tap the Facebook connected button to log out.
2. Fully close the game: Exit the game and swipe it away from the multitasking/app switcher screen (don’t just minimize it).
3. Restart your Internet connection: If you’re on Wi-Fi, reboot your modem/router (turn it off for 10 - 15 seconds and turn it back on).
4. Restart your device 
5. Open the game and sign in to Facebook again: Game → Settings → (For iOS tap Accounts) → tap the Facebook button to log in.

Important: Loading friends may take time depending on your Internet connection and how many friends you have. The more friends you have, the longer it can take. Some friends may appear later - please wait.

Ask your friends to do the same steps. To refresh the connection between players (especially for gifting), we recommend that the friends you exchange gifts with follow the same reconnect steps too. This often helps both sides see each other sooner.

Facebook Access Expiration

When you grant an app access to your Facebook account, that access expires after 90 days. Once this period is over, the app loses access to your Facebook account, which can stop your friends from appearing or syncing properly.

Steps to renew Facebook app access:

1. Go to Facebook Settings.
2. Check if the game is listed as Active under Apps and websites.
3. If the game is listed as Expired, press Renew to reactivate the app’s permissions.
4. Ensure that "Friends list" is selected. Without this, the game cannot view your friends, and you won’t be able to exchange gifts or get help from them.

Keep in mind that you may need to renew access every 90 days to keep everything working properly.

iPhone/iPad only: Enable “Allow Tracking”

Since Cradle of Empires update 8.4.0, Facebook changed how its services work and applied additional restrictions. As a result, on Apple devices friends may not load and synchronization may not work if the player did not allow tracking on the first launch of the game.

As a workaround, try the following (please note: this may not work for all players if the required setting is not available on the device):

1. Open Device Settings
2. Choose Apps and find the Empires app in the list
3. Enable Allow Tracking
4. Force close the game (swipe it away from the app switcher)
   How to close an app on iPhone: https://support.apple.com/HT201330 
   How to close an app on iPad: https://support.apple.com/HT212063 
5. Open the game → Settings → Accounts
6. Tap the Facebook connected button to log out, then tap it again to log in.

If you do not have the “Allow tracking” option for Empires, please check if the "Tracking" option is enabled on your device: open your device's Settings → Privacy & Security → Tracking. If it's disabled, you may want to enable it, but please note that additional steps may be required to ensure Facebook-related features function correctly with the game. For further assistance, please contact us from within the game, and we will guide you through the necessary configuration.

Give it time. Even after reconnecting, friends may not appear immediately.

• Some friends may load after several hours or within a few days.
• If your friends recently reinstalled the game or reconnected Facebook, it can take a while before they show up again.

Please try the steps above and check if your friends reappear in the next few days. 

If you still can’t see your friends after trying the steps above, please contact us from within the game.