Methods and apparatuses for handling an invitation to a multi-device networked-application session are disclosed. In one such method, a client device receives a pushed invitation notification from an invitation server. The pushed invitation notification indicates that an inviter user has invited an invitee user to join a multi-device session of a networked application, but the pushed invitation notification omits an invitation payload to enable the invitee user to join the multi-device session. The client device notifies the user of the client device, and the user indicates to accept the invitation. The client device responds to the invitation server, authenticates the user, and receives from the invitation server an invitation payload, according to which the client device attempts to join the multi-device session.