Apparatuses, computer readable media, and methods for sending and receiving multi-user request-to-send frames in a high-efficiency wireless local-area network (HEW) are disclosed. HEW frames are sent with frame types and subtypes the same as legacy frames with a length field greater than a legacy length to indicate the frame is a HEW frame. An apparatus of a high-efficiency (HE) wireless local-area network device is disclosed. The apparatus including transceiver circuitry and processing circuitry configured to receive a frame comprising a legacy frame type, a legacy frame sub-type, and a length in a legacy signal field (L-SIG), and determine the frame is an HE frame if the length is greater than a threshold length, wherein the threshold length is greater than a second length of a legacy frame of the legacy frame type and legacy frame sub-type.