How you play multiplayer "Minecraft" will vary depending on whether you have the newer, console-friendly "Bedrock" edition, or the classic "Java" edition.
Follow Us
The simple yet limitless game of “Minecraft” has millions of players, so it’s easy to find friends to play with. However, it’s not always clear how to play multiplayer with your friends.
How you play multiplayer “Minecraft” will vary depending on whether you have the newer, console-friendly “Bedrock” edition, or the classic “Java” edition. Whichever edition you have, you can only play with friends who have the same version.
If that version is “Java,” there are few different ways to go about playing with your friends.
Whether you feel up to the task of joining a public server or creating your own server (which is less scary than it sounds), want to host a local LAN server, or would prefer to use the paid “Realms” server-hosting option, hosting a multiplayer “Minecraft” game should only take a short time.
Quick note: If you want to use mods while you’re playing with your friends, you’ll have to make a server or use the LAN method. “Minecraft Realms” doesn’t support mods.
How to make your own ‘Minecraft: Java Edition’ multiplayer server, or join a friend’s
Servers are the basic building block of “Minecraft’s” multiplayer mode. Anyone playing together will need to be on the same server.
There are thousands of “Minecraft” servers already out there, which you and your friends can join to play together in moments – see the section below on how to join a friend’s or a public server for more details. The only downside there is that you’ll be sharing these servers with lots of other people you don’t know.
If just you and your friends want to have a private game, you can create a Minecraft server for free. Just know that it takes some work, and whoever makes the server will need to have a good computer with a fast internet connection. If that doesn’t fit your bill, check out one of the other options.
1. Launch “Java” and select “Multiplayer.”
2. Click “Add Server.”
3. In the “Server Address” box, enter the host server’s address and click “Done.” This might be an IP address, or a URL.
4. Wait for the server to connect, and when it appears in the list, select it and click “Join Server.”
That’s how you connect to a pre-existing server.
