How to Join a Minecraft Server on Java and Bedrock

Before you join: what you need

Joining a Minecraft server takes three pieces of information: the address, the port (only when it is not the default) and the edition the server runs. Get any of them wrong and the game shows a timeout, an outdated-client message or nothing at all. This page walks through Java Edition and Bedrock Edition separately, because they do not share a server list or a default port.

If you are still deciding where to play, the Minecraft server directory lists networks by style with their addresses and supported versions. For the general idea of joining any community server, the site's how to join a private server post covers the basics across games.

Join a server on Java Edition

Java Edition has a built-in server list. The wiki describes the multiplayer screen as the place where a player can "add a new server or join them", and each entry shows whether the server is online, its ping and its player count. Use the list for servers you will visit again and Direct Connection for a one-off visit.

1. 1

   Open Multiplayer

   From the title screen choose Multiplayer.

2. 2

   Add the server

   Choose Add Server, give it any name and paste the address into the server address field, for example mc.hypixel.net. Add the port after a colon only when it is not 25565.

3. 3

   Or use Direct Connection

   Choose Direct Connection and type the address. This skips the saved list, which is handy for testing an address someone sent you.

4. 4

   Select the entry and join

   Click the server, then Join Server. The entry shows whether the server is online, its ping and its player count once it answers.

Join a server on Bedrock Edition

On Bedrock the server list lives on the Play screen. The wiki's Bedrock server tutorial says players add a server there using the IP address and port; use the external address for players outside the host's network, and a domain name also works as long as the port is still specified. The default is 19132 unless the owner changed it in server.properties.

• Open Play, go to the servers list and choose the option to add a server.
• Enter a display name, the server address and the port (19132 by default).
• Save, select the entry and join. If the address is right and the port is wrong, the game usually just times out.
• Some Bedrock networks, such as Galaxite, are featured servers and appear in the built-in list with no address to type.

Cross-play networks make life easier. The directory research shows CubeCraft Games and Netherite accepting both Java and Bedrock players, and Complex Gaming documents Bedrock access to its hub through port 19132. Always read the join page of the server you pick, because the Java and Bedrock addresses are sometimes different.

Consoles, Realms and the limits you cannot get around

Console servers

Featured only

External servers cannot be added or accessed

Nintendo Switch

No user-hosted servers

Realms or featured servers only

Realms in the server list

Never

Invitation by the Realm owner is required

According to the Minecraft Wiki, console versions can use only the featured servers, and the Bedrock server tutorial adds that Nintendo Switch cannot connect to a user-hosted server at all. Console multiplayer also needs an online subscription such as Xbox Game Pass, PlayStation Plus or Nintendo Switch Online. If you play on console and want a community survival world, the realistic options are a featured network or a Realm someone invites you to.

Fix the errors that stop you joining

The first two rows come straight from the Minecraft Wiki: "Outdated client" means the server runs a newer version than the client, and "Outdated server" means the client is newer. Many large networks hide this problem behind proxies. Hypixel's status API, for instance, reports a requirement of "MC 1.8 / 1.21", so both old and current clients can enter the same lobby.

Choose a server that matches how you want to play

Once you can connect, the next question is what to join. Persistent worlds with towns and economies sit under survival and SMP servers, short matches live on minigame networks, and Pokemon-style packs sit under modded servers. Modded servers need the exact mod or modpack version, so installing the right client matters more than the address.

Vet the server before you invest time: see how to choose a private server for a checklist, and private vs official servers if you are weighing a community server against Realms. The glossary explains terms such as SMP, anarchy and reset that appear on join pages.