How to Play Minecraft with Friends (Java and Bedrock, 2026)

To play Minecraft with friends, pick one of four ways: Open to LAN for people in the same house, a Realm for up to 11 players with zero setup, joining a friend's world over Xbox friends on Bedrock, or your own server for bigger groups, mods and a world that stays online. Java and Bedrock players cannot join each other without a Java server running Geyser.

Which way to play Minecraft with friends should I pick?

Start with two questions: which edition does everyone own, and does the world need to be online when the host is not?

Quick picks:

• Siblings or a LAN party: Open to LAN.
• A few console friends on Bedrock who play together: host a world and let them join from the Friends tab.
• Up to 11 people, vanilla, nobody wants to touch settings: Realms.
• An SMP that runs all week, more players, mods, or Java and Bedrock together: a server.

Can Java and Bedrock players play together?

Not directly. Minecraft: Java Edition runs on PC, Mac and Linux. Bedrock Edition runs on Windows, Xbox, PlayStation, Switch, iPhone, iPad and Android, and all of those crossplay with each other. The two editions use different network protocols, so a Java player cannot join a Bedrock world and the reverse.

The workaround is a Java server with the Geyser and Floodgate plugins. Geyser translates Bedrock connections, and Floodgate lets Bedrock players join without a Java account. Bedrock players then connect to the server on Geyser's port (UDP 19132 by default). Our guide on letting Bedrock players join a Java server with Geyser walks through it. Realms cannot do this: Java Realms are for Java players and Bedrock Realms for Bedrock players.

How do I play Minecraft with friends on LAN?

Open to LAN shares your singleplayer world with everyone on the same home network.

Java Edition:

1. Load your world.
2. Open the pause menu. Since Java 26.3 the setting lives in World Options, under Multiplayer, where you choose the LAN scope, port, command access and the game mode guests get (Minecraft.net, September 15, 2026). Older versions have an Open to LAN button directly in the pause menu.
3. Friends on the same network open Multiplayer and your world appears at the bottom of their list.

Bedrock Edition: in the world's settings, under Multiplayer, turn on Visible to LAN Players. Others on the network see the world in the Friends tab under LAN Games.

LAN only works inside one network. The world disappears when the host quits, and the host's device does all the server work while also rendering the game, so big groups lag. Java tested peer to peer play over the internet in 26.2 snapshots and removed it before release, so LAN is still local only.

How do Bedrock players join friends without a server?

On Bedrock, any world can be shared with your Microsoft account friends while you play. In the world settings, under Multiplayer, keep Multiplayer Game on and set Microsoft Account Settings to friends or friends of friends. Your friends see the world in their Friends tab and join from there, on any Bedrock platform.

The catches are the same as LAN: the world exists only while the host plays, and the host's device carries everyone. Console players also need their platform's online subscription (a Game Pass tier with online play on Xbox, PlayStation Plus, Nintendo Switch Online) for online multiplayer on any of these options.

Is Realms good for playing with friends?

Realms is Mojang's own subscription server, built into the game. According to the official Realms page, Bedrock Realms cost 3.99 USD a month for you plus 2 friends, Realms Plus 7.99 USD for you plus 10, and Java Realms 7.99 USD for you plus 10. Invited friends play free, and the world stays online when you log off.

Realms is the easiest option for console groups because the Realm shows up right in the Play menu. The limits: no more than 11 players at once, no server files or console, no plugins or mods on Java, and no mixing editions. When a group hits any of those, it moves to a server. We compare the two in detail in Minecraft Realms vs a dedicated server.

How do I play Minecraft with friends on a server?

A server is a separate program that runs your world around the clock, whether or not anyone is playing. You can run one yourself or rent one.

Running it yourself: Mojang's server, Paper and Fabric are free. Install Java 25 (every Minecraft 26.x version needs it), download Paper, accept the EULA, start it with enough memory and forward TCP port 25565 on your router. Your PC must stay on, and friends connect to your home IP. Full steps are in how to make a Minecraft server.

Renting one: you get an address, paste it into Minecraft, and the server stays up when your PC is off. No port forwarding and your home IP stays private.

How players join a Java server:

1. Open Minecraft on the same version as the server.
2. Click Multiplayer, then Add Server.
3. Paste the address, including the port if it has one, for example 203.0.113.10:25565, and click Done.
4. Double click the server to join.

If your friends cannot find your address, read how to find your Minecraft server IP address.

How much RAM does a Minecraft server for friends need?

Most friend SMPs land on 4 GB. Exploring, big farms and mods use memory faster than headcount does. See how much RAM a Minecraft server needs for the details.

How do I keep strangers out of my friends server?

Java servers have no join password. Use the whitelist instead:

whitelist on
whitelist add FriendName

With white-list=true in server.properties, only names on the list can join. Pair it with online-mode=true (the default) so only real Minecraft accounts get in. Make yourself an operator with op YourName so you can run commands in game.

Playing with friends on GamezServers

If you want a world that is always on without leaving your PC running, our Minecraft Java server hosting starts at 4.99 USD a month for 2 GB and 10 slots, and most friend groups pick the 4 GB plan at 9.99 USD for 25 slots. You choose Paper, Vanilla, Fabric, Forge, NeoForge or Purpur, and the whitelist and op buttons are in the panel. Friends can each pay their own share from a link, new customers get 50% off the first month on monthly plans, and you can cancel anytime. For a Bedrock only group, see Minecraft Bedrock hosting.

FAQ

Can you play Minecraft with friends for free?

Yes. Open to LAN, Bedrock friend worlds and a server on your own PC are all free. The catch is that the host must be playing or keep their PC on, and console players need their platform's online subscription.

Can Java and Bedrock players play together?

Only on a Java server running Geyser and Floodgate. Realms and LAN keep the two editions separate.

How many friends can join a Minecraft Realm?

You plus 10 on Realms Plus and Java Realms, or you plus 2 on the basic Bedrock Realm.

Do my friends need to own Minecraft?

Yes. Every player needs their own copy of the edition they play on. Invited friends do not need their own Realms subscription.

What is the best way to play Minecraft with friends?

For a short session, LAN or a Bedrock friend world. For a world your group comes back to all week, a server or a Realm, and a server once you want mods, more than 11 players or both editions together.