A Guide to Multiplayer in Minecraft Java Edition

Download Article

Minecraft Expert mochsty explains the options for playing with others online

Co-authored by Zac Churchill and Travis Boylls

Last Updated: March 8, 2026 Fact Checked

Download Article

Playing a LAN Game

|

Joining a Server

|

Using Minecraft Realms

|

Hosting a Public Server

|

Using Essential Mod

|

Video

Minecraft is one of the most popular games. Minecraft: Java Edition is the original version of Minecraft for computers, offering deeper mod customization options and free online servers. After all, the best way to play Minecraft is online with other people. However, playing multiplayer is a little more complicated than in Bedrock Edition. If you want to play multiplayer on Minecraft: Java Edition, there are a few ways you can do it. You can play over a local area network, using Minecraft Realms, or you can join or host a public server. You can also use a mod that adds more robust multiplayer options. This wikiHow article teaches you how to play multiplayer on Minecraft: Java Edition.

The Best Ways to Play Minecraft Java Multiplayer

Minecraft Expert mochsty says there are several ways to play multiplayer in Minecraft Java. To play with a group of trusted friends, download the Essentials mod to add an invite tab to any single-player world. You can also use a third-party Minecraft server or set up a local area network (LAN).

Method 1

Method 1 of 5:

Playing a LAN Game

Download Article

Playing over LAN allows you to play multiplayer games with people in the same household or physical location. All players need to be connected to the same Wi-Fi network.
2
Open Minecraft: Java Edition on all computers. To do so, open the Minecraft Launcher. Click Java Edition in the menu bar to the left. Then click Play.

Advertisement
3
Start a single-player game in a world you want to share. To do so, click Singleplayer on the title screen. Then either click the play icon next to an existing world, or click Create New World at the bottom of the screen. Select the game mode, difficulty, and if you want to allow commands. Then click Create new World.
4
Open the game up to LAN. To do so, press the Esc key and click Open to LAN. Then click Start LAN game. You should see a message saying “A local game has been hosted on port ######.”
5
Click Multiplayer on another computer. To join a LAN game from another computer, make sure both computers are connected to the same Wi-Fi network. Click Multiplayer. The game will scan for any LAN games on the same network and list any that are found.
6
Click the LAN game you want to join. When you see a LAN game appear in the list of games, click it to join. You can now play multiplayer over the same network.^{[1]
X
Research source}

Method 2

Method 2 of 5:

Joining a Server

Download Article

1
Find the server name and address. If it is a server that is hosted by a friend, you will need to get the server name and address from them. If you want to join a public server, you will need to find where the server name and address are listed.
- You can find official servers at findmcserver.com. You can find other lists of servers online at minecraft.buzz/java, or other websites.
2
Open Minecraft: Java Edition. To do so, open the Minecraft Launcher. Click Java Edition in the menu bar to the left. Then click Play.
3
Click Multiplayer. Any servers you have added that are online will be listed in the Multiplayer menu.
4
Join an existing server. To join a server you have added, simply click a server to select it and then click Join server at the bottom of the screen.
5
Click Add Server. To add a server to your list of servers, click Add Server at the bottom of the screen.
6
Enter the server name and address. Once you have the server name and address from whoever is hosting it, enter it in the appropriate fields.
7
Click Done. This adds the server to your list of servers. You can join the server in the Multiplayer menu from the title screen as long as the server is online.^{[2]
X
Research source}

Method 3

Method 3 of 5:

Using Minecraft Realms

Download Article

Java Edition. To do so, open the Minecraft Launcher. Click Java Edition in the menu bar to the left. Then click Play.
2
Click Minecraft Realms. It’s the third option on the title screen. With Minecraft: Realms, you can host your own official Minecraft server for a monthly subscription fee. You can also join another player's realm that they have invited you to.
3
Click the play icon next to a realm to play it. If you are hosting any realms or have accepted an invitation to a realm, it will be listed in the Minecraft Realms page. Click the play icon next to a realm to start playing.^{[3]
X
Research source}
4
Check if you have any invitations. On Minecraft: Java Edition, a player must invite you to their realm. They will need your Minecraft username to do so. To check if you have any invites, click the envelope icon in the upper-right corner of the Minecraft Realms menu.
5
Click the green checkbox to accept an invitation. This will add the realm to your Realms list. You can now join the game in the Minecraft Realms menu.^{[4]
X
Research source}
6
Subscribe to Minecraft Realms. If you want to host your own world in Minecraft Worlds, you need to purchase a subscription. Use the following steps to do so:^{[5]
X
Research source}
- Go to www.minecraft.net
- Make sure you are signed into your Microsoft account.
- Click Realms in the menu to the left.
- Select a subscription option (a free 30-day trial is available).
- Agree to the EULA.
- Click Buy Now or Try Java Realm.
- Select or enter your payment information.
7
Add a realm. Once you have purchased a subscription ot Realms, you can use the following steps to add a Realm.
- Launch Minecraft: Java Edition.
- Click Minecraft Realms.
- Click Add Realm.
- Select a world.
- Click Play.
8
Invite friends to your realm. You’ll need to know your friend’s username to invite them to a realm. You can generally invite up to 10 friends to play on a realm. Use the following steps to invite a friend:^{[6]
X
Research source}
- Launch Minecraft: Java Edition.
- Click Minecraft Realms.
- Select a realm you own.
- Click Configuration.
- Click the Players tab at the top.
- Click Invite Player.
- Enter the player’s username and click Invite Player.

Method 4

Method 4 of 5:

Hosting a Public Server

Download Article

1
Go to aternos.org in a web browser. Aternos is a website that allows you to host Minecraft servers for free. While you can host a Minecraft server locally on your computer using the official Minecraft server software, it’s much less complicated and safer to use a service like Aternos.
2
Click Play. It’s the blue button in the lower-right corner of the page.
3
Sign in or sign up for an account. Click Sign Up to create a new account. You will need to enter an email, username, and password. You can also click Sign In with Google to create an account with your Google account. If you already have an account, enter your username and password, and click Login.
4
Click Create. It’s the blue button that appears when you log in. This will create a new server.
5
Ensure “Java Edition” is selected and click Create. You can select “Java Edition” or “Bedrock Edition” at the top. Java Edition is selected by default.
- You can also edit the server name and welcome message by clicking the pencil icon in the server details box.
- If you want to create a specific type of may (i.e., arena, tower battles, oasis, parkour, etc), click Blueprints and then click one of the options.
6
Click Create. This will create the server.
7
Click Options. It’s in the menu bar to the left. This displays your server options. Options include game mode, difficulty, how many players you want to allow, whether you want to allow cracked accounts, and the option to upload a resource pack.
8
Click Server. It’s the first option in the menu bar to the left.
9
Copy the server address. This is what you will use to join your server, as well as give to other players you want to invite to your server. Click Copy next to the server address.
10
Click Start. It’s the green button in the center of the page. This will take you server live so that it can be joined.
11
Join your server. Use the server name and address to join the server in the Multiplayer menu in Minecraft: Java Edition. Instruct anyone you want to invite to do the same.

Method 5

Method 5 of 5:

Using Essential Mod

Download Article

1
Download the Essential mod. The Essential Mod adds new features to Minecraft: Java Edition, including the ability to invite friends to your game. To download the Essential Mod, go to essential.gg in a web browser and click Download.
- In order to invite other players to your Minecraft game, they will also need to have installed the Essential mod.
2
Install the Essential mod. Use the following steps to do so:
- Double-click the installation file in your Downloads folder. C
- lick Get Started
- Select the Minecraft Launcher.
- Click New Installation.
- Select which version of Minecraft you want to create an installation for.
- Click Create & Install Essential.
3
Open the Minecraft Launcher. It has an icon that resembles a Creeper. You will need to use the Minecraft Launcher to launch Minecraft with the mod. So, make sure you open the Minecraft Launcher instead of Minecraft directly.
4
Launch Minecraft with the Essential mod. To do so, select Minecraft: Java Edition in the menu to the left. Use the drop-down menu on the left side to select the Essential mod, if it’s not already selected. Then click Play.
- You may receive a notification explaining that you are playing a modified version of Minecraft and it may not support the latest features. Click the checkbox next to “I understand the risks” and click Play.
5
Click the Social icon. It’s the icon that resembles two people. It’s on the right-hand side. These icons are not available in the unmodded version of Minecraft.
- The first time you run the Essential mod, you will need to click the checkboxes next to “I am 13+ with parental consent, or 18+” as well as click the checkbox next to “I agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy” and click Agree. Then you will need to click the checkbox next to “I agree to the Chat rules” and click Submit.
6
Add a friend. To add a friend, they will also need to have the Essential mod installed. Click the icon that resembles a person with a plus sign (+) next to it in the upper-right corner. Then enter your friend’s Minecraft username and click Add.
7
Host a world. To host a world, click the Host icon, which resembles a Wi-Fi symbol, located at the top of the menu to the right. Select a world you want to host and click Next. You will receive a warning that your Host IP address will be visible in the network logs. Click Proceed to continue. Select your game world settings and click Next. Then click Host world.
To invite friends to a world you are playing, press Esc. Then click the envelope icon to the right. Click the plus (+) icon next to the friends you want to invite. Then click Done. Your friends will be able to join your game.