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One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchTo join a Minecraft server on a PC, first confirm whether you are running Java Edition or Bedrock Edition. Java connects from Multiplayer; Bedrock connects from Play > Servers. You then enter the server owner’s hostname or IP address, and—on Bedrock when requested—the port. Java and Bedrock use separate server systems and do not connect directly to one another, so the edition must match the server.
Check which Minecraft edition you have
Minecraft for PC is distributed as Java Edition and Bedrock Edition. They have different server systems: a Java player needs a Java server, while a Bedrock player needs a Bedrock server. The official edition guide explains that the two editions use different servers and cannot play together directly (Minecraft Java or Bedrock Edition).
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Java Edition
Java Edition is the version launched through the Java profile in the Minecraft Launcher. Its server browser is the Multiplayer screen, where you can save servers, connect directly, or browse servers already stored on your computer.
Bedrock Edition
Bedrock Edition is the Windows PC version with the Bedrock interface. Its server controls are under Play, then Servers. Bedrock includes featured servers and also lets you enter a server manually.
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Why the distinction matters
An address can be correct and the server can be online, yet the connection will still fail if you open it in the wrong edition. Ask the server owner which edition and game release the server supports before troubleshooting anything else.
Details to get before you open Minecraft
Have the complete connection information ready instead of trying to identify a server from a partial name. Ask the owner for:
- The supported edition: Java or Bedrock.
- The supported game release, especially if the server requires a particular version rather than the newest release.
- The full hostname or numerical IP address.
- For Bedrock, the port as a separate number. Minecraft Help documents
19132as the default Bedrock port, but the owner’s specified value takes priority. - Any access conditions, such as account permissions, a whitelist, or a restricted version range.
Copy the address exactly. Hostnames can contain periods, hyphens, and numbers, while IP addresses contain several number groups. Do not add spaces, quotation marks, or explanatory text. If the owner sends a Java address with a port suffix such as play.example.net:25565, preserve the suffix. If a Bedrock form provides a separate port box, put the address in the address field and the digits in the port field rather than combining them.
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Join a Java Edition server
Use the following procedure for a remote Java server. The server owner should give you an address; it may be a hostname such as play.example.net or a numerical IP address. The official Java instructions cover the same connection flow (Minecraft Help: Play Minecraft: Java Edition Online in a Multiplayer Server).
- Open the Minecraft Launcher and start Minecraft: Java Edition.
- At the title screen, select Multiplayer.
- Choose one of the available connection methods:
- An existing saved server: select it from the list and choose Join Server.
- Direct Connection: enter the address for a one-time connection, then select Join Server. This does not create a saved entry.
- Add Server: enter a name for your list and the server address, then save it. Select the saved entry and choose Join Server whenever you return.
- Type the address exactly as supplied. Keep punctuation, numbers, and any port suffix unchanged. Do not add spaces.
- Select Join Server. If the server accepts your edition, release, account, and connection, the world loads.
What to enter in the Java address field
Use the hostname or IP address from the owner. A hostname is a readable internet address; an IP address is a sequence of numbers. Some Java servers publish a port as part of the address, commonly in the form hostname:port. Preserve that format instead of guessing a different port. If the owner supplied only a hostname or IP, enter only that value.
Saving a Java server
Add Server stores the connection details in your multiplayer list, so you do not have to retype them. It does not create, host, or repair the server; it only saves the address for your client.
Direct Connection or Add Server?
Use Direct Connection when you are testing an address or joining once and do not want another saved entry. Use Add Server when you expect to return, want a recognizable label, or need to keep several server addresses organized. Both methods still require the same edition, release, account access, and exact address.
Join a Bedrock Edition server on Windows
Bedrock uses a different menu path and may require a separate port value. Minecraft Help documents 19132 as the default Bedrock port (Minecraft Help: Play Minecraft: Bedrock Edition Online in a Multiplayer Server).
- Open the Launcher and start Minecraft: Bedrock Edition.
- Select Play on the main screen.
- Open the Servers tab.
- For a featured server, select it and choose Play. No manual address entry is needed for a featured listing.
- For a server supplied by an owner, select Add Server.
- Enter a recognizable Server Name, the supplied Server Address, and the Port when the server requires one. Use the owner’s port; if the owner specifies the documented default, enter
19132. - Select Add and play to save the entry and connect immediately, or Add server to save it without joining.
Bedrock address and port fields
Bedrock separates the address from the port in its form. Enter a hostname or IP in the address field and digits in the port field. If the owner gives a non-default port, that value is part of the server’s identity; entering the address alone can send your client to the wrong service.
Featured versus manually added servers
Featured servers appear in the Servers tab and can be selected without typing an address. A privately operated or otherwise unlisted server requires the manual form and the exact details supplied by its owner.
When to use Add and play
Add and play is the quickest option when you have just received the details and want to test them. It saves the entry and attempts the connection immediately. Choose Add server when you want to store the details but are not ready to connect or need to verify the port first.
Java and Bedrock joining compared
| Question | Java Edition | Bedrock Edition on PC |
|---|---|---|
| Where do you start? | Multiplayer from the title screen | Play > Servers |
| How do you connect? | Select a saved entry, Direct Connection, or Add Server | Select a featured listing or Add Server |
| What does the owner provide? | A hostname or IP address; retain any port notation supplied | A server name, hostname or IP address, and a port when required |
| Can the editions share a server directly? | No direct Java-to-Bedrock connection | No direct Bedrock-to-Java connection |
| Account sign-in | Microsoft Account sign-in is required for multiplayer | Microsoft Account sign-in is required for multiplayer |
| LAN discovery | LAN worlds appear in the Multiplayer screen | LAN worlds appear under Play > Worlds when the devices share a local network |
The edition and account requirements are summarized in Minecraft’s multiplayer guidance (How to play on a Minecraft server) and its requirements article (Requirements to Play Minecraft Multiplayer Games).
Join a world over your local network (LAN)
A LAN game is hosted from one computer and discovered by other devices on the same local network. This is different from joining a remotely hosted server: you do not need a public server address, but the host must start the world for others to see it.
Java LAN procedure
- Have the host open the desired single-player world in Java Edition.
- Open the in-game pause menu and choose the option to open the world to LAN.
- Set the available game options and start the LAN world.
- On the joining computer, open Multiplayer. The LAN world should appear in the list when both computers are on the same local network.
- Select the discovered world and choose Join Server.
If the LAN entry does not appear, verify that both computers are connected to the same network and that the host has actually opened the world to LAN. A remotely supplied address is not used for this local discovery method.
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- Connect both devices to the same local network.
- Have the host open the world in Bedrock Edition and start the LAN game.
- On the joining PC, select Play, then Worlds.
- Look for the world marked as a LAN game and select it to join.
Minecraft Help documents this Bedrock flow and the same-network requirement (Play Minecraft: Bedrock Edition on a Local Area Network (LAN)).
Remote server versus LAN world
Use a remote server address when the world is hosted elsewhere and is available over the internet. Use LAN discovery when the host and joining players are on the same local network. A LAN world is normally visible only while the host has opened that world for local play; it is not a permanently listed server. Conversely, entering a remote address will not make a local world appear if the host has not started LAN mode.
Requirements before connecting
- Matching edition: use Java for a Java server and Bedrock for a Bedrock server. The two editions are not direct cross-play partners.
- Compatible release: use a current game release that the server supports. Snapshot and preview builds can fail to connect to an ordinary stable-release server.
- Microsoft Account: multiplayer requires that you be signed in. Minecraft’s official guide states, “To play multiplayer, you’ll need to be signed in with a Microsoft Account.”
- Child-account permissions: a child account may need multiplayer permissions enabled in its account settings before a server connection is allowed.
- Connection: use a stable internet connection for a remote server, or a functioning shared LAN for a local world.
- Computer capability: the PC must meet Minecraft’s published requirements for multiplayer play.
- Correct details: obtain the exact address and, for Bedrock, the required port from the server owner.
The official requirements page covers the account, release, connection, and computer prerequisites (Minecraft Help: Requirements to Play Minecraft Multiplayer Games).
Troubleshoot a server that will not connect
A server being online does not guarantee that every client can enter it. Connection failures commonly result from a mismatch in edition, release, address, port, account permission, or network. Work through the checks in this order so that one wrong setting is not mistaken for a server outage.
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Check the server listing or ask its owner which edition it supports. Reopen the launcher profile for that edition and select a compatible stable release. If you are using a snapshot or preview, switch to the release named by the owner before testing again.
2. Re-enter the connection details
Compare every character with the owner’s message. For Java, check the complete hostname, IP address, and any port notation. For Bedrock, check both the address and the separate port field. A single missing digit, extra space, or incorrect port can point your client somewhere else.
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3. Check account access
Make sure the launcher is signed in with the Microsoft Account that has multiplayer enabled. If the account is managed as a child account, ask the account organizer to review its multiplayer permissions. Sign-in problems can block multiplayer before the server receives a connection attempt.
4. Separate internet problems from LAN problems
For a remote server, test the internet connection and try again after reconnecting to the network. For LAN, confirm that both devices are on the same local network and that the host world is actively open to LAN. A LAN world will not appear in the normal remote-server list unless the game is being advertised locally.
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5. Ask the owner about server status and restrictions
If your edition, release, account, address, port, and network all match, ask the owner whether the server is undergoing maintenance, has a whitelist, or is limited to particular versions. The owner can confirm the expected edition and connection format more reliably than a generic error message.
6. Interpret the result
- The server is missing from a list: use Direct Connection or Add Server with the exact details instead of waiting for a listing to appear.
- The address is rejected immediately: recheck its spelling, the edition, and the port format.
- The server appears but you cannot enter: verify the game release and account permissions, then ask whether the server limits versions or players.
- LAN is absent: check same-network status and confirm that the host has started LAN mode.
How cross-play actually works
Java and Bedrock do not provide direct cross-play with one another. A Java player cannot use the ordinary Java multiplayer menu to enter a Bedrock server, and a Bedrock player cannot use the standard Bedrock server form to enter a Java server. Everyone joining the same server must use the edition and release that server supports.
That rule also applies to private games: two people on the same PC network still need compatible editions for the same multiplayer session. If a group owns both editions, choose a server platform first and have every participant launch the matching edition.
A first-connection checklist
- Identify your edition: Java or Bedrock.
- Ask the owner which edition and release the server accepts.
- Sign in to the Microsoft Account used for multiplayer.
- Obtain the complete hostname or IP address.
- For Bedrock, obtain the port and enter it separately; use
19132only when that is the server’s specified default. - Use Multiplayer for Java or Play > Servers for Bedrock.
- Save the entry if you expect to return.
- If the connection fails, check edition, release, address, port, permissions, and network in that order.
Once those details align, joining is a matter of selecting the saved server or entering the owner’s information in the appropriate menu. For a local game, use the LAN procedure for your edition instead of a remote server address.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know whether I have Java or Bedrock Edition on PC?
Check the edition you launch in Minecraft Launcher. Java uses the Java Edition profile and opens with a Multiplayer button. Bedrock uses the Bedrock interface, where multiplayer servers are under Play > Servers. If you are unsure, ask the server owner which edition their server accepts before entering any address.
Can a Java player join a Bedrock server?
Not directly. Minecraft’s official edition guide says Java and Bedrock use different servers and cannot play together directly. A Java player must launch Java for a Java server, and a Bedrock player must launch Bedrock for a Bedrock server. Everyone in one session needs the edition supported by that server.
What port should I enter for a Bedrock server?
Enter the port supplied by the server owner. Minecraft Help documents 19132 as the default Bedrock port, but do not assume it applies to every server. Bedrock uses a separate port field, so enter the hostname or IP in Server Address and the port digits in Port.
Why is a server not appearing in my list?
A privately operated server may not appear automatically. In Java, use Direct Connection or Add Server. In Bedrock, open Play > Servers and choose Add Server. Then enter the exact address and, for Bedrock, the required port. Featured Bedrock servers are listed separately.
Do I need a Microsoft Account to join multiplayer?
Yes. Minecraft’s multiplayer guidance states that you need to be signed in with a Microsoft Account. If the account is a child account, multiplayer permissions may also need to be enabled by the account organizer before the server connection can proceed.
Can I join a server using a snapshot or preview release?
Only if the server supports that release. Snapshot and preview builds may fail against an ordinary stable-release server. Check the owner’s required version and launch a compatible current release before diagnosing the address or network.
How do I save a server so I can return later?
In Java, choose Add Server, enter a list name and address, and save it. In Bedrock, enter the server name, address, and required port, then choose Add server. Saving stores the connection details on your client; it does not create, host, or repair the server.
Why can’t I see a LAN world?
Confirm that both computers are connected to the same local network and that the host has actively opened the world to LAN. Java players look in Multiplayer. Bedrock players select Play > Worlds and choose the world marked as a LAN game. A remote server address is not used for LAN discovery.
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Check the edition, compatible release, Microsoft Account sign-in, child-account permissions, address spelling, port, and network in that order. If those details match, ask the owner whether the server is under maintenance, uses a whitelist, or restricts players to particular versions.
The Bottom Line
Bottom line: match your Minecraft edition and release to the server, sign in with a Microsoft Account, and use the correct menu. Java uses Multiplayer; Bedrock uses Play > Servers and may require port 19132 or another owner-specified value. For local play, use LAN discovery on the same network. If joining fails, recheck the edition, release, address, port, account permissions, and network before assuming the server is offline.
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