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How to Play Minecraft with a Friend Using TLauncher

Open a Minecraft world to LAN and share the host’s IP and displayed port. For remote play, TLauncher’s guide describes using a virtual network; an online Java server is another option.
Length3 min Posted Quest giverVGSources Team
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You can play together through TLauncher by opening a world to LAN and sharing its address: use the host’s local IP on the same Wi-Fi or wired network, or the host’s virtual-network IP when you are connecting remotely. In either case, the host shares the port Minecraft displays, and the friend enters IP:port under Multiplayer → Direct Connect. Both players need compatible Minecraft editions and versions.

Play together on the same Wi-Fi or wired network

This is the simplest option when both computers are connected to the same home or local network. The host opens a single-player world to LAN; the friend joins using the host computer’s local IP address and the port displayed in chat. TLauncher’s guide describes this process at How to play Minecraft on LAN.

  1. Check the setup: Make sure both players are using Java Edition and the same Minecraft game version.
  2. Find the host’s local IP address: Use the address assigned to the host computer on the local network, not a public internet address.
  3. Open the world to LAN: The host opens the world, pauses the game, and selects Open to LAN. Note the port number Minecraft prints in chat.
  4. Connect from the other computer: Open Multiplayer → Direct Connect and enter the host’s local IP, a colon, and the displayed port, in the format IP:port.

For example, TLauncher shows 192.168.1.47:31790 as an example address and port. Those values are not universal; use the host’s actual IP and the port shown for that session.

Connect when you are on different networks

A world opened to LAN is intended for a local network. TLauncher’s guide describes using Hamachi to create a virtual network for friends connecting from separate networks: one player creates the network, the other joins it, and the host opens the Minecraft world to LAN. The friend then connects to the host’s virtual-network IP and the port displayed in chat, using Multiplayer → Direct Connect.

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This is the method described in TLauncher’s guide, not a universal recommendation or a guarantee of compatibility for every current network setup. Follow the virtual-network service’s own setup and security guidance. The host must keep the world open while the friend connects.

Join an online Java server instead

If you do not want one player’s computer to host a temporary LAN world, you can join an online Java server. Minecraft Help says an online Java server supports two or more players without requiring a Realms subscription. In Minecraft’s Multiplayer menu, choose an existing server, select Direct Connection and enter its address, or choose Add Server to save the address before joining. Server addresses can be IP addresses or URLs. See Minecraft Help’s Java Edition server instructions.

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A server’s owner determines which edition, game version, mods, and authentication settings it accepts. The available guidance does not establish that every TLauncher setup can join every public or official server, so check the requirements for the specific server you want to use.

Match editions, versions, and mods

  • Edition: The official Minecraft multiplayer requirements say Java Edition players can join Java Edition hosted games; Java and Bedrock are not interchangeable for ordinary multiplayer joining. Check Minecraft’s multiplayer requirements.
  • Game version: TLauncher’s guide says players should use the same game version for its LAN method.
  • Modded worlds: TLauncher advises matching the installed mods and Forge version on each client. Matching those components does not guarantee that every modpack or server is compatible; follow the world or server owner’s requirements.
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If the connection fails

For timeouts or disconnections, TLauncher’s LAN guide points to network configuration, firewall, and antivirus handling as possible causes. Check the basics first:

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  • Confirm both players are on the intended local or virtual network.
  • Make sure the host still has the world open to LAN.
  • Recheck the host’s current IP address and the port shown in chat; do not reuse an example or an old session’s port.
  • Verify that both players are using the required edition, game version, and—if modded—the same listed mods and Forge version.
  • If a firewall is blocking the connection, allow the necessary game or network traffic rather than disabling security protection broadly.

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