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Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minuteMinecraft Bedrock multiplayer has five practical server arrangements: a friend-hosted world, a LAN world, Realms or Realms Plus, featured public servers, and a self-hosted Bedrock Dedicated Server (BDS). You do not need a separate server for a one-off session with friends. Choose a Realm when you want an always-available private world with minimal maintenance; choose BDS when you need control over files, settings, packs and access rules; use LAN for people on the same network; and use featured servers for curated public minigames.
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The five Bedrock multiplayer types at a glance
These options are not interchangeable. They differ in whether the world remains online after the owner leaves, who handles updates and backups, how players connect, and how much control the owner has.
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| Type | Does it persist when the host leaves? | Typical network scope | Who administers it? | Best fit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Friend-hosted world | No; the host session must be running | Online friends | The player who opens the world | Occasional play with a small group |
| LAN world | No; the host session and local network are required | Same home, classroom or event network | The local host | Local multiplayer without internet hosting |
| Realm or Realm Plus | Yes; the subscribed service remains available | Invited online players | Microsoft operates the service; the owner manages invitations and the world | Private, low-maintenance always-on play |
| Featured server | Yes; it is operated as a public service | Public internet | The partner operator | Curated minigames and public communities |
| Bedrock Dedicated Server | Yes, while your host is running | LAN or public internet | You or a managed host | Maximum control, custom worlds and server policies |
1. Friend-hosted Bedrock worlds
How it works
A player opens an ordinary Bedrock world and invites friends. Minecraft Help lists joining a friend’s world as a standard online multiplayer route. The world is tied to that player’s game session: when the host closes the world or leaves, other players can no longer enter it.
Advantages and limits
- Almost no setup: create or load a world, then invite friends.
- No separate machine, port forwarding or server process is required.
- The host controls the world’s normal gameplay settings and must be available whenever the group wants to play.
- It is a poor fit for a community that expects to build while the owner is offline.
For a family or small group that plays together at the same time, this is usually the simplest answer to “Do I need a server?” You need a separately running server only when you require persistence beyond the host’s session.
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2. LAN worlds
What LAN means in Bedrock
LAN play exposes a local multiplayer game to devices on the same local network. That makes it useful in a household, classroom, club or local event where everyone is connected to the same router or network segment. It does not, by itself, publish the world to the wider internet.
Finding the world
Bedrock can advertise a local game for nearby devices. Minecraft’s LAN guidance also notes that friends who are already Microsoft/Xbox friends and online may see a direct “join friend” route instead of relying on a LAN listing. A missing LAN listing therefore does not automatically mean the world is broken; check that every device is on the same network and that local discovery is allowed.
When LAN is the right choice
- Use it for same-network play where internet access is unavailable or unnecessary.
- Do not select it for remote friends in different homes unless you add a separate network solution; LAN alone is not internet hosting.
- Like a friend-hosted world, it ends when the host closes the world.
3. Realms and Realms Plus
What the subscription provides
Realms and Realms Plus are official subscription-based services that let players create private servers. Microsoft operates the hosting infrastructure, while the owner manages the invited world rather than a server computer, firewall, ports or background process.
The convenience trade-off
- Persistence: the Realm is intended to remain available for invited players when the owner is offline.
- Administration: there is no operating-system maintenance or server executable for you to run.
- Access control: the owner decides who is invited and can remove access without exposing a public server address.
- Customization: you work within the options and limits provided by the Realm service instead of editing every server file yourself.
Current prices, player limits and tier details can change by region and subscription period; verify the offer shown in your Minecraft account before buying. Those commercial details are separate from the basic distinction: Realms prioritizes convenience and managed hosting over low-level control.
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- Minecraft is a game about placing blocks and going on adventures
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- Play in creative mode with unlimited resources or mine deep into the world in survival mode, crafting weapons and armor to fend off the dangerous mobs
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Who should choose a Realm?
Choose one when a private group wants an always-available world and nobody wants to maintain Windows or Ubuntu, update server files, configure firewall rules or manage backups manually. If you need custom operational policies, extensive file-level control or your own networking, BDS is the more flexible route.
4. Featured Bedrock servers
Curated public experiences
Bedrock includes a built-in featured-server list for partner communities and public minigame experiences. These are not private worlds that you administer; they are public services run by their operators, with their own rules, moderation and game modes.
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Platform-specific access
Minecraft Help states that console editions are limited to featured servers. Consequently, do not promise that every Xbox, PlayStation or Switch player can type an arbitrary custom IP address and join any Bedrock server. The exact connection workflow depends on the platform’s edition and account restrictions. Mobile and Windows players may have different server-entry options, but every participant still needs a compatible Bedrock version.
When featured servers make sense
Use this category when you want immediate access to public minigames and do not need ownership of the world. It is the wrong choice for a private survival map, a controlled classroom world or a server whose files and settings you must manage.
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5. Bedrock Dedicated Server (BDS)
What BDS is
The Bedrock Dedicated Server is the official downloadable server software for hosting a Minecraft: Bedrock Edition multiplayer world. Microsoft describes it as software you can run yourself, free of charge, on supported Windows or Ubuntu Linux systems. Unlike a friend-hosted world, it can continue running after the person who configured it leaves the game.
Supported host requirements
The current download documentation lists Windows 10 version 10.0.15063 or later, Windows Server 2016 or later, and Ubuntu 22.04 LTS or later for the current package. These are host operating-system requirements, not the game version installed on each player’s device. Keep the server package and clients on compatible Bedrock releases.
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- Download the current Bedrock Dedicated Server package from Minecraft’s official download page and extract it on a supported Windows or Ubuntu host.
- On Windows, start the server by running
bedrock_server. On Ubuntu, launch it withLD_LIBRARY_PATH=. ./bedrock_server. - Open the generated
server.propertiesfile and set the name, mode, difficulty, world and access behavior you want. - Start the server and confirm that it creates a
worldsdirectory. Keep the host powered on whenever players need access. - For internet play, configure firewall rules for the server’s IPv4 and IPv6 ports. The official guide gives 19132 and 19133 as the default ports; use the values actually configured on your installation.
- Give players the reachable address and port permitted by their platform. Remote, non-LAN clients require Xbox Live authentication.
Self-hosting means you are responsible for operating-system updates, server updates, backups, permissions, firewall exposure and recovery after a crash. A managed Bedrock server host can remove much of that maintenance, but it does not give you the same direct control as owning the BDS files.
What you can control in a BDS installation
Core settings in server.properties
The properties file controls the server name, default game mode, difficulty, LAN visibility, view distance, tick distance, idle timeout, selected world and allow-list behavior. Microsoft documents survival, creative and adventure as valid game-mode values.
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- World selection:
level-nameidentifies the world that is active. - LAN discovery:
enable-lan-visibilitycontrols whether the server advertises itself on the local network. - Performance: view distance affects how much world data is sent around players; tick distance affects how much of the world is actively simulated. Raising either increases resource demand.
- Access: allow-list behavior lets you restrict entry to named players instead of accepting everyone who can reach the port.
- Session behavior: idle timeout can disconnect inactive players according to the value you set.
Change one setting at a time and keep a copy of the original file. A syntactically valid value can still create a poor experience if the host cannot simulate the selected distances for the number of players online.
Worlds, behavior packs and resource packs
A BDS installation can contain multiple worlds inside worlds, but only the world named by level-name is active at a time. To move an existing Bedrock world to the server, copy that world into the server’s worlds directory and set level-name to the matching folder name.
Behavior packs and resource packs can be shared through the corresponding server directories. Treat pack changes as an operational change: make a backup first, test with a separate copy when possible, and tell players that they may need to download or accept the required resources.
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Bedrock is designed for cross-platform play, but compatibility is conditional rather than automatic. Minecraft Help states that players need matching game versions to join a Bedrock world, server, Realm or LAN game. Make version matching the first check whenever one device cannot connect.
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- Ensure every player is running the same current Bedrock release, including the server package where applicable.
- Confirm that each player is signed in with the account required by the connection type; remote BDS clients require Xbox Live authentication.
- Remember the console limitation around featured servers and custom IP workflows. A console player may be able to join a friend or Realm while being unable to enter an arbitrary address.
- Java Edition server software is not interchangeable with Bedrock Dedicated Server software. A Bedrock client needs a Bedrock-compatible destination unless a separate bridging solution is involved; that is outside the five native Bedrock types described here.
Choosing the right type
| Your requirement | Most suitable option | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Play occasionally while everyone is together | Friend-hosted world | Fastest setup and no separate host |
| Play in one building with no internet hosting | LAN world | Local discovery keeps traffic on the shared network |
| Private world that friends can enter while you are away | Realm or Realm Plus | Managed, persistent hosting with invitations |
| Public minigames with no administration | Featured server | Operator supplies the infrastructure and content |
| Custom properties, packs, allow lists and file access | BDS | You control the server process and data |
| Always-on access without maintaining a host | Realm or managed Bedrock hosting | Someone else keeps the machine and network available |
The decisive question is who should carry the operational burden. Friend worlds and LAN minimize setup but are session-bound. Realms minimize maintenance but constrain low-level control. Featured servers remove ownership entirely. BDS gives the most control, along with responsibility for the host, network and backups.
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Troubleshooting by symptom
A friend cannot join any Bedrock world
- Check that both players have matching game versions first.
- Verify that the host has multiplayer enabled and is still inside the world.
- For a LAN game, confirm that both devices are on the same local network rather than an isolated guest network.
- For remote play, confirm account sign-in and the platform’s online-multiplayer permissions.
A BDS server is visible but unreachable
- Confirm that the server process is running and listening on the configured port.
- Check firewall rules for both the IPv4 and IPv6 ports you intend to expose; the documented defaults are 19132 and 19133.
- Verify that the player is using the correct address and port, not merely the local address shown on the host.
- Check Xbox Live authentication for remote, non-LAN clients.
The wrong world opens
Inspect level-name and compare it with the exact folder name under worlds. Multiple folders can exist, but only the selected name is active.
Players report lag after changing settings
Review view distance and tick distance. Both increase work as they rise, and tick distance affects simulation rather than only what a player sees. Lower the values, test with the expected number of players, and then increase them gradually if the host has capacity.
Quick Recap
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