With millions of players, the straightforward but limitless game of Minecraft, it’s simple to find players to play with. It’s not always obvious how to play multiplayer with your friends, though.
Depending on whether you have the more recent, console-friendly Bedrock edition or the vintage Java edition of Minecraft, how you play multiplayer will change. You can only play with friends who have the same edition, regardless of which one you own.
There are a few different ways to play with your friends if that version is Java.
Hosting a multiplayer Minecraft game should only take a short amount of time, regardless of whether you feel up to the task of joining a public server or creating your own server (which is less terrifying than it sounds), want to host a local LAN server, or would prefer to use the paid “Realms” server-hosting option.
Quick tip: You must all be playing the same version of Minecraft in order to play with others.
- In Minecraft, select Play.
- Select the Edit button next to the Realm you want to invite your friend to.
- Select the Members button.
- If you are not already friends, select the Find friends button. …
- Select the Invite button next to your friend’s gamertag on your Friends list.
How to Add People As Friends in Minecraft Java Edition
As stated earlier, adding friends in Minecraft Java Edition doesn’t exist in a traditional sense. However, using mods or add-ons to the game can allow you to add friends. One such mod, 5zig (seen above), allows for you to add friends and chat with them in-game, much the same as how the multiplayer features function for the Bedrock Edition of Minecraft. You can see a list of all friends, how long it has been since they were last online, and send private messages.
Some servers for the Java version of Minecraft have their own unique friending systems. You can type “/help” into the chat to try and find answers about how friending (as well as any other feature) works on the server you are currently using, though adding friends on any two servers won’t likely function in the same way. Since you can only add friends on the same server, keep in mind that you won’t be able to keep track of your friends if you switch between different servers.
Adding them to the list of your personal Minecraft Java Edition Realm is the last method for adding multiplayer friends. This requires a $7 monthly payment for the Java Edition of Minecraft Realms. 99 a month. You can invite as many people as you like to be your friends on the realm once it is active, but only 10 people can play at once. As you won’t be able to communicate with one another or check each other’s status through Minecraft itself (aside from seeing if the realm is active), this is comparable in some ways to adding friends on a public server.
If none of those sound appealing, your best bet is to play with your friends on a public server and communicate via Discord or Steam chat. Also keep in mind that you can only play against other Java Edition players!
Minecraft Java Edition is available for Windows, macOS, and Linux.
How To Play Minecraft with Your Friends on PC! (Java Edition Tutorial)
FAQ
How do you add players to Minecraft Java?
Here is how to connect for Minecraft: Java Edition. Choose a host computer. Launch the game and click Single Player. Create a new world or open an existing one. Press Esc to enter that world, then click Open to LAN. Choose a game mode to set for the other players.
Can you add people on Java Edition?
As previously mentioned, adding friends in the traditional sense is not possible in Minecraft Java Edition. However, you can invite friends to the game by using mods or add-ons.
How do you add friends on Minecraft?
Copy the gamertag your friend gave you by going to friends and clicking (or pressing) “add friend.” And it should say “Friend Sent Request” (I think…). Your other friend will accept the request when they see it. And that’s how you make friends.
