How to Join a Minecraft Server

If someone gave you a server address and you're not sure what to do with it, you're in the right place. Joining a Minecraft server takes about 30 seconds once you know where to click - and when it doesn't work, it's almost always one of the six errors covered further down.

How to Join a Minecraft Server (Step by Step)

The process is the same whether you're joining a public server or your friend's private server:

Step 1: Get the server address

Every server has an address - either a domain like survival.luckychunk.com or a raw IP like 123.45.67.89. It comes from whoever runs the server: a friend, a hosting panel, or a server listing site for the big public ones.

Step 2: Add the server in Minecraft

1. Launch Minecraft Java Edition
2. Click Multiplayer on the title screen
3. Click Add Server
4. Type any name you like in the Server Name field (it's just a label), paste the address into the Server Address field, and click Done

   

Step 3: Connect

The server appears in your list. Give it a second to respond, then double-click it to join.

The little bar on the right side of the entry is telling you things. Green bars mean the server is online and reachable - more bars, faster connection. Hover over it to see your ping in milliseconds (under ~100 feels instant; past ~250 you'll notice delay). A red X means Minecraft can't reach the server at all: it's offline, the address is wrong, or the version doesn't match - the number shown in red next to the entry is the server's version when yours doesn't line up.

You only do this once. The server stays saved in your Multiplayer list, so next time it's double-click and play.

What You Need Before Joining

• A paid copy of Minecraft Java Edition. Servers verify your login against Mojang's authentication - pirated and demo versions can't join online servers, ever.
• The same version as the server. A 1.12.2 server rejects a 26.2 client, and even 1.21.1 against 1.21 won't connect. The server list shows each server's version - if it doesn't match yours, switch in the launcher

  

  The full walkthrough, including what switching means for your worlds, is in our how to change your Minecraft version guide.
• An internet connection. Obvious, but a surprising number of "can't connect" reports turn out to be hotel Wi-Fi or a school network blocking game traffic.

Domain or Raw IP - Does It Matter?

No - a domain and an IP address are two ways of writing the same destination, and Minecraft treats them identically. survival.luckychunk.com is just a name that points at a numeric address, the same way a contact name points at a phone number. Domains are easier to type and keep working if the server moves to a new machine, which is why hosting services hand them out. If your friend sends you a raw IP with a colon in it, like 123.45.67.89:25566, keep the colon part - that's the port, and it's part of the address.

Troubleshooting: Errors You'll Actually See

"Can't connect to server"

Either the server is offline or the address is typed wrong. Re-copy it character by character - a trailing space pasted along with the address is the classic version of this, and it fails silently.

"Connection timed out"

Minecraft reached out and nothing answered. The server is down or overloaded, your connection dropped, or a firewall is in the way. On a friend's self-hosted server, this is their port forwarding failing about 90% of the time - the fix is on their end, not yours.

"Outdated client" / "Outdated server"

Version mismatch, and the error names the direction: "outdated client" means the server is newer than you, "outdated server" means you're newer than it. Either way, you adjust - switch your launcher to the exact version the server runs using our change your Minecraft version guide.

"You are not whitelisted on this server"

A whitelist is a guest list: when it's on, only usernames the owner has approved can join, no matter who has the address. It's the standard way private servers keep strangers out. The fix isn't on your side - send the server owner your exact Minecraft username (capitalization included) and ask them to whitelist you.

"io.netty.channel..." errors

The long scary ones, like io.netty.channel.AbstractChannel$AnnotatedConnectException: Connection refused. Despite the looks, it's a plain networking failure: "connection refused" means nothing is listening at that address (server off, or wrong port), while the timeout variant is the same story as "connection timed out" above. Restart Minecraft, double-check the address, try again in a minute. If it persists for everyone, it's the server's problem, not yours.

The server asks me to download a resource pack

Some servers use a resource pack - custom textures and sounds that make their minigames or map look right. The prompt is normal and accepting is safe; it's game assets, not a program. You can decline, but some servers require it and will disconnect you, and if the download gets stuck, disconnect and rejoin - it usually completes the second time.

Types of Minecraft Servers You Can Join

Public servers

Open to everyone - Hypixel is the giant, with tens of thousands of players on at once for Bedwars, SkyBlock, and duels. Addresses are on the servers' own sites and listing sites like minecraft-server-list.com. Free to join, fun immediately, but it's not your world and you can't build a base in a minigame lobby.

Private servers (friends only)

Someone in your group runs a server, shares the address, and usually turns on the whitelist so only your friends get in. This is what people actually mean by "playing Minecraft together" - a persistent world that belongs to your group. Our how to play Minecraft with friends guide compares every way to get one.

Don't Have a Server to Join? Create One

If you want your own world for you and your friends, there are two routes:

Self-hosting (free, but a project)

You run the server program on your own PC. It works, and it costs nothing - but you're signing up for port forwarding, Java setup, and your friends seeing your home IP address, and the server is only online while your computer is. The full walkthrough is in our how to make a Minecraft server guide.

LuckyChunk (about a minute)

Pick a Minecraft version - current or old ones like 1.8.8 and 1.12.2 - pay $20/month, and your server is live with its own address. Up to 20 players, always online, whitelist built into the panel, no technical setup. Your friends just follow the steps at the top of this page.

Quick Answers

Do I need to pay to join a Minecraft server?

No - joining servers is free and unlimited. The only purchase involved is Minecraft Java Edition itself. Public servers like Hypixel cost nothing to play on, and joining a friend's server costs you nothing either; whoever runs the server covers it.

Why can't I see the server my friend sees?

Usually one of three things: a typo in the address (compare yours to theirs character by character), a version mismatch (you must be on the exact version the server runs), or their server is whitelisted and you're not on the list yet. If all three check out, have the owner confirm the server is actually online.

What does "not whitelisted" mean?

The server has an approved-players list and your username isn't on it. It's not a ban and you didn't do anything wrong - the owner just hasn't added you. Send them your exact Minecraft username and you'll be in a minute later.

Can Bedrock players join a Java server?

No. Java and Bedrock are separate games with separate servers - a friend on Xbox, PlayStation, Switch, phone, or the Microsoft Store version of Minecraft can't join a Java server. A group split across editions has to pick one and stick with it.

Is it safe to join random public servers?

Generally yes - joining a server can't harm your computer, and resource packs are just game assets. The real rules: never type your password in a server's chat (no legitimate server asks), and treat "free rank" links in chat as the scams they are. Stick to well-known servers and ones run by people you know.