Open Minecraft Java Edition
Sign in with your Minecraft account
Make sure you and your friends are using the same Minecraft version
Connect to the internet
Join a public server by clicking Multiplayer, then Add Server or Direct Connect
Enter the server address and join
Join a friend’s world on a LAN network by opening a single-player world, pressing Esc, and clicking Open to LAN
Have other players on the same network open Multiplayer and join the LAN world
Use a private server for long-term multiplayer
Download and set up a Minecraft Java server
Share the server IP address with your friends
Add friends on a modded or third-party launcher if required by the server
Use Realms if you want an official private multiplayer world
Create or join a Realm from the Minecraft menu
Accept any required server rules or whitelist requests
Check that firewalls and antivirus software are not blocking Minecraft or Java
Make sure port forwarding is set up if hosting your own server
Restart Minecraft if the server does not appear
Verify that all players have compatible mods, resource packs, or datapacks if the server uses them