Open Minecraft on both devices
Make sure both players have the same Minecraft edition and version
Sign in to a Microsoft account if using Bedrock Edition
Add each other as friends on Xbox/Microsoft if playing online
Create or open a world
Set the world to allow multiplayer
For local play, connect both devices to the same Wi-Fi
For split-screen on console, connect a second controller and press start
For LAN play on Java Edition, open the world to LAN
For online play, invite the second player to the world
Join the world from the Friends or Multiplayer menu
Start playing together in the same world