How to join a Minecraft server
To join a Minecraft Java server, open Minecraft, click Multiplayer, click Add Server, paste the address somebody gave you into the Server Address box, click Done and then Join Server. JetRift worlds use an address like yourworld.play.jetrift.com, typed exactly as it was sent, with no http and no port on the end.
The four steps
- Open Minecraft Java Edition and click Multiplayer on the title screen.
- Click Add Server. Server Name is whatever you want to call it in your own list, and does not have to match anything.
- Paste the address into Server Address, exactly as you were sent it.
- Click Done, then select the server and click Join Server.
What the errors mean
Almost every failure is one of four things, and they mean different problems.
- Unknown host or a red X: the address is mistyped, or it has http:// on the front. Addresses have no protocol and usually no port.
- Connection refused or timed out: the server is not running right now, or is not reachable from where you are.
- You are not white-listed: the server is up and working, and your Minecraft username is not on its list. Ask whoever owns it to add you, spelled exactly as it is in game.
- Outdated client or outdated server: the two of you are on different Minecraft versions. Change yours in the launcher to match.
Joining a JetRift world
Worlds here sleep when nobody is on them, so the first person to join in the evening may wait about a minute while it starts. The server list shows what it is doing rather than just failing, so a world that says it is starting is a world worth waiting for rather than one that is broken.
If you are refused, the message names the world and the username you connected with, which is almost always the whole diagnosis: the username on the list is not the username you are playing as.
Or make your own
If you got here because somebody sent you an address, the same thing costs nothing to have yourself. Pick from Survival, Creative, Lifesteal, OneBlock, Skyblock, Manhunt, Bingo, Origins, Randomizer, Chunklock, Death Swap, The Floor Is Lava or Hardcore, name it, add your friends by username, and send the address on.
Make one now. Free, no card, and about ninety seconds from here to an address you can send your friends.
Start a worldCommon questions
Do I need to download anything to join a server?
No. Multiplayer and Add Server are built into Minecraft. If a server needs mods, whoever runs it will tell you which.
Where do I find the port?
Usually nowhere, and you usually do not need one. An address with no port uses the default. If somebody gave you one it goes on the end after a colon.
Can I join a Java server from Bedrock, or from a console?
No. Java and Bedrock are separate games and cannot join each other’s servers.
Why does it say I am not whitelisted when I was before?
Either you were removed, or you are signed into a different Minecraft account than the one that was added. The refusal message names the username you actually connected with.