Are you wondering, “why minecraft wont let me play multiplayer or cross-play”? Does the problem occur in all the devices you choose to play the game? This do-it-yourself guide will guide you with what we’ve found so far to rectify the issue.
Every online gaming player has faced some kind of problem that interfered with their free fun time. Especially in multiplayer games, a lot of factors come into play and complicate things for you. The same goes for the Minecraft game.
Most of the time, Minecraft issues occur due to your account, your game, or your hardware. However, it is difficult to diagnose which category is responsible for your existing problem. Don’t worry; we are here to guide you accordingly. Let’s dive right into why the minecraft wont let you play multiplayer and what to do next.
Why does my Minecraft not let me play multiplayer?
If Minecraft is not letting you play multiplayer, it could be due to any one of the following reasons.
- Minecraft worlds are not configured to allow multiplayer functionality.
- You have not allowed the game to enable multiplayer with players from other editions.
- Your gaming account is not set up correctly and blocking multiplayer access.
- You have not optimized your network for gaming.
- You are using a VPN service, and it is restricting the game’s multiplayer function.
How do you turn on multiplayer on Minecraft?
Usually, the most common problem that you might have with Minecraft multiplayer is is with the game itself. To be more specific, you may not have set the worlds to allow multiplayer. However, it is an easy fix.
Each world you create in the game has its independent settings. Through these settings, you can allow which of your friends have access to a specific world or worlds and which ones you want to keep for yourself. However, if a world you wish your friends to join is not allowing multiplayer, do the following steps to fix the issue.
- Launch the Minecraft game on your device.
- Now click on the Play button and locate the world that you want to share with your friends.
- Next, click on the edit button next to the world. The edit button looks like a pencil in motion.
- Go to the Multiplayer section and toggle On the Multiplayer Game option (Now the option will show green).
- Select the friends who you want to join in the world.
- Once the Settings are done, verify that your friends can join the multiplayer game now.
How do I enable cross-platform play in Minecraft?
If the Minecraft game won’t let you play multiplayer with the players on other platforms, you may not have enabled the cross-platform play option.
If you want to enable cross-platform on Windows 10 or Xbox device, you need to log into a valid Microsoft or Xbox Live account. Afterward, select the “Invite to Game” on the right corner of the screen. Next, a new screen will pop up, and you have to choose the “Find Cross-Platform Friend” option on it.
Enabling cross-play on an Xbox or Nintendo Switch is a pretty straightforward process. To do this:
- Open the Microsoft Store on Xbox one or open the Nintendo game store on the Nintendo switch.
- Search for Minecraft and select a suitable title according to your device.
- Next, buy and download the game on your device.
- Launch the game and sign in with Microsoft or Xbox Live account.
Nintendo Switch players need to go to https://aka.ms/remoteconnect on their PC or mobile devices and type in the unique code displayed on the screen. Afterward, log in with the Microsoft account, and a confirmation screen will appear on the screen.
Shortly, the Xbox Live profile will show up on your Xbox or Nintendo device, and now you are ready for cross-play Minecraft on other platforms.
How do I optimize my network for gaming?
Now that the multiplayer option is enabled in Minecraft and cross-play is set up correctly on your device, the game won’t let you play multiplayer? Possibly, there might be some problem with your internet or VPN settings. To fix the issue, try configuring your router on a PC in the following way.
- Type CMD in the Windows 10 search box. Right-click the Command Prompt and select the Run as administrator option.
- Now type ipconfig /all command and look for the Default Gateway value, also referred to as the router’s IPV4 Gateway.
- Next, launch your web browser and enter the default gateway value in the address bar.
- Your browser will now display your router settings.
- Enter your router login credentials (Usually, it is admin by default).
- Now access the Administration or Advanced Setup menu and look for the UPnP section.
- Make sure that the UPnP option is turned on (Now your network will change from strict to open).
- Finally, apply the changes or use the Save button and exit the browser.
After configuring your router, try the multiplayer access to see if the game allows you to do it.
Check your VPN
If you use a virtual private network on top of your network connection, ensure that the service allows P2P connections. Quite often, VPNs operate with dedicated servers that usually allow P2P. However, sometimes you may select a server that does not offer partner-to-partner links and thus robs you of multiplayer functionality.
To fix this issue, try to connect with a low population server. However, it often does not solve the Minecraft multiplayer issue.
VPNs often do not work well for online gaming since they introduce extra lag on your network. Therefore, we recommend turning off your VPN before launching the game and checking if Minecraft lets you play multiplayer afterward.
Conclusion
The Minecraft game allows you to invite your friends to join your world. However, sometimes you might be faced with this thought; ‘minecraft wont let me play multiplayer’. Hopefully, this guide helped you fix the issue, and now you can enjoy the survival game with your friends. The above fixes can work for both the Minecraft Java and Bedrock editions. Thank you for reading.
