While solo Minecraft is incredibly fun, it would be hard to say that Minecraft would be where it’s at today without its multiplayer features. Taking on a new world is just simply better with others, especially if they build cool things or help gather supplies. Friending people on Minecraft Java Edition can be a somewhat difficult process when compared to Minecraft Bedrock Edition. While there is no built-in friend system like what we see in Minecraft Bedrock Edition, there still are ways to add multiplayer friends through mods, add-ons, and more. Here’s how to add someone as a multiplayer friend in Minecraft Java Edition.
How to Add People As Friends in Minecraft Java Edition
As stated earlier, adding friends in Minecraft Java Edition doesn’t exist in a traditional sense. However, using mods or add-ons to the game can allow you to add friends. One such mod, 5zig (seen above), allows for you to add friends and chat with them in-game, much the same as how the multiplayer features function for the Bedrock Edition of Minecraft. You can see a list of all friends, how long it has been since they were last online, and send private messages.
Some Minecraft Java Edition servers include their own custom friending systems. While adding friends on any two servers will likely not work the same way, you can type “/help” into the chat to try and find answers to how friending (as well as any other feature) works on the server you are playing on. This will only allow you to add friends within the same server, so keep in mind that if you hop between multiple servers you won’t be able to keep track of your friends.
The final way to add multiplayer friends in Minecraft Java edition would be adding them to the list of your private Minecraft Java Edition Realm. This requires a subscription to the Java Edition of Minecraft Realms, which will cost you $7.99 a month. Once you have an active realm you can invite as many people as you want to be your friends on the realm, but only 10 can play at once. This is similar in a sense to adding friends on a public server, as you won’t be able to communicate with one another or check each other’s status through Minecraft itself (besides checking if the realm being active).
If none of those options sound great then your best bet is to play on a public server with your friends and communicate through something like Discord or Steam chat. And remember that you will only be able to play with other Java Edition players!
Minecraft Java Edition is available for Windows, macOS, and Linux.
