Host a Minecraft Bedrock server, or let Bedrock players join your Java one
Bedrock is the Minecraft that runs on phones, consoles and Windows 10 and 11. There are two ways to host for it, and the right one depends on who plays.
Option 1: a Java server with Bedrock crossplay
If anyone in the group plays Java, this is the one. Create a Java server (Paper is the best fit), open Settings, General, and switch on Bedrock Crossplay. On the next start the server installs Geyser and Floodgate and gets a Bedrock port of its own, shown under the toggle.
- Java players connect to the normal address and port.
- Bedrock players add a server with the same address and the Bedrock port. On console, the “add server” route is the LAN or the DNS trick, described on the crossplay page.
- Bedrock players do not need a Java account; Floodgate signs them in with their Xbox name, prefixed with a dot.
- Plugins, worlds and everything else are the Java server’s. Bedrock players see the Java world through Geyser’s translation, which is nearly complete; a few Java-only blocks and items look different.
Option 2: a Bedrock Dedicated Server
If everyone plays Bedrock, host Bedrock itself: pick Minecraft Bedrock when creating the server. It runs Mojang’s Bedrock Dedicated Server, so behaviour packs, add-ons and the Bedrock world format work as they do on a console realm.
- Players add the server with the address and port from the server page. Console players need the same DNS or LAN route as with crossplay, because consoles only list Featured Servers by default.
- No Java, so no Paper plugins; add-ons take that role.
- A Bedrock Dedicated Server is a paid server. The free tier is a Java server, which Bedrock players can still join with crossplay on.
Which one
| Everyone plays | Choose |
|---|---|
| Bedrock only, wants add-ons | Bedrock Dedicated Server |
| Java and Bedrock mixed | Java server with crossplay |
| Java only, a Bedrock friend might join later | Java server; switch crossplay on when they do |
Cannot join?
Bedrock connects over UDP. A player whose network blocks UDP (some schools and workplaces) cannot reach any Bedrock server, ours included. Otherwise the players cannot join checklist covers the rest: the port, the version, the whitelist, and the DNS route for consoles.