How to Join a LAN World in Minecraft: A Complete Guide

Minecraft's LAN feature lets you play with friends on the same local network without setting up a dedicated server. It's one of the simplest multiplayer options available — but getting it to work smoothly depends on a few moving parts that catch a lot of players off guard.

What Is a LAN World in Minecraft?

A LAN (Local Area Network) world is a Minecraft session hosted directly from one player's game that other players on the same network can join. Unlike a dedicated server or Realms subscription, LAN hosting requires no extra software and no paid service. The host opens their single-player world to the local network, and nearby players see it listed in the multiplayer menu.

This works because all devices on the same Wi-Fi or wired network share a local IP address space. Minecraft uses this to broadcast the world's availability automatically — no manual IP entry required in most cases.

Step-by-Step: How to Join a LAN World

On the Host's Side First

Before you can join anything, someone has to open the world to LAN. Here's what the host needs to do:

1. Load their single-player world
2. Press Escape to open the pause menu
3. Select "Open to LAN"
4. Choose the game mode and whether to allow cheats
5. Click "Start LAN World"

A port number will appear in the chat (e.g., Local game hosted on port 12345). This number matters if automatic detection fails.

On the Joining Player's Side

1. Open Minecraft and go to Multiplayer
2. The LAN world should appear automatically under "LAN Games"
3. Click it and select Join Server

If it doesn't appear automatically, click "Direct Connection" and type the host's local IP address followed by the port number — formatted as 192.168.x.x:PORT.

🔍 How to Find the Host's Local IP Address

The host's local IP is not the same as their public internet IP. To find it:

• Windows: Open Command Prompt → type ipconfig → look for IPv4 Address
• Mac: Go to System Settings → Network → select your connection → find the IP
• Linux: Run hostname -I in the terminal

The address will typically start with 192.168. or 10.0.. This is the address joining players need if direct connection is required.

Common Reasons LAN Worlds Don't Show Up

Even when everything seems set up correctly, LAN discovery can fail. The most frequent causes:

Firewall settings are the most common culprit on Windows. Minecraft needs permission to communicate through the Windows Defender Firewall — both private and public network access. If the world never appears, checking firewall rules for the Java executable is usually the first fix.

Network type matters too. If one player is on Wi-Fi and another is on a wired connection through the same router, LAN should still work. But if devices are on different routers, different VLANs, or one player is using a mobile hotspot, the local broadcast won't reach them.

Java Edition vs. Bedrock Edition: Key Differences 🎮

The process differs meaningfully between the two versions:

Java Edition uses the method described above. LAN hosting is built into the single-player world menu and broadcasts over the local network automatically.

Bedrock Edition (Windows, console, mobile) uses a different system. Players can join each other's worlds through the Friends tab in the multiplayer menu if they're signed into Xbox/Microsoft accounts — even across different devices. Bedrock also supports LAN play, but it's more tightly integrated with the Microsoft account ecosystem, and cross-device visibility depends on both players being on the same network and signed in.

If you're mixing Java and Bedrock players, note that the two editions are not cross-compatible for LAN play without third-party tools.

Variables That Affect Your Experience

How reliably LAN worlds work — and how well they perform — shifts based on several factors:

• Network hardware: An older router with weaker broadcast range or outdated firmware can cause inconsistent LAN visibility
• Number of players: More players joining a hosted world increases the load on the host's machine, since LAN hosting runs through the host's CPU and RAM
• World complexity: Heavily modded worlds or large builds with lots of active chunks stress the host more than a fresh survival world
• Mods and version matching: In Java Edition, all players must be running the exact same Minecraft version and the same mods (if any) for a LAN connection to work
• Operating system: Firewall behavior, network discovery settings, and permission prompts vary between Windows versions, macOS, and Linux

A player running a modded Java Edition world with 12 active mods on an older laptop over Wi-Fi is in a very different situation than two players on the same wired gigabit switch running vanilla Bedrock.

When LAN Isn't the Right Tool

LAN multiplayer works well for same-room or same-building play, but it has real limits. The session ends when the host closes their game. Players outside your local network can't join. There's no persistent world that runs when you're offline.

For players who want to play across different locations, run a world that stays online, or support more than a handful of players simultaneously, other options — dedicated servers, Minecraft Realms, or third-party hosting — are built differently and serve different needs.

Whether the simplicity of LAN hosting fits your situation, or whether those limitations mean you need something else entirely, depends entirely on how and where you're actually playing.