Minecraft characters campfire setting Minecraft

Why Can’t I Join My Friend’s Minecraft World?

Lately, many players have been asking why they can’t join their friend’s Minecraft world. This not only denies them a fun-filled adventure with their friends but also overwhelms them with troubleshooting. 

There’s no need to worry because most of the time, this issue is temporary and will only require a few steps to fix. Here’s how:

Reasons Why You're Unable to Join Friend's World on Minecraft

For several reasons, you may find it hard to connect to your friend’s Minecraft world. No matter how much you restart the game, the problem persists. Here are the major reasons this happens and how to fix it:

Minecraft characters

The Server is Down or Unresponsive

You cannot connect to your friends’ servers if the Minecraft servers are down. They host the game on the available server, and once it is down, you lose access to the game and other key features. 

One common reason this happens is that your server is outdated, or there is general server maintenance by the Minecraft team.

The World is no Longer Available

Another reason this error occurs is if the game world you are trying to connect to is no longer available. This way, you cannot avoid the “unable to connect to world” error. 

The best way around this is to re-add your friend and ask them to create a new world.

Server Already Full

When the server is already full, you won’t be able to join your friend’s server. You will have to simply wait till someone else exits your friend’s list before you can join. 

Minecraft characters campfire setting

You're Not Whitelisted on the Server

If you are not whitelisted on the Minecraft server of your friend, you will not be able to connect. In other words, if you are backlisted or banned from joining the server, there is no way you can connect to enjoy the Minecraft game with your friends. Check to ensure you are not blacklisted.

Incompatible Minecraft or Windows Version/Settings

One of the major reasons you may not ‌connect to your friend’s server is if your version of Minecraft is incompatible. Also, if your Windows version or settings is out of date you will not be able to connect with your friends. 

Windows Firewall or Antivirus Settings

You may experience the unable to connect to world error or “unable to fetch server status” error on Minecraft if you do not allow the Minecraft game in your Windows Defender Firewall settings. 

You will need to disable your antivirus software from the control panel because the Windows firewall blocks the Minecraft port number 2556. To do this, open Control Panel and press enter. Search and disable Windows Firewall.

You can also reduce the likelihood of the Evolve Minecraft Server not working by disabling your antivirus software on your computer.

How to Fix the "Unable to Connect to World" Error on Minecraft

For All Types of Devices

These fixes works well for all devices and platforms. You can try them out:

Minecraft Java Edition

Fix #1: Check Internet Speed and Consistency

Before experimenting with other fixes, this first step is to check your internet connection to see if it is working correctly. Ensure that the connection is stable and with enough bandwidth. This will make the process of joining your friend’s server seamless, and it may also assist you in avoiding the “server running behind skipping ticks” error in Minecraft.

Fix #2: Match the Minecraft Versions

The Multiplayer mode on Minecraft does not work if you and your friend are not playing on the same version. There are possibilities that either one of you is playing on the updated version. Check the versions and ensure there is synergy.

Fix #3: Re-log Your Account

This fix is agelong and working! All you have to do is exit your account and log in back. This will fix any bug preventing your game from running properly. Alternatively, you may switch to another account if you do have one.

Fix #4: Add Users or Friends Again

If you’re still unable to access your friend’s Minecraft world, this is another working fix for you. Remove your friend from the friends list, then re-add them. This does not take much time to do, and it is a working wonder.

Fix #5: Refresh Private World

Our resident gamers were able to solve this problem when they refreshed their private world. This is regardless of their platform. To refresh your private world, follow these steps:

  1. Launch Minecraft
  2. Select Play
  3. Scroll to the tab worlds
  4. Select one of the private worlds
  5. Click Menu, then select save and quit
  6. Go back to the Main menu
  7. Click on the friend’s tab
  8. Try joining your friend’s Minecraft world.
Minecraft launcher

Fix #6: Use VPN

Multiple users on the same network, area restrictions, full servers, and wrong network settings can make you run into this error. You must use a VPN or connect to a different server to solve this issue. The VPN helps bypass geo restrictions and makes it easy for you to connect to the best server.

Minecraft World on PC

This error is also common on Minecraft multiplayer on PC. You can leverage these fixes to solve the issue:

Fix #1: Review Your Xbox Live Settings

Since the problem is not that peculiar to Xbox One, it might be your Live settings. To review it, kindly follow these steps:

  1. Visit the Xbox official website.
  2. Select the Xbox One Online privacy tab.
  3. Look for the checkbox tagged “You can join multiplayer games.”
  4. Check the box.
  5. Click on submit.
Minecraft gameplay

Fix #2: Deactivate the Instant-On Setting

Activating your instant-on setting may hinder you from being able to play the multiplayer mode. Also, many other gamers have reported their inability to join games because of this problem. You may need to deactivate it. Here is how to:

  1. Go to Settings.
  2. Then click on power and startup.
  3. Click on Energy saving mode, then restart your Xbox console.

Fix #3: Check Your Friend Status

Another reason ‌you may be unable to join Minecraft world if your friendship status is offline. You or your friend would have difficulty connecting to yourself. To check your friendship status you or your friend should do‌ the following:

  1. Visit the Xbox official website.
  2. Send yourselves a friend request.
  3. Remove and add yourselves again.
checking friend status on Minecraft

Fix #4: Change to Xbox One NAT

If you encounter this problem on Xbox One, you may need to ensure that your NAT is open. You may try this to see if it works for you.

Minecraft World on iPhone or iPad

Playing Minecraft multiplayer mode on iPhone or iPad is quite different. To ensure this is possible, you will need to ensure that your devices are linked to the same LAN network. Also, they need to have the same website. 

iPad users can go to iPad settings. On Minecraft, allow access to Local Network. Note that this is not in the Minecraft app.

Check MCPE

If the trick above does not work, try checking out for connection issues and also check MCPE. You can achieve this through the App switcher on your mobile device.

Minecraft character and a cow

Minecraft World on Switch

The Minecraft world is available on the Switch. You can join your friend’s world by simply opening the menu and then clicking on the Invite Friends tab. Alternatively, you may also use the Allow join settings or the Join Menu settings.

Disconnect or Restart

Unlike the other Minecraft gaming channels, the switch does not have a specific solution for this error. However, you can disconnect, restart your internet connection, and relaunch the Minecraft game. This solves the issue easily.

Minecraft World on Bedrock

If you encounter this problem on Bedrock, ensure that you and your friend are running on the same game version. Most of the time, an outdated game version is the source of this issue or the reason you can’t fly on the Minecraft server. If this is the case, either of you should upgrade to the recent version. This should fix the issue instantly.

While playing Minecraft on Bedrock, you can also go to your world settings interface to find the Minecraft server seed.

Conclusion

If you have been asking why you can’t join your friend’s Minecraft world, you now know that there are varying reasons, depending on your platform. Regardless, there are fixes for each type, and most of the time, the error is simply temporary. 

The fixes we have recommended in this guide are working and effective. If you have already tried and none of them worked, submit a ticket to Mojang support, ask questions on Minecraft forums or reinstall Minecraft. 

administrator
Mathew has nursed a love of video games since childhood. Now, as an adult, he enjoys playing challenging games as much as he enjoys relating with other gamers. Matthew created Hypernia to give gamers like himself accurate and reliable information about games, servers, communication protocols, and much more.

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