Can't Join Your Minecraft Server? Fixes for Common Errors

Most failed joins come down to one of a handful of causes. Find your error message below.

"Connection refused" or "Can't connect to server"

• The server is stopped. Free servers stop after 10 minutes without players. Open your dashboard and press Start, then wait for Done ( in the console.
• The address is wrong. It must include the port, for example play.mgame.gg:25600. Use the Copy address button instead of typing it.
• It's still starting. The first start after creating a server or changing the version takes a minute or two.

"Outdated client" or "Outdated server"

You and the server are on different Minecraft versions. Java Edition only joins servers on exactly the same version. Either set your launcher to the server's version, or change the server's version in Settings (newer is fine; going back to an older version can damage the world).

"You are not white-listed on this server"

The whitelist is on and your name isn't on it. Add the name in Settings or with whitelist add Name in the console, spelled exactly as in your Minecraft profile.

"Failed to verify username"

The server checks every player against Microsoft's account servers. That only works with a legitimate Java Edition account logged into the official launcher. Restarting the launcher usually fixes it. If Mojang's services are down, wait and retry.

Kicked for missing or mismatched mods

On a Fabric server with content mods, every player needs the same mods, in the same versions, on their client. Server-only mods like Lithium don't need to be installed by players. See adding mods.

"All free slots are in use right now"

That is the start button, not the game: all 20 shared slots are busy. Try again in a few minutes; servers free up as people stop playing.

Bedrock players can't find the server

Bedrock Edition (phones, consoles, Windows Bedrock) can't connect to a Java server. Everyone needs Java Edition.

Still stuck? Look at the console on your dashboard right after a failed join: the server usually logs the reason.