AstroworldGetting started
Java and Bedrock crossplay on one Minecraft server
Crossplay lets a friend on a phone or console play in the same world as a friend on PC. The server runs Java Edition, and Bedrock players come in through a translator.
When you order a server with the Crossplay edition, this is set up for you. This guide explains what is running, how each player connects, and the few things that stop it from working.
In short
A Minecraft crossplay server is a Java server running Paper with the Geyser and Floodgate plugins. Java players join with the server address; Bedrock players on phones, tablets, consoles and Windows add the same address plus the Bedrock port the panel shows. Floodgate lets them in with their Microsoft account, without buying Java, and puts a dot in front of their names.
How Minecraft crossplay works
Two plugins do the work, both on a Paper server.
- Geyser listens for Bedrock players and translates everything they send into Java, and everything the server sends back into Bedrock. To the server, a Bedrock player looks like a Java player.
- Floodgate lets Bedrock players in without a paid Java account. Without it, every Bedrock player would need to own Java Edition too.
Because the server is Java, you can add Java plugins as usual. Mods are not possible: Bedrock players cannot load Fabric or Forge mods.
Two addresses, one Minecraft world
Java and Bedrock connect in different ways, so the panel shows two things on the Overview and in Settings under the play address.
| Player | What they type |
|---|---|
| Java (PC) | The server address, no port needed |
| Bedrock on phone, tablet or Windows | The same address, plus the Bedrock port the panel shows |
- On Bedrock, open Play, go to the Servers tab and choose Add Server.
- Give it any name, type the address, and put the port from your panel in the port field.
- Save and join.
How to join a Minecraft crossplay server on each device
Where the Add Server button sits depends on the device. The address and the Bedrock port are the same everywhere.
| Device | Edition | How to add the server |
|---|---|---|
| Windows, Mac or Linux PC with the Java launcher | Java | Multiplayer, Add Server, then the address without a port |
| Android phone or tablet | Bedrock | Play, the Servers tab, Add Server at the bottom, then address and Bedrock port |
| iPhone or iPad | Bedrock | The same as on Android |
| Windows PC with the Bedrock version from the Microsoft Store | Bedrock | The same as on Android |
| Chromebook | Bedrock | The same as on Android |
| Xbox, PlayStation or Switch | Bedrock | No Add Server button; see the console part below |
Java players who need more help can follow join your Minecraft server, which has the steps with screenshots.
The Geyser setting you should not change
Most crossplay tutorials tell you to put Geyser on 19132, the usual Bedrock port. Here each server gets a Bedrock port of its own, and Geyser has been set to that number for you. 19132 leads nowhere for your server.
If you open plugins/Geyser-Spigot/config.yml and change the port to 19132, or turn on the option that copies the Java port, Bedrock players can no longer connect, while Java players notice nothing. It is the most common way crossplay breaks.
Changed it by accident? Put the port back to the number the panel shows and restart the server.
Bedrock player names and the Minecraft whitelist
To keep names apart, Floodgate puts a dot in front of Bedrock usernames. A Bedrock player called Sam shows up as .Sam in chat, in the player list and in commands.
- To whitelist a Bedrock player, use Floodgate's own command:
/fwhitelist add Sam(without the dot). - To give a Bedrock player permissions or op, use the name with the dot:
/op .Sam. - Bedrock names with spaces get an underscore instead of the space.
Link a Java and a Bedrock account for one inventory
A player who owns both editions shows up as two different players: one with a dot and one without, each with its own inventory and position. Floodgate can link the two, so the player is the same person whichever device they use.
- Join the public linking server of the Geyser project on Java with the address
link.geysermc.org, and type/linkaccount. It gives a code. - Join the same linking server on Bedrock and type
/linkaccountfollowed by that code. - From now on, the Bedrock account joins your server as the Java player, without the dot and with the Java inventory.
Linking works through the global link setting of Floodgate, which is on unless someone turned it off. The Bedrock inventory the player had before linking stays with the old dotted name.
Consoles on a Minecraft crossplay server
Xbox, PlayStation and Switch have no Add Server button. Console players have two common workarounds: changing the console's DNS so one of the featured servers opens a menu where any address can be typed, or joining through a friend's session with a broadcast tool. Both work with a crossplay server; the address and Bedrock port stay the same.
Java and Bedrock versions on a crossplay server
Bedrock updates itself on phones and consoles, so Bedrock players are always on the newest version. Geyser is updated to follow, and it supports the newest Java versions. Keep a crossplay server on a recent Java version and keep Geyser up to date; an old Geyser is the usual reason Bedrock players suddenly see an outdated server message.
Crossplay on an older Minecraft Java version
Geyser always speaks the newest Java version. When the server runs an older version, the plugin ViaVersion has to be installed next to it, so Geyser can still talk to the server. Without it, Bedrock players cannot connect while Java players on the right version can.
That is why we keep crossplay servers on a current version. If you need an older one for a plugin, add ViaVersion from the plugin catalog and keep it up to date together with Geyser. Change your Minecraft server version covers the switch.
What does not translate perfectly between Java and Bedrock
- Some Java redstone tricks and block quirks behave differently for Bedrock players, because Bedrock does not have them.
- Inventory screens of plugins show up as Bedrock menus; most work fine, some complex ones look odd.
- Custom resource packs for Java do not show for Bedrock players unless converted.
For a friends survival world none of this matters much. For a minigame server built around Java mechanics, test with a Bedrock player before you open.
Java features on Bedrock: combat, off hand, advancements and custom items
Geyser fills most gaps between the editions with small tricks. These are the ones players ask about.
| On Java | What Bedrock players get |
|---|---|
| The attack cooldown of Java combat | A cooldown indicator on screen, so they can time their hits |
| Swapping items to the off hand with F | The command /geyser offhand |
| The advancements screen | The command /geyser advancements opens them as a menu |
| The statistics screen | The command /geyser statistics |
| Items with custom models from a plugin | The normal item, unless the server adds Geyser mappings for them |
| Coordinates in the F3 screen | Coordinates in the top corner, shown by Geyser |
Plugins on a Minecraft crossplay server
Every Java plugin runs on a crossplay server, but a few choices make life easier for the Bedrock players.
- Anticheat: pick one that knows Geyser, such as GrimAC. An anticheat that does not will flag Bedrock players for movement Java does not have.
- Menus: chest menus of plugins work. Plugins that support Floodgate forms show Bedrock players a native menu instead, which is easier on a touch screen.
- Permissions: give Bedrock players their rank with the dotted name, for example in LuckPerms. See permissions with LuckPerms.
- Whitelist: add Bedrock players with
fwhitelist, because the normal whitelist only looks up Java names.
Install plugins on your server shows how to add them from the catalog.
Questions from Minecraft server owners
Do Bedrock players need a Minecraft Java account?
No. Floodgate lets them join with their Microsoft account from Bedrock. Only if you remove Floodgate would they need to own Java too.
Why can Java players join the crossplay server but Bedrock players cannot?
Almost always the Geyser port. Check that the port in the Geyser config matches the Bedrock port in the panel, and that the player typed that port. An outdated Geyser is the second most common cause.
Can I add crossplay to an existing Java Minecraft server?
Yes, if it runs Paper or another plugin server. Ask support to add it; the world stays as it is. A Fabric or Forge server cannot get crossplay.
Do Bedrock players see Java skins on a crossplay server?
Yes, Java players look normal to Bedrock players. Bedrock skins are shown to Java players too, although some very custom Bedrock skins look simplified.
What is the Bedrock port of my Minecraft crossplay server?
Each server gets its own Bedrock port, shown on the Overview and in Settings under the play address. It is not 19132; Bedrock players type that number in the port field.
Can Xbox, PlayStation and Switch players join a Java Minecraft server?
Yes, through crossplay. Consoles have no Add Server button, so console players use a workaround such as a changed DNS setting or joining through a friend; after that they connect with the same address and Bedrock port.
Can Java and Bedrock players play on a modded server together?
No. Mods only run on Java with Fabric, Forge or NeoForge, and Bedrock cannot load them. A crossplay server uses plugins for its extras.
How much RAM does a crossplay Minecraft server need?
The same sum as a Java server, counting Bedrock players like everyone else, rounded up because Geyser translates everything they see. Minecraft server RAM per player has the numbers.
Checked against Geyser and Floodgate on Paper for Minecraft Java 26.2, September 2026. Written by the Cheapest Minecraft Hosting team, first published , updated .