Updated 26 October 2026: peer-to-peer world joining left Java in May 2026, before 26.2, and has not returned in 26.3 or in the 26.4 snapshots up to 20 October. The page now explains how to invite friends today; the friends list got a new design with search and sorting in 26.4 Snapshot 3.
How to invite friends in Minecraft Java in 2026: add them on the friends list, then share a world through Open to LAN, a server or Realms, because the friends list has no world invite. Mojang added the friends list and peer-to-peer multiplayer together in Snapshot 26.2-7 on 12 May 2026, then removed the multiplayer part in 26.2 Pre-Release 1 on 26 May. Java 26.2 (16 June) and Java 26.3 (15 September) both ship the friends list without it. To play together you still use Open to LAN, a server or Realms.
What the friends list does in 26.3
| Works now | Missing since 26 May 2026 |
|---|---|
| Add friends by Java profile name | Invite a friend into your world |
| Accept, decline and cancel friend requests | Join a friend’s singleplayer world |
| See Offline, Online or In a world status | The Multiplayer Options screen |
| Control what friends see about you | Online play with no LAN, server or Realms |
| See Xbox friends who own Java Edition | Friends who play Bedrock |
Mojang’s friends list announcement carries a correction note: the peer-to-peer part was removed because the experience “wasn’t what we wanted it to be for all players”. Mojang has published no date for its return.
What changed in the 26.4 snapshots
The friends list itself keeps getting work. 26.4 Snapshot 3 (6 October 2026) gave it a refreshed design with new search and sorting options. None of the five 26.4 snapshots published up to 20 October brings back world invites or the Multiplayer Options screen.
How to turn on the friends list and add a friend
The friends list stays off until you accept it once, and friend requests are blocked by default.
- Press O in game, or click Friends on the title screen or the pause menu.
- Accept the confirmation dialog that appears the first time. This switches the feature on.
- Open Options, then Online Settings, and turn on Allow Requests. It is off by default, which is the most common reason a request never arrives.
- In the same screen, set Presence to All, Limited or None. All shows what you are doing, Limited shows only that you are online, None keeps you hidden.
Xbox friends appear automatically when they own Minecraft: Java Edition. Xbox friends without Java do not appear.
Why world joining is gone
For two weeks in May it worked. Snapshot 26.2-7 replaced the Open to LAN screen with a Multiplayer Options screen with three settings: Off, Local and Online. Online let a friend join from anywhere with no server and no port forwarding. Mojang pulled that whole flow before release: the invite button, join requests and the Multiplayer Options screen. Open to LAN came back in its place. A guide that tells you to set your world to Online describes the May snapshots.
Ways to play together today
- Open to LAN. Pause your singleplayer world and click Open to LAN; players on the same network join. Free, same house only.
- A server. Self-hosted or rented; everyone connects by IP or domain. The world stays online when the host leaves.
- Realms. Mojang’s paid subscription runs the world for you and keeps it online.
Java and Bedrock players still cannot play together through any of these. The friends list added no cross-play.
Friends list problems and their causes
- Requests never arrive. Allow Requests is off; turn it on in Online Settings.
- A friend does not appear. They do not own Java Edition, or they play Bedrock.
- The invite button is missing. It was removed in May 2026 and is absent in 26.2, 26.3 and the 26.4 snapshots.
- Chat messages do not show. Snapshot 26.2-7 had a known issue for players whose Xbox chat setting is Friends Only. Update from an old snapshot to the current release first.
Timeline from May to October 2026
- 12 May 2026: Snapshot 26.2-7 adds the friends list and peer-to-peer multiplayer.
- 26 May 2026: 26.2 Pre-Release 1 removes peer-to-peer multiplayer.
- 16 June 2026: Java 26.2 releases with the friends list and without peer-to-peer play.
- 15 September 2026: Java 26.3 releases; its notes list a friends screen key bind fix and nothing on world joining.
- 6 October 2026: 26.4 Snapshot 3 redesigns the friends list with search and sorting.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Minecraft Java friends list free?
Yes. It needs no subscription and no extra purchase, only a Minecraft: Java Edition licence and the Microsoft account that you already use to launch the game.
Can I invite friends to my world in Minecraft Java?
No. World invites were part of the peer-to-peer feature that Mojang removed on 26 May 2026, and they are absent in 26.2, 26.3 and the 26.4 snapshots up to 20 October. Use Open to LAN on your own network, or a server or Realms for friends elsewhere.
Is peer-to-peer multiplayer coming back?
Mojang called the removal temporary and has given no date or target version. Treat any return date that you see online as a rumour until Mojang publishes it.
Can Java and Bedrock players use the friends list together?
No. The friends list added no cross-play. Bedrock friends do not appear, and the two editions still run on separate infrastructure.
Why can I see a friend is “in a world” but not join them?
Presence and joining were two halves of one feature. Presence shipped and joining was pulled, so the status text is accurate but no join button exists behind it.
Sources
- Mojang, Friends List for Java Edition (with the removal note)
- Mojang, Minecraft 26.2 Snapshot 7, 12 May 2026
- Mojang, Minecraft Java Edition 26.3 release notes, 15 September 2026
- Mojang, Minecraft Java Edition 26.4 Snapshot 3, 6 October 2026
Prepared by the GamerMarkt editorial team, with some help from AI tools; some images may be AI-generated.
