Minecraft:Realms: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 11:14, 7 June 2026

Minecraft Realms is an official subscription-based Minecraft:server hosting service that allows players to create and manage their own private Minecraft servers. Hosted by Minecraft:Mojang Studios, Realms provides a simple way to create servers and allows the owner to manage them from inside the game, without knowledge of hosting on the internet. Minecraft Realms also provides additional features such as player-made maps and Minecraft:Realms Stories. Only one player needs to own the subscription, while other players can be invited to a Realm for free. Realms are not intended for large public servers, but for groups of friends or as a family server.<ref>Template:Tweet</ref>

Realms internally uses Minecraft:Bedrock Dedicated Server on Template:BE,<ref>Template:Tweet</ref> and Minecraft:server.jar on Template:JE.Template:Note

Requirements

Realms is a service that can be used only by players who meet these requirements:<ref>Template:Tweet</ref>

The player must have purchased the full version of Template:JE or Template:BE and must be signed in with a Microsoft account.
The player must have a stable Internet connection.
Parental consent is required for players under the age of 16 in the US and the EU, or 19 in South Korea.<ref>Template:Citation</ref>Template:Verify
If using a console, the player must also have an active subscription to either:
- Xbox Game Pass Core or Xbox Game Pass Ultimate if using an Xbox console.
- Nintendo Switch Online if using a Nintendo Switch.
- PlayStation Plus if using a PlayStation console.

Subscriptions

Realms is a subscription-based service. The player's Minecraft account page on Minecraft:Minecraft.net offers options to extend a current subscription or buy a new one. One player can have multiple active Realms subscriptions.

File:Ore UI - Minecraft Realms Screen - Buy Now Button - Choose Your Plan Screen Menu (Bedrock).png

The purchase screen for the two plans Template:In.

There are two types of subscriptions in Bedrock Edition: Realms Core (Template:W3.99 per month) and Realms Plus (Template:W7.99 per month).<ref name=":0">https://minecraft.net/realms</ref> The main difference is that Realms Core is limited to 2 players at a time active in a world, and Realms Plus is limited to 10 players. Realms Plus also includes access to all Minecraft:Marketplace Pass content. Realms Core subscriptions can be upgraded to Realms Plus at any time without the loss of the Realms server.

Any Realms subscription in Bedrock Edition also includes a free Realms server for Minecraft:Minecraft Preview, which exists separately from the default Realm but is connected to the same subscription. A player owning a Realm is prompted to activate their Preview Realm as soon as they open the game.

File:Realms Subscriptions.png

The subscription screen in-game Template:In, accessed through the Configuration menu.

There are two types of subscriptions in Java Edition (also known as Java Realms), both with 10 players maximum: a reoccurring monthly charge that automatically renews the subscription every 30 days (this can be canceled at any time), or a one-time charge that comes in 30-day, 90-day, and 180-day packages and needs to be renewed manually. Both subscriptions cost US$7.99 per month.<ref name=":0" /> All players are able to have a 30-day free Realms trial, providing they have not already had a free trial on their account before.

Only the owner of a Realm needs a subscription to be able to manage the Realm. Other players can join the Realm for free if they have access granted by the owner.

Usage

Template:Relevant tutorial

Joining

Players can access Realms in the following ways:

By purchasing a subscription. This can be done from the main Realms screen, the Minecraft:Marketplace, on Minecraft:Minecraft.net, and in various other in-game screens. See Template:Slink above for further information.
By receiving an invite. When a player has an invite, a batch notification appears on the Minecraft:main menu. On the main Realms screenTemplate:Only or in the Minecraft:Inbox,Template:Only the player can view the invite, showing the Realm name, and owner name. Accepting the invite adds the Realm to the joined Realms list.
Using invite links.Template:Only Realm administrators can share invite codes, which can be entered in the Realms tab in the Minecraft:Play screen. Invite links can also be entered in an internet browser, using Template:Cd followed by the code. If the link is valid, the player gets prompted to join the Realm and add it to the joined Realms list.

File:Ore UI - Play Screen Menu "Realms" Tab - Your Realms (Bedrock).png

An owned Realm in the Play screen Template:In

The main menu for Realms, accessible from the title screen in Java Edition and the Minecraft:Play screen in Bedrock Edition, shows a list of Realms the player owns or has joined.

The main page of a Realm shows the Realm's name and description, as well as online players and the option to manage the Realm, in the Realms Hub in Bedrock Edition. A Realm can be joined by pressing the "Play" button on a Realm, or by selecting the Realm through Minecraft:Quick Play in the Minecraft:Minecraft Launcher. Additionally, in Bedrock Edition, the player can create a desktop shortcut which lets the player directly join the Realm. The player needs to create an internet shortcut with Template:Cd followed by the Realm's ID (or Template:Cd for Minecraft:Preview Realms), found in the URL of the Realm's page on Minecraft.net or the debug menu in Minecraft Preview.

Template:Info

Members

File:New UI - Realms Hub Screen Menu "Community" Tab - Members (Bedrock Preview 26.20.22).png

Members tab in the Realms Hub

All members of a Realm can be viewed and managed in the "Members" tab, under Template:UI in Bedrock Edition. The list allows to open player's Minecraft:profile screens,Template:Only and can be sorted and filtered, to show which players are active, for example.

In the members tab, the owner can change a member's Realm role to Administrator. This allows them to manage all Realm features that were previously exclusive to the owner, except changing Realm roles and subscription settings. All members can view each other's Realm permissions.

Realm administrators can invite players by adding their player name to the Realm in Java Edition, or by adding an Xbox Minecraft:friend in the "Manage Realm members" screen in Bedrock Edition,. Players can be added as friends by entering the gamertag in the "Search for players" screen which can also be accessed here.

Administrators can remove individual players at any time from the Realm, and they can also be banned to prevent them from re-joining with an invite link.Template:Only For each player, the Realm owner can set the Minecraft:permission level/Minecraft:player permissions.

Members can also be managed from the game menu in Bedrock Edition while playing on the Realm, but only by the owner. All players can also invite other members to join through the Minecraft:social system, and Minecraft:parties can also move to Realms, provided that all members have access.

Invite links

Template:Exclusive Realm administrators can create and activate invite links for the Realm. Any player can join the Realm by entering it in the "Join a Realm" screen in-game, or by entering Template:Cd in the browser's search bar followed by the invite link. Invite links automatically expire in 7 days, but this can be disabled or set to a different time between 30 minutes and 7 days, with limited options. The owner can also enable or disable invite links directly.

Worlds

File:New UI - Realms Hub Screen Menu "World" Tab - Slots (Bedrock Preview 26.20.22).png

World selection in the Realms Hub

A Realms server can store up to three Minecraft:worlds, from which one can be activated at a time. Administrators can select which world is activated and edit a world's settings (including Minecraft:add-ons),Template:Only or manage the world files. Not all options from the regular edit world screen are available for Realms, but this can be bypassed by uploading a local world to the Realm. A world slot on the Realm can be replaced by any local world of the Realms owner, from the Create new world, Minecraft:Edit world, and Realms edit world screen. Administrators can also choose to download a world, or reset the world slot to a new default world. In Bedrock Edition, most world settings can also be changed from the game menu while playing on the Realm.

Non-administrator members can only view activated worlds.

In Bedrock Edition, any Realms subscription also allows access to the Minecraft:Realms Celebration Map, which is enabled in the third world slot by default.Template:Verify

Minecraft:Bedrock Editor has a tool that allows directly publishing the current project to Realms.

Backups

Java Realms automatically creates a backup every few hours when players are online. Each backup shows the time it was made and its size.

The owner of the Realm can choose to replace the world slot with the world data stored on a backup. Each backup can also be downloaded to the device as a singleplayer world.

Realms saves

Template:Exclusive

File:Manage Realms Screen Menu "Saves" Tab Settings (Bedrock Preview 1.21.120.25).png

The Realms saves screen

In addition to the three Realm slots, multiple world saves can be stored on Realms. Automatic saves are taken at the end of every Realms play session when the server shuts down, or every 30 minutes during a play session, and are only retained for a limited time.

Administrators can also manually save backups on the Realm. These saves are retained as long as the Realm exists. Automatic saves can be turned into manual saves to retain them for longer. However, the maximum storage for each Realm is limited for manual saves. Realms Plus subscriptions have 10GB of manual save storage, and Realms Core subscriptions have 5GB.

The owner of the Realm can find the Realms saves for the currently activated world slot in the "Worlds" tab. They can choose to replace a world slot with a save, or to download the save to the device. Saves from disabled world slots are not shown but still add up to storage.

Maps

Template:See also Template:Exclusive

File:Java Realms Minigame Selection.png

The UI for selecting a minigame to install on the Realm

On Minecraft:Java Edition, besides generating new worlds and uploading Minecraft:singleplayer worlds, Realm owners can also choose to install a premade map from a curated selection. All available maps are ensured to be compatible with the latest stable version (which a Realm must always run on), have been reviewed by Mojang and published through the Minecraft:Java Realms Content Creator Program.

The full list of maps that have been submitted through the program, as well as whether they're currently available for install on Realms, can be found here.

A Realm can have three world slots that the owner can switch between at any time. An additional temporary world slot is reserved for premade maps categorized as Minigames. Unlike regular worlds, minigames do not save players' progress, and they reset whenever all players log out.

Realms Stories

Template:Main Template:Exclusive Template:Info

File:New UI - Updated Realms Hub Screen Menu "Community" Tab - Story Feed (Bedrock Preview 26.20.22).png

The "Story feed" tab in the Realms Hub

Template:IN, all members of a Realm have access to Realms Stories, an in-game social platform which allows players to communicate outside of the world through the "Clubs" feature of the Xbox network. Players can post comments and Minecraft:screenshots, and like comments from other players. The game also creates stories known as Realm Events, which document an important event in the world, such as when players defeat the ender dragon.

A report system allows members to notify the administrators about posts, which they can delete or Minecraft:report to Xbox Enforcement. There is also an Admin log, which shows most Realm changes performed by administrators.

Players that are opted in have access to the Timeline, a table which shows the playing activity for all members on the Realm.

For features in Realms Stories, several settings are available. Administrators can toggle Realm Events, Realm Event Minecraft:coordinates, the Timeline, and whether opting in is required to play on the Realm. It is accessible from the Realms Hub in the settings tab.

Settings

The settings tab allows members to leave the Realm. Re-joining it requires a new invitation or invite link.

Exclusive settings exist for administrators to manage the Realm, including Realm name (up to 64 characters) and optional description (200 characters), and server region. Administrators can also choose to close the Realms server, which makes members unable to play on the Realm.

A custom server region for the Realm can be configured through the Realm's settings menu. The owner can choose whether Realms should automatically select the server region with the lowest ping for the first player to join a session, or always select a specific server region. The selected server region is shown in the Minecraft:loading world screen when joining a Realm. The following server regions are available: Template:Collapse

In Java Edition, players can toggle the profanity filter in the in-game Minecraft:chat from the account settings on Minecraft.net. In Bedrock Edition, the profanity filter can be toggled per player from the in-game Minecraft:settings.

On the profile page on Minecraft.net, all owned Realms can be viewed and managed. Most Realm-wide settings can also be changed here, including name and description, invite links, activated world, and player permissions. Friends can be invited and members can be removed or banned.

In the settings screen, the subscription can also be viewed and managed by the owner, depending on how it was purchased.

Limitations

Although Realms is hosted by Minecraft:Mojang Studios, it has some limitations. These limitations can be avoided by using standalone server software or a third-party hosting website.

In all versions and plans, the Realm has a player slot reserved for the owner only. The amount of other Minecraft:players who can play simultaneously are as follows:<ref>https://www.minecraft.net/en-us/realms</ref>
- In Bedrock Edition, Realms Core allows up to 2 other players, while Realms Plus allows up to 10.
- In Java Edition, a Realm can have up to 10 other players.
In Java Edition only:
- To invite or uninvite a player, or give or revoke operator status, the operator/owner must quit to menu and open the Realm's config menu from there.
- If a minigame is being played, all players have Minecraft:permission level 0 including the owner.
- When not playing a minigame, the owner's operator status cannot be revoked.Template:Info needed
- Worlds on Realms cannot use experimental settings. This applies to all user-uploaded worlds, as well as maps published through the Minecraft:Java Realms Content Creator Program.
- Mods and plugins cannot be installed.
- The Minecraft:render distance is always set to 12 chunks.<ref>https://x.com/CornerHardMC/status/1559305720230662144</ref>Template:Verify
- Players get kicked after 15 minutes of inactivity. This can be bypassed with an endless circling pool.
In Bedrock Edition only:
- The render distance is always limited to 24 chunks.
- The Minecraft:simulation distance is always limited to 4 chunks.
- The player can't enable Minecraft:experiments and world creation options including Minecraft:world seed, Minecraft:flat world, Minecraft:starting map, Minecraft:bonus chest, and Minecraft:Hardcore. However, all of these options are still available on Realms by uploading a local world with these options enabled to the Realm.
- The world seed can't be viewed in the Minecraft:edit world screen for worlds on the Realm. The only way for a player to view the seed is by downloading the world.
Realms must always use the latest stable or Minecraft:Preview version of the game,<ref>Template:Bug</ref> except when the latest server version is backward-compatible with a client version.
Users under the age of 16 need parental consent to play on Realms.
- This is due to the General Data Protection Regulation.

History

Minecraft version history

Originally, Realms updates were tied into regular Minecraft updates, until the release of 1.7.10. Below is a changelog of all those updates.

Java Edition

Since Minecraft:Java Edition 1.7.10, Realms has had its own versioning system. Below is a changelog of these updates:

Template:HistoryTable

Bedrock Edition

Template:HistoryTable

Availability

The following chart shows when Realms was introduced in the respective countries.

Country/Region	Available since
Afghanistan	2014-05-06
Aland Islands	2014-04-24
Albania	2014-05-06
Algeria	2014-05-19
Andorra	2014-05-06
Angola	2014-05-19
Antigua & Deps	2014-05-19
Argentina	2014-05-19
Armenia	2014-05-19
Australia	2014-05-09
Austria	2014-05-06
Azerbaijan	2014-05-19
Bahamas	2014-05-19
Bahrain	2014-05-19
Bangladesh	2014-05-19
Barbados	2014-05-19
Belarus	2014-05-06
Belgium	2014-04-24
Belize	2014-05-19
Benin	2014-05-19
Bhutan	2014-05-19
Bolivia	2014-05-19
Bosnia Herzegovina	2014-05-06
Botswana	2014-05-19
Brazil	2014-05-19
Brunei	2014-05-19
Bulgaria	2014-04-24
Burkina	2014-05-19
Burundi	2014-05-19
Cambodia	2014-05-19
Cameroon	2014-05-19
Canada	2014-04-01
Cape Verde	2014-05-19
Cayman Islands	2014-04-24
Central African Rep	2014-05-19
Chad	2014-05-19
Chile	2014-05-19
China	2014-05-19
Colombia	2014-05-19
Comoros	2014-05-19
Congo	2014-05-19
Congo (Democratic Rep)	2014-05-19
Cook Islands	2014-05-09
Costa Rica	2014-05-19
Croatia	2014-04-24
Cuba	2014-05-19
Cyprus	2014-05-06
Czech Republic	2014-05-06
Denmark	2014-02-26
Djibouti	2014-05-19
Dominica	2014-05-19
Dominican Republic	2014-05-19
East Timor	2014-05-19
Ecuador	2014-05-19
Egypt	2014-05-06
El Salvador	2014-05-19
Equatorial Guinea	2014-05-19
Eritrea	2014-05-19
Estonia	2014-04-24
Ethiopia	2014-05-19
Faroe Islands	2014-02-26
Fiji	2014-05-09
Finland	2014-02-26
France	2014-05-06
Gabon	2014-05-19
Gambia	2014-05-19
Georgia	2014-05-19
Germany	2014-05-06
Ghana	2014-05-19
Gibraltar	2014-05-06
Greece	2014-04-24
Greenland	2014-02-26
Grenada	2014-05-19
Guam	2014-05-09
Guatemala	2014-05-19
Guernsey	2014-05-06
Guinea	2014-05-19
Guinea-Bissau	2014-05-19
Guyana	2014-05-19
Haiti	2014-05-19
Honduras	2014-05-19
Hungary	2014-04-24
Iceland	2014-02-26
India	2014-05-19
Indonesia	2014-05-19
Iran	2014-05-06
Iraq	2014-05-06
Ireland (Republic)	2014-03-25
Isle of Man	2014-04-24
Israel	2014-04-24
Italy	2014-05-06
Ivory Coast	2014-05-19
Jamaica	2014-05-19
Japan	2014-05-19
Jersey	2014-05-06
Jordan	2014-05-06
Kazakhstan	2014-05-19
Kenya	2014-05-19
Kiribati	2014-05-09
Korea North	2014-05-19
Korea South	2014-05-19
Kosovo	2014-05-19
Kuwait	2014-05-19
Kyrgyzstan	2014-05-19
Laos	2014-05-19
Latvia	2014-04-24
Lebanon	2014-05-19
Lesotho	2014-05-19
Liberia	2014-05-19
Libya	2014-05-19
Liechtenstein	2014-05-06
Lithuania	2014-04-24
Luxembourg	2014-04-24
Macedonia (Republic)	2014-05-06
Madagascar	2014-05-19
Malawi	2014-05-19
Malaysia	2014-05-19
Maldives	2014-05-19
Mali	2014-05-19
Malta	2014-04-24
Marshall Islands	2014-05-09
Mauritania	2014-05-19
Mauritius	2014-05-19
Mexico	2014-04-24
Micronesia	2014-05-09
Midway Islands	2014-05-09
Middle East	2014-05-19
Moldova (Republic)	2014-05-06
Monaco	2014-05-06
Mongolia	2014-05-19
Montenegro	2014-05-06
Morocco	2014-05-19
Mozambique	2014-05-19
Myanmar, (Burma)	2014-05-19
Namibia	2014-05-19
Nauru	2014-05-09
Nepal	2014-05-19
Netherlands	2014-03-25
New Caledonia	2014-05-09
New Zealand	2014-05-09
Nicaragua	2014-05-19
Niger	2014-05-19
Nigeria	2014-05-19
Niue	2014-05-09
Norfolk Island	2014-05-09
Norway	2014-02-26
Oman	2014-05-06
Pakistan	2014-05-06
Palau	2014-05-09
Panama	2014-05-19
Papua New Guinea	2014-05-09
Paraguay	2014-05-19
Peru	2014-05-19
Philippines	2014-05-19
Pitcairn Islands	2014-05-09
Poland	2014-05-06
Polynesia	2014-05-09
Portugal	2014-05-06
Puerto Rico	2014-05-06
Qatar	2014-05-19
Romania	2014-04-24
Russian Federation	2014-05-06
Rwanda	2014-05-19
St Kitts & Nevis	2014-05-19
St Lucia	2014-05-19
Saint Vincent & the Grenadines	2014-05-19
Saipan	2014-05-09
Samoa	2014-05-09
San Marino	2014-05-06
Sao Tome & Principe	2014-05-19
Saudi Arabia	2014-05-06
Senegal	2014-05-19
Serbia	2014-05-06
Seychelles	2014-05-19
Sierra Leone	2014-05-19
Singapore	2014-05-19
Slovakia	2014-04-24
Slovenia	2014-04-24
Solomon Islands	2014-05-09
Somalia	2014-05-19
South Africa	2014-04-24
Spain	2014-05-06
Sri Lanka	2014-05-19
Sudan	2014-05-19
Suriname	2014-05-19
Svalbard	2014-05-06
Swaziland	2014-05-19
Sweden	2013-12-19
Switzerland	2014-05-06
Syria (Republic)	2014-05-06
Taiwan	2014-05-19
Tajikistan	2014-05-19
Tanzania	2014-05-19
Thailand	2014-05-19
Togo	2014-05-19
Tokelau	2014-05-09
Tonga	2014-05-09
Trinidad & Tobago	2014-05-19
Tunisia	2014-05-19
Türkiye	2014-05-06
Turkmenistan	2014-05-06
Tuvalu	2014-05-09
Uganda	2014-05-19
Ukraine	2014-05-06
United Arab Emirates	2014-04-24
United Kingdom	2014-03-25
United States	2014-04-24
Uruguay	2014-05-19
Uzbekistan	2014-05-19
Vanuatu	2014-05-09
Vatican City	2014-05-06
Venezuela	2014-05-19
Vietnam	2014-05-19
Wallis Futuna Islands	2014-05-09
Yemen	2014-05-06
Zambia	2014-05-19
Zimbabwe	2014-05-19

Issues

Template:Issue list

Trivia

The Minecraft:Mojang blog closing signature was signed "// The Minecraft and Minecraft Realms teams" instead of the usual "// The Minecraft team" starting with the blog Minecraft Snapshot 13w09a.<ref>Minecraft Snapshot 13w09a by Jens Bergensten. Mojang.com, February 26, 2013</ref>
The world selection menu for Bedrock Edition Realms on Minecraft.net shows the discontinued "Cliffside Village" seed template thumbnail.
The world selection menu in the upcoming Realms Hub shows the discontinued Survival Island, Savanna Village, and Forest Glade seed template thumbnails.