Minecraft Realms: The Complete Guide to Private Servers
Playing Minecraft with friends is one of the best parts of the game, but setting up a shared world can be confusing. Who hosts the world? What happens when the host goes offline? How do you keep griefers out? Minecraft Realms answers all of these questions with an official, always-online private server service run by Mojang itself. In this guide, you will learn what Realms are, how the subscription tiers differ, how to create and join a Realm on mobile, and how to manage members, permissions, and backups.
What Is Minecraft Realms?
Minecraft Realms is Mojang’s official subscription service that gives you a private, always-online server for you and your friends. Unlike a regular multiplayer world that only exists while the host is playing, a Realm stays online around the clock, so anyone you invite can log in and build whenever they like — even if you are asleep.
Realms are available for both major versions of the game. Bedrock Realms work across mobile, console, and Windows (the Bedrock codebase), which means an Android player can build alongside a friend on Xbox or PC without any extra setup. Java Edition has its own separate Realms service for PC players.
Hosted by Mojang — No Setup Hassles
A Realm is hosted by Mojang, not on your device. That means no port forwarding, no command-line setup, and no need to keep your phone or PC switched on.
Because Realms are an official Mojang product, they come with built-in moderation tools, automatic backups, and a simple invite system. You never hand your IP address to strangers, which makes Realms the safest way to play Minecraft online with friends on a persistent world.
Realms vs Realms Plus: What’s the Difference?
When you look at Realms subscriptions, you will see two tiers: Realms and Realms Plus. The core difference is the number of players who can play on the server at the same time, plus access to a catalog of Marketplace content.
The standard Realms tier is designed for you plus a couple of friends — a small, cozy group. Realms Plus raises the player limit to a larger group (up to 10 simultaneous players on Bedrock) and adds free access to a rotating catalog of Marketplace packs: skins, texture packs, and worlds that you can use on your Realm at no extra cost while subscribed.
| Feature | Realms | Realms Plus |
|---|---|---|
| Player slots | A small group (you plus a couple of friends) | A larger group — up to 10 simultaneous players on Bedrock |
| Marketplace catalog access | Not included | Included — rotating catalog of skins, texture packs and worlds |
| Cross-device play | Yes — mobile, console and Windows (Bedrock) | Yes — mobile, console and Windows (Bedrock) |
| Free trial availability | Check the official Minecraft site for current details | Check the official Minecraft site for current details |
Both tiers are paid subscriptions, and pricing can change by region and platform, so always check the official Minecraft website or your device’s app store for current prices before subscribing. Mojang also offers a free trial of Realms in many regions, which is a great way to test whether a persistent server suits your group before paying anything.
Billed Through Your Platform
Realms subscriptions are billed through the platform you subscribe on (Google Play, App Store, or minecraft.net). Cancel from the same place you signed up.
How to Create a Realm on Mobile (Step by Step)
Creating a Realm on Android or iOS takes just a few minutes. Here is the process on the Bedrock (mobile) version of the game:
- Open Minecraft and sign in with your Microsoft account. Realms require a signed-in account.
- From the main menu, tap Play, then tap the Realms tab at the top.
- Tap Create Realm (or the equivalent button for a free trial if one is offered in your region).
- Choose your subscription tier — Realms or Realms Plus — and confirm the purchase through your app store.
- Give your Realm a name, choose a world type or template, and tap Create.
- Once the Realm is ready, tap the edit (pencil) icon next to it to open settings, then invite friends from the Members tab.
Access on All Your Devices
Your Realm appears in the Realms tab on every device where you sign in with the same Microsoft account. Create it once on your phone, manage it later from a console or PC.
If you mostly play the Android version of Minecraft, the whole flow — purchase, setup, and member management — can be done from your phone without ever touching a computer.
How to Join a Friend’s Realm
Joining is even simpler than creating. Your friend needs to invite you first — Realms are private by default, and nobody can join without an invite link or a direct invitation.
- Ask the Realm owner to add you via the Members tab in the Realm settings.
- Accept the invitation (you will see it in your Realms tab under “Invites”).
- Tap the Realm’s name to join. The world downloads the first time and loads faster on later visits.
Invites Use Gamertags, Not IPs
Realm invites are tied to Microsoft accounts/gamertags, not IP addresses. You never need to share network details with anyone.
If an invite does not appear, ask the owner to re-send it, and make sure you are signed in with the same Microsoft account that received the invite. Players on iPhone and iPad join Realms exactly the same way as Android players.
Managing Members and Permissions
The Realm owner controls everything from the Realm settings screen (the pencil icon next to the Realm name). The Members tab is your command center:
- Invite players by gamertag and remove them just as easily.
- Operators (OPs): trusted friends can be promoted to operator status, which lets them use commands and manage settings. Only OP players you fully trust — an operator can change the world in big ways.
- Visitor permissions: you can decide whether invited players can build, break blocks, attack mobs, or only explore.
Only Trust Operators You Know
Never promote someone to operator unless you trust them completely. A rogue operator can destroy months of building in minutes.
These controls make Realms ideal for families and friend groups. Parents can run a Realm for their kids, invite only known friends, and keep the permission settings strict — a far safer setup than joining random public multiplayer servers.
Backups and World Downloads on Realms
One of the biggest advantages of Realms is automatic backups. Mojang regularly saves snapshots of your Realm world, and the owner can restore an earlier backup from the settings screen if something goes wrong — a creeper disaster, a griefing incident, or a redstone experiment gone wrong.
Owners can also download the Realm world to their own device as a single-player copy, or upload a single-player world to replace the Realm’s world. This two-way sync is handy: build something amazing in creative mode offline, then upload it for the whole group to explore.
| Action | Where to find it | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Restore a backup | Realm settings — Backups | Roll the world back to an earlier automatic snapshot |
| Download world to device | Realm settings — Backups | Save a single-player copy of the Realm world to your device |
| Upload world to Realm | Realm settings — Replace World | Replace the Realm’s world with a single-player world from your device |
| Replace world with a template | Realm settings — Replace World | Swap the Realm world for a template or Marketplace world |
Keep a Personal Backup Too
Download your world occasionally as a personal backup. Even with Mojang’s automatic snapshots, keeping your own copy is good practice for long-running worlds.
