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Where Is the Invite Button in Minecraft Java? (Friends List, 26.2 and 26.3)

Last checked: 7 October 2026

As of 7 October 2026 there is no invite button. The Minecraft: Java Edition friends list lets you add friends, see whether they are online and handle friend requests, but it can't invite a friend into your world or let you join theirs. Mojang added joining in 26.2 Snapshot 7, removed it in 26.2 Pre-Release 1, and 26.3 didn't bring it back. To play together today, use Open to LAN, a world-sharing mod such as Essential or e4mc, or a server.

What the friends list does today

Java Edition 26.2, released on 16 June 2026, added a friends list. Open it with the Friends button on the title screen or the pause menu, or press O. From there you can:

  • send a friend request by profile name;
  • accept or decline requests you receive, and see the ones you sent;
  • see whether each friend is online;
  • remove a friend.

That is all it does. There is no button to invite a friend into your world, and no button to join theirs. A 26.4 snapshot changed how the list looks, but as of 7 October 2026 the wiki records no version that brings joining back.

What was removed, and when

Joining did exist for two weeks of snapshots. Here is the timeline from the Minecraft Wiki:

VersionDateWhat changed
26.2 Snapshot 712 May 2026Added the friends list. A host could open a single-player world to online multiplayer and invite friends; friends could ask to join.
26.2 Pre-Release 126 May 2026Removed invites, join requests and opening a single-player world to online multiplayer. The list itself stayed.
26.216 June 2026Released with the friends list but without joining.
26.315 September 2026No change to joining.

Mojang's reason, as reported at the time, was that the experience wasn't what it wanted for all players and the feature wasn't ready for release in its current form.

Why older versions don't work either

You may read that you can go back to a 26.2 snapshot to get the invite button. That doesn't help. The Minecraft Wiki's Friends List page says joining has been removed and no longer functions in versions that had it. So an old snapshot is not a way back to the invite button; use one of the options below.

Three ways to play together now

None of these need the friends list. Pick by where your friends are and whether the world should stay up when you log off.

1. Open to LAN, for friends on your network

Open your single-player world, press Esc, choose Open to LAN and start it. Friends on the same Wi-Fi or router see it in their Multiplayer list. It's free and built in, but it works only on one network and only while you're playing. Steps are in How to Play Minecraft with Friends for Free.

2. A world-sharing mod, for friends in other houses

This is the closest thing to what the friends list tried to do. Essential lets you host your single-player world and invite friends from its own menu. e4mc adds a public address to Open to LAN, and friends join it with a normal game. Both are free, the host installs a mod loader, and the world is online only while the host plays. See playing without port forwarding for the steps and other tunnels such as playit.gg.

3. A server, so friends can play without you

A server keeps the world running on its own. A free host, Realms or your own PC can run it; friends add the address under Multiplayer, Add Server. To keep strangers out, turn on the whitelist. Compare the options in Free Minecraft Server for 5 Friends and How to Make a Private Minecraft Server.

Where Shulkerboxes fits (and doesn't)

Shulkerboxes is the third option: a server that friends join by address, not through the friends list.

Shulkerboxes is free Minecraft: Java Edition hosting for a friend group, with no ads, no credit card and no port forwarding. The server sleeps when empty and wakes when a friend joins, ready in about a minute, and friends can join while the owner is offline. It is invite-only with a waitlist and open in the US, Spain, Germany, Mexico and Brazil, and your saved world is yours to download. It is free because gameplay on every server is recorded and used to build de-identified AI training datasets that are licensed to other companies (full explanation). Servers run Paper with built-in homes and /tpa; modpacks and custom plugins are not supported, and Bedrock players cannot join, so if your group needs those, pick a host that supports them, or use LAN or a mod.

Have an invite code? Enter it on the home page. No invite yet? Join the waitlist and we will save you a spot.

FAQ

Where is the invite button in Minecraft Java?

As of 7 October 2026 there isn't one. The friends list can add friends, show their status and handle friend requests, but inviting a friend to your world was removed in 26.2 Pre-Release 1.

Can I join a friend's world from the friends list?

No. Joining a friend's world worked only in 26.2 snapshots. The Minecraft Wiki says the feature has been removed and no longer works, even in the versions that had it.

Will joining from the friends list come back?

We don't know. The Minecraft Wiki records the removal as temporary, and Mojang said it was not ready for release in its current form, but as of 7 October 2026 no version brings it back.

How do I play Minecraft Java with friends now?

Open to LAN if you share a network, a world-sharing mod such as Essential or e4mc if you don't, or a server that a host or your own PC runs. Friends join a server with Multiplayer and Add Server.

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