How to join a Minecraft server on Nintendo Switch

To join a Minecraft server on Switch, open Minecraft, go to the Servers tab and pick one of the featured servers, or join a Realm. The Switch version has no way to add a server by its address, so joining any other server takes a third-party workaround, and the most reliable one on Switch is BedrockConnect, set up through the console's DNS settings.

The Switch is a little different from Xbox and PlayStation here: it doesn't show the LAN games that some workarounds depend on, so a couple of the tricks you'll see for other consoles don't apply. This guide sticks to what works on a Switch, and what we know so far about Switch 2.

Switch or Switch 2: what's the situation?

Source: Nintendo's Switch 2 announcement. We'll update this guide after launch once we've seen the real menus. Until then, assume Switch 2 works like Switch: featured servers and Realms, with workarounds for everything else.

Before you try anything: Nintendo Switch Online and account checks

• Nintendo Switch Online. You need an active membership for online multiplayer, including featured servers and Realms. Details and prices are on nintendo.com.
• A Microsoft account signed in to Minecraft. The game prompts you with a code to link it; that's what lets you play with Xbox, PlayStation, PC and mobile friends.
• Parental settings. Two places can block multiplayer: Nintendo's parental controls on the console, and, for a child's Microsoft account, the "join multiplayer games" permission in Xbox Family Settings. If joining fails with a permissions message, check both.

How to join a featured server on Switch

1. Launch Minecraft and choose Play.
2. Press the shoulder buttons to reach the Servers tab. (It was briefly named "Discover" this spring and was renamed back to "Servers" on 2026-06-29.)
3. Select a server and Join Server. The first visit downloads its resource pack.

Mojang picks which servers are featured, and the list changes; minecraft.wiki's featured server page keeps track of the current lineup.

Can you add a Minecraft server on Nintendo Switch?

Not in the normal game. minecraft.wiki states that the Add Server feature "is unavailable for console versions of Bedrock Edition," and the Switch is one of those consoles. Some hosting company blogs describe an Add Server button on Switch; we haven't found one, and neither has the wiki.

Here's how the community workarounds stack up on Switch specifically:

All three are independent community projects, not made or endorsed by Nintendo, Mojang or Microsoft.

Step by step: BedrockConnect on Switch

This is a one-time setup. After it, you'll have a server list on your Switch where you can save any Bedrock server address.

1. Get the current DNS addresses from the BedrockConnect GitHub page. At the time of writing it lists 104.238.130.180 as the primary for Switch and 8.8.8.8 as the secondary. Use whatever the page says today.
2. Open System Settings from the HOME Menu, then Internet > Internet Settings.
3. Select your network under Saved Networks, then Change Settings.
4. Scroll to DNS Settings and write down what it says (usually Automatic), then choose Manual.
5. Set Primary DNS. Hold the B button to clear the zeros, type the primary address, and press OK. Do the same for Secondary DNS, then Save.
6. Open Minecraft, go to Servers, and join a featured server that the README lists as redirect-compatible. Instead of that server, the BedrockConnect list opens.
7. Add your server: a name, the address, and the port (19132 is the Bedrock default). Then join.

The DNS menu path above is from Nintendo's own guide, How to Manually Enter DNS Settings.

How to play Minecraft with friends on Switch (no server needed)

• Split-screen on one console with extra controllers, or detach the Joy-Con.
• Online worlds. Add friends through your Microsoft account and join each other's worlds from the Friends tab, including friends on other platforms.
• A Realm. At the time of writing, Bedrock Realms is about $3.99 a month, and Realms Plus about $7.99 a month for you plus 10 friends (check current prices). This is the realistic answer to "how to make a Minecraft server on Nintendo Switch": you can't run a dedicated server on the console itself, but a Realm stays online when you're not playing. It can't run plugins or mods.

Servers Switch players can join

With a workaround set up, you can join any Bedrock server and any Java server that also accepts Bedrock players (usually through GeyserMC). Java-only servers can't be joined from a Switch, since there's no Java Edition for Nintendo consoles. Our pinger checks Java servers daily for a working Bedrock address, and shows it on the server's page when it finds one.

Browse more in the crossplay list or all Bedrock servers. If you're on handheld Wi-Fi, servers close to you are smoother, so check the North American or European lists.

Common Switch problems

Quick questions