- Voice chat on Minecraft servers comes from mods: mostly Simple Voice Chat or Plasmo Voice.
- Install the same mod on your game (Fabric, NeoForge or Forge), join, and you hear players near you in 3D.
- Bedrock can't load Java mods, so Bedrock players use Discord or their platform's party chat instead.
Minecraft servers with voice chat use a mod, usually Simple Voice Chat or Plasmo Voice, to add proximity voice: you hear players who are close to you in the world, and their voice fades as they walk away. To use it, you install the same mod on your own game, join the server, and set up your microphone. Below is a live list of servers where our pinger detected voice chat, followed by exactly how to get it working.
Servers where we detected voice chat
When our pinger checks a server, it records whether the server runs a voice chat mod or plugin. These lists come straight from that data, so they update every few minutes.
For everything we've detected, across every mode, open the voice chat servers hub. Right now we see 1 voice chat servers online.
How proximity voice chat works in Minecraft
Vanilla Minecraft only has text chat. Proximity voice is added by a server-side plugin or mod plus a client mod on each player's game. The server tells your game who's near you, and your game plays their voice from where they stand. Walk behind a wall and they sound off to one side; walk away and they fade out.
That's why it's so popular on SMP, roleplay and horror maps: shouting across a valley, whispering in a hidden base, or hearing someone sneaking up on you is a completely different game from typing in chat.
Simple Voice Chat vs Plasmo Voice
Both mods do proximity voice well. Servers pick one, and you install whichever the server uses. The server description or Discord usually says which.
| Simple Voice Chat | Plasmo Voice | |
|---|---|---|
| Client mod loaders | Fabric, NeoForge, Forge, Quilt | Fabric, NeoForge, Forge |
| Server side | Mod, or plugin for Bukkit, Spigot and Paper | Mod, or plugin for Paper, Purpur, Spigot and Folia |
| Proxies | Velocity, BungeeCord, Waterfall | Velocity, BungeeCord |
| Talk modes | Push to talk or voice activation, whisper, groups with passwords | Push to talk or voice activation |
| Extras | Noise suppression, per-player volume | Noise suppression, sound occlusion through blocks, add-ons |
| Official page | Modrinth | Modrinth |
The two aren't interchangeable. A Simple Voice Chat client can't talk on a Plasmo Voice server, and the other way around.
How to install Simple Voice Chat on your game
The same steps work for Plasmo Voice. This uses the Modrinth app, but the CurseForge app and Prism Launcher work the same way.
- Check the server's version and mod. Our listing shows the server's version range. Its description or Discord tells you which voice mod it uses.
- Create a profile. In the Modrinth app, make a new instance for that Minecraft version with the Fabric loader (or NeoForge or Forge, if the server's modpack uses one).
- Add the mod. Search for Simple Voice Chat in the app and install the build for your version and loader. Install anything the mod page lists as required.
- Launch and join. Start the instance, go to Multiplayer > Add Server, and connect as usual.
- Set up your mic. Press V to open the voice chat menu. Pick your microphone and speaker, test the level, and choose push to talk or voice activation.
- Talk to someone nearby. Walk up to another player and say hi. If the mod reports that it can't connect to voice chat, the problem is usually the server's voice port, not you.
Voice chat not working? Quick fixes
| What happens | Likely cause | Try this |
|---|---|---|
| The mod says it can't connect to voice chat | The server's UDP voice port is closed or blocked | Tell staff. It's a server-side fix, though a VPN or a strict school network can also block UDP. |
| You can't join at all after installing the mod | Wrong Minecraft version or loader | Match the server's version and install the mod build for that version and loader. |
| Others hear you, you hear nobody | Wrong output device | Open the V menu and pick your headset as the speaker. |
| You hear others, nobody hears you | Wrong input, push-to-talk not pressed, or no mic permission | Check the input device and your talk mode, and allow Java or your launcher to use the microphone in your system's privacy settings. |
| Everyone sounds choppy | A weak connection | Pause downloads and streams, or move closer to your router. |
| Some players are silent no matter what | They don't have the mod, or have a different one | Ask them to install the same voice mod the server uses. |
If the server runs a whole modpack rather than a single mod, follow our modded server guide. Older servers on 1.21.11 or earlier still work: install the mod build made for that version.
Are there Minecraft Bedrock servers with voice chat?
Not in the same way. Bedrock Edition can't load Java mods like Simple Voice Chat, and Bedrock has no built-in proximity voice. That holds for Windows, phones and consoles alike. It also means that on a crossplay server, Bedrock players who join through GeyserMC won't hear the in-game voice chat, even though Java players around them can.
What Bedrock groups do instead:
- Use the server's Discord voice channels, which many voice-heavy servers run anyway.
- Use your platform's party chat, such as an Xbox party, if everyone is on the same platform.
- Play with friends in a Realm or shared world and talk over any voice app you like.
If your group mixes editions, look at crossplay servers and plan to use Discord for voice.
How to make a Minecraft server with voice chat
For owners, the setup is short. Install the Simple Voice Chat plugin on Paper (or the mod on a Fabric or NeoForge server), restart, and then open the voice port.
- Config file:
plugins/voicechat/voicechat-server.propertieson Paper, orconfig/voicechat/voicechat-server.propertieson mod loaders. - Port:
port=24454by default, and it's UDP, separate from Minecraft's TCP 25565. Open or allocate it on your router or host. - One-port hosts: setting
port=-1makes voice use the same port number as the Minecraft server. - Different public address: set
voice_hostif players should reach voice chat at a different hostname. - Range:
max_voice_distanceis 48 blocks by default.
The mod's official project page links to its setup wiki, which covers hosting panels, Docker and Pterodactyl. Once it works, list the server with us: our pinger checks for voice chat and shows it on your listing when it detects it. For more plugin ideas, see best server plugins.
Staying safe in voice chat
Voice brings strangers closer than text does. A few habits make it a lot better:
- Don't say your real name, school or location out loud.
- Don't stay near a player who is abusive. Walk away, turn their volume down in the voice menu, and report them to staff.
- Don't leave voice activation on in a room with family talking in the background.
Server rules apply to voice too. Check whether the server records or moderates voice, and parents can read our server safety guide for what to look for.
Quick questions
Does Minecraft have built-in voice chat?
No. Neither Java nor Bedrock has in-game voice chat. Servers add it with mods like Simple Voice Chat or Plasmo Voice.
Why can't I hear anyone after installing the mod?
Make sure you installed the same mod the server uses, pick the right output device in the V menu, and check that others are close enough. If the mod says it can't connect, the server's UDP voice port is probably closed.
Can I join a voice chat server without the mod?
Usually yes. You can play normally; you just won't hear or be heard.
Is proximity chat the same as voice chat?
People use the words the same way. On Minecraft servers, "proximity chat" almost always means a proximity voice mod.