This guide describes how to play Minecraft (Java edition) multiplayer over bluetooth on Windows 10 laptops/desktops. This is useful if you want to play together with friends, without an internet connection or even wifi network.
- You need to have downloaded the files to set up a server. For some server softwares (e.g. paper), the first server startup requires an internet connection
- Everyone needs to have started up the game (on the correct version) at least once,l so the launcher has downloaded the required files.
You need to set up a Minecraft server. I used a Paper server, but a vanilla Minecraft server works too. After running it for the first time, edit server.properties and set online-mode to false. Restart your server.
On all computers, open Windows start menu, type bluetooth and hit enter, to go to the bluetooth settings menu. Make sure that all devices are paired with all devices. Then, on all computers except the computer hosting the server, open the system tray (arrow in the bottom right corner of the task bar). Right click the bluetooth icon, then click Join a Personal Area Network. Find the computer that is hosting the server, right click, Connect using, Direct connection.
You can either
- Find a way to mark the bluetooth network connection as a private network, and allow the server in Windows firewall for private networks (recommended, but I couldn't figure out how)
- Allow the server in Windows firewall for public networks
- Disable Windows firewall for public networks (easiest, will work 100%. BUT make sure that you trust all paired bluetooth devices and don't forget to turn the firewall back on afterwards!!)
On the computer hosting the server, Win+R, type cmd and hit enter, type ipconfig and hit enter. Look for Ethernet adapter Bluetooth Network Connection, then IPv4 Address. . . . . . . . . . . : x.x.x.x. Everyone needs to connect to the server using that IP address.
- I've only tested this with 2 computers, but in theory it should work with up to 8. Bluetooth bandwidth may be too low though.
- You can do this without setting up a server, by using the built in Minecraft server (in a single player world, click 'Open to LAN'. Remember that you will need to give players the port number too, since it will be different from the default 25565.