How to use parties in Minecraft is one of the most searched questions since the feature launched with Bedrock Edition 26.20 on May 5, 2026 and fully released in Chaos Cubed (Bedrock 26.30) on June 16, 2026. Parties let you group up with up to 14 friends, travel between worlds and Realms together automatically, and stay connected through a dedicated party text chat — all without sending individual world invites every time. This guide covers everything from creating a party to managing it.
- Parties are a Bedrock Edition exclusive feature — Java Edition has a Friends List instead.
- A party can hold up to 15 members including the leader.
- All members automatically follow the leader into worlds, Realms, and servers.
- The party has its own text chat that works even outside of a world.
- Privacy is set to Invite Only or Open — you choose which when creating.
- You need a Microsoft account to use parties and all online features.
- Party members follow the leader to a Realm only if they are already a Realm member.
What Are Parties in Minecraft Bedrock Edition?
Parties are a social grouping system added to Minecraft Bedrock Edition. The core idea is simple: one player becomes the party leader, other players join the party, and from that point on everyone follows the leader automatically whenever they enter a world, Realm, or server. There is no need to send separate world invites or wait for everyone to connect manually each time you move.
The party also comes with its own built-in text chat channel. You can talk with party members from the main menu, while loading into a world, or even while other members are in a completely different world. The chat stays active as long as the party exists.
Parties work across Xbox, PlayStation, Windows, iOS, Android, and other supported Bedrock platforms. They run through the Xbox network, so every member needs a Microsoft account linked to their game. Playing without a Microsoft account blocks access to all online features including parties.
How to Create a Party in Minecraft Bedrock
Step 1 — Open the Social Drawer
From the main menu, look for the Social button in the top-right corner of the screen. Tap or click it to open the Social Drawer. This panel is divided into three sections: Friends, Party, and World. The Social Drawer is accessible from the main menu, the world selection screen, and the edit world screen — you do not need to be inside a world to use it.
Step 2 — Go to the Party Tab
Inside the Social Drawer, select the Party tab or tap the party icon. If you are not currently in a party, you will see a Create Party button. Tap it.
Step 3 — Choose Your Privacy Setting
When creating a party, you must choose one of two privacy settings:
- Invite Only — only players you personally invite can join. Friends receive a notification and must accept before joining. This is the best option for a controlled group where you know exactly who is coming.
- Open — any friends who follow you can see the party and join directly without waiting for an invite from you. Open parties can be joined by friends of the leader, not followers, so your friend list controls who can see it.
You can change the privacy setting later from the Party Settings tab inside the Social Drawer.
Step 4 — Invite Friends (Invite Only) or Let Them Join (Open)
For an Invite Only party: open the party screen, find the friend you want to add from your friends list, and send them an invite. They will receive a notification in their Social Drawer and can accept or decline. Once they accept, they appear in the party roster.
For an Open party: friends who follow you will see your party listed as available in their own Social Drawer under the Party tab. They can tap it and join without you needing to send anything. You can also allow party members to invite others — toggle this permission on in the Party Settings tab so you are not the only one who can grow the group.
Step 5 — Enter a World and Your Party Follows
Once your party is assembled, enter any world, Realm, or server from the main menu. All party members who are currently in the menus or in a different world will automatically follow you in. They do not need to do anything — the game handles the transfer for them.
The one exception is Realms. Party members only follow the leader into a Realm if they are already a member of that Realm. If someone in your party has not been added as a Realm member yet, they will not be able to follow. Add them to the Realm first through Realm settings. For a full guide on setting up a Realm, see the Minecraft Realms setup guide.
How to Join Someone Else’s Party
You do not always need to create the party yourself. Here is how to join one that a friend has already set up:
- Accept an invite — if a friend with an Invite Only party sent you an invite, it appears in your Social Drawer under the Party tab. Tap Accept to join.
- Join an Open party — open the Social Drawer, go to the Party tab, and look for available parties from friends you follow. Tap the party to join directly.
If you are already in a party and try to join a different one, the game will warn you that you will leave your current party first. You can only be in one party at a time.
How to Use Party Chat in Minecraft
Party chat is a separate text channel that exists only between party members. It works even when players are in different worlds, different Realms, or sitting in the main menu. This makes it useful for coordinating before everyone loads in, planning where to go next, or just chatting between sessions.
To open party chat, tap or click the chat icon inside the Social Drawer. The party chat input box appears on the left side of the drawer. Type your message and send it — it goes only to party members, not to other players in the same world or server. The chat can be opened and closed at any time using the button bar inside the drawer.
Party chat is separate from the normal in-game chat that other players in the same world can see. If you want to talk to everyone in the world, use the standard chat box. If you want to talk only to your group, use party chat. For joining public multiplayer servers where the party feature is useful for coordinating before entering, see the guide to joining Minecraft servers.
How to Manage a Party as the Leader
As the party leader, you have full control over the group. Here is what you can do from the Social Drawer:
- Invite members — send invites to friends from the party screen at any time, even after the party is already active.
- Change privacy — switch between Invite Only and Open from the Party Settings tab without disbanding and recreating the party.
- Allow member invites — toggle this in Party Settings to let other members send invites themselves, so the recruiting load is not all on you.
- Promote a co-leader — select a member from the party roster and promote them. A co-leader can help manage the group.
- Disband the party — from the party management screen, select the option to close the party. This removes all members immediately.
The party can hold a maximum of 15 members total including yourself as leader. If someone tries to join a full party, they receive a warning that the party is at capacity. You cannot add more members until someone leaves.
How to Leave a Party
Any member can leave a party at any time. Open the Social Drawer, go to the Party tab, and select Leave from the party screen. You drop out of the group immediately and stop receiving party chat. Your game continues normally — leaving a party does not disconnect you from any world you are currently in.
If the leader leaves, the party is disbanded and all members are removed. There is no automatic leader transfer when the creator exits.
Party Feature Availability by Platform
Parties are a Bedrock Edition feature only. They work across:
- Xbox (Series X, Series S, One)
- PlayStation (PS4, PS5)
- Windows (PC)
- iOS and iPadOS
- Android
- Nintendo Switch
All platforms require a Microsoft account for online features. The party runs through the Xbox network, so the Xbox social layer handles invites and connections behind the scenes regardless of which platform you are on. Cross-platform parties work — an Xbox player and a PlayStation player can be in the same party and travel to the same world together, as long as the world is on a cross-platform server or Realm. See the full Minecraft cross-platform guide to understand which editions and platforms can play together.
What About Java Edition — Does It Have Parties?
No. Java Edition does not have the party system. Instead, Chaos Cubed added a Friends List to Java Edition, which is a dedicated panel accessible from the title screen. It shows which Java Edition friends are online across LAN, Realms, and standard servers in real time. The Friends List has privacy controls and a modernized interface, but it does not have the automatic world-following behavior that Bedrock parties have. Java players still need to connect to the same server or Realm manually.
Tips for Getting the Most Out of Parties
Use Open Parties for Casual Groups
If you are playing with a loose group of friends who come and go, Open is the easiest setting. Anyone on your friends list can jump in without you needing to send invites one by one. Set member invites to enabled so your existing members can pull in other friends themselves.
Use Invite Only for Private Sessions
For focused play sessions — like exploring a new sulfur cave together or hunting for the Bounce music disc — Invite Only keeps the group tight and prevents unexpected joiners from entering your private Realm.
Add Realm Members Before the Session
The most common issue players run into is trying to bring a party member into a Realm only to find they cannot follow because they are not a Realm member. Add everyone to the Realm before the session starts so the automatic follow works smoothly for the whole group.
Use Party Chat Before Loading In
Party chat works from the main menu, so use it to coordinate who is ready before the leader enters the world. This avoids the situation where half the party misses the auto-follow because they were still on the title screen when the leader jumped in.
Coordinate Exploration With Friends
Parties are especially useful for Chaos Cubed content like exploring sulfur caves as a group, catching sulfur cubes, and building minigames together. The automatic follow means the whole team arrives in the same world instantly. Check the sulfur springs guide to plan your first group expedition underground, or set up a shared Minecraft Realm so your party always has a private world to jump into together.
Minecraft is available on Minecraft.net, Google Play, and the Xbox Store.
