Minecraft's authentication servers

Understanding Minecraft authentication servers

So what is an authentication server?

When you launch Minecraft and connect to a multiplayer server, the game communicates with Mojang’s authentication servers to verify that your login credentials are valid.

If those servers aren’t reachable, Minecraft can’t validate your identity, meaning multiplayer features like joining servers or Realms will be unavailable.

You might see errors like:

“Failed to login: The authentication servers are currently down for maintenance.”
“Failed to login: The authentication servers are currently not reachable. Please try again.”
Or similar.

An example of the error you may see

Why do authentication servers stop working?

There are several potential reasons for downtime:

Unexpected server problems
Outages can occur due to backend errors, high traffic, or infrastructure failures.

Routine maintenance
Mojang may temporarily take systems offline for updates or improvements.
Client-side issues
Sometimes the error is local—bad internet connections, corrupted cache, or outdated clients can trigger login failures, or even bad DNS.

Determining if the Minecraft authentication servers are offline?

Sometimes, the issue isn’t on your side—it’s Mojang’s infrastructure. The first step should always be to check the current status of their services.

Ways to check:

Visit @MojangStatus on X (formerly Twitter) for live updates.
Use status trackers like Minecraft Down Detector to see user-submitted reports.
Check the Minecraft subreddit (/r/Minecraft), where outages are often discussed as they happen.

How to remain up-to-date

While you can’t eliminate server outages completely, here are a few things you can do to reduce the hassle:

Bookmark Mojang’s status page
Join Minecraft communities on Reddit or Discord to stay updated
Consider hosting your own server with high uptime reliability (like with Delta Networks, who provide 24/7 server availability)

How to fix “Authentication Servers Are Down” on your local PC

If Mojang reports no problems and other players can connect, the issue might be on your end. Try the following steps:

1. Restart the Game

Exit the launcher completely (not just minimize)
Reopen it and try again

A full relaunch can often reset the session and re-establish a valid connection.

2. Sign Out and Back Into Your Account

Open the Minecraft launcher
Log out of your profile (top-right corner)
Sign in again with your Mojang or Microsoft credentials

This process refreshes your session token and helps resolve login issues.

3. Check Network Connectivity

Visit another website or open a different online game
Restart your router or modem
If you’re on Wi-Fi, try using a wired Ethernet connection

Network instability is a common reason Minecraft can’t reach Mojang’s services.

4. Flush DNS Cache (Windows OS Users)

Sometimes DNS resolution issues interfere with Mojang’s servers. To clear the cache:

Open Command Prompt as Administrator
Run the following:
```
ipconfig /flushdns
```

Then reboot your system and launch Minecraft again.

If you have an advanced network, we recommend falling back to Google or Cloudflare DNS for the purposes of testing to make sure your custom DNS solution isn’t the problem (if applicable)

5. Ensure Your Game Is Up to Date

In the launcher, verify that you’re running the latest version of both the launcher and the game itself
Updates sometimes include compatibility changes for backend authentication

Additional Troubleshooting Steps

If none of the above works and you’re running a personal or hosted server, try this:

1. Restart Your Server

If you’re hosting a server via a provider like Delta Networks, restart it through your control panel. Occasionally, server-side hiccups can cause connectivity mismatches.

2. Account Status

If your account is restricted or banned with Microsoft/Mojang, that could block access
Contact Minecraft Support if you suspect something’s wrong with your login

3. Avoid Using Cracked Clients

Unofficial launchers or cracked clients won’t be able to communicate with Mojang’s authentication system. Always use the official launcher.

Running a server in offline mode removes the requirement for the authentication server, please note that we don’t offer support to offline-mode servers as this may affect your gameplay experience and/or bring in bad actors.