Best for Minecraft
Residential proxies
from $0.27/GB
The only Geonode type that relays UDP for Bedrock, and a sticky session keeps one IP for up to 24 hours on Java servers.
Games
Minecraft Proxy Setup for Java and Bedrock Edition
Minecraft works on
- Windows
- macOS
- Linux
- Android
- iOS
- Xbox
- PlayStation
- Nintendo Switch
Key facts
In-game proxy setting
No proxy option in the game menus. The Java client's server connections do not follow the Windows or macOS proxy, so you need a mod or a proxy client that captures the game's connections.
Free proxies
SOCKS5 proxies from the Geonode free list work in Java mods and Proxifier for a setup test. Large servers often block them, and they are not tested for UDP, so use them with Java only.
What a proxy changes
Only the IP a server sees. A ban from Mojang or Microsoft is tied to your account and blocks all servers and Realms, whatever IP you connect from.
Ban risk
Server owners set their own rules, and most treat joining from a new IP after a ban as ban evasion, which can get the new account banned too. Some servers kick known proxy and VPN IPs on sight.
Which connection method carries Minecraft traffic
Java Edition plays over TCP (port 25565 by default), Bedrock over UDP (port 19132), and that decides the method.
| Name | Works In | Auth | Blocking Resistance | Best For | Where To Get |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SOCKS5 in a client mod (Java) | Java Edition with Fabric or Forge, multiplayer servers | Username and password | Medium: the SOCKS5 handshake is unencrypted, so a school or office filter can spot it | Picking a proxy per session from the Multiplayer screen | Geonode residential or ISP proxies; Geonode free list (SOCKS5) |
| SOCKS5 or HTTPS in Proxifier (Java) | Vanilla Java Edition on Windows, by routing javaw.exe; login and skin requests go through the same proxy | Username and password | Medium | Players who do not want mods | Geonode residential, ISP or datacenter proxies |
| SOCKS5 with UDP in a tunnel app (Bedrock) | Bedrock Edition on Android, servers and Realms | Username and password | Medium | Playing Bedrock on a network that blocks it | Geonode residential proxies with UDP enabled |
| System HTTP proxy (Windows, macOS) | The launcher at most, not game servers | Depends on the OS | Low | Nothing in-game | Not recommended for Minecraft |
Which proxy type to use with Minecraft
Pick a proxy country close to the server you play on, since every hop adds ping.
Good for Java
ISP proxies
from $1.25/IP
One fixed IP with low latency for one Java account, but no UDP relay for Bedrock.
Java, small servers only
Datacenter proxies
from $0.14/GB
Anti-VPN plugins on large servers flag hosting IP ranges first.
Setup test only
Free public proxies
Free
Public proxies are shared by many players, so servers often have them banned already.
How to set up a proxy for Minecraft
You need a SOCKS5 host, port, username and password from your proxy dashboard; Bedrock also needs a proxy that relays UDP. Consoles have no way to use a SOCKS5 proxy, and we have not tested a UDP tunnel client for Bedrock on Windows or iOS, so the Bedrock steps below cover Android only.
Install Fabric Loader for your Minecraft version (Forge works only on 1.16.5) and run that profile once.
Download ProxySwitcher from Modrinth for the same version and loader. Builds exist for 1.16.5, 1.19.4, 1.20.1, 1.21.4, 1.21.8 and 1.21.11; on 26.x, use Proxifier or play from a 1.21.11 installation in the launcher.
Put the .jar file in the mods folder inside .minecraft.
Start the game and open Multiplayer.
Click the Proxy button on the server list screen.
Choose SOCKS5 and enter host, port, username and password.
Test the proxy, save it, then join a server.
Check detailed instructions on our blog:
Read the blog postHow to check that the proxy works
Proxifier: watch the connection log while you join a server. The javaw.exe line to the server's port should name your proxy, not Direct.
v2rayNG: tap the status line at the bottom of the main screen; it should change to Connection succeeded with a time in milliseconds.
On a server you run, read the console when you join. Java servers log each login as name[/IP:port], and that IP should be the proxy's.
How to turn the proxy off
Mod: turn the proxy off on the Proxy screen, or remove the mod .jar from the mods folder.
Proxifier: set the javaw.exe rule's Action to Direct or untick the rule. v2rayNG: tap the stop button on the main screen.
Common Minecraft proxy problems and fixes
"Connection timed out" or "refused" when joining via proxy
- Wrong port, a dead free proxy, or an HTTP proxy entered as SOCKS5
- Check the host, port and protocol, and test the proxy in the Geonode proxy checker. If it is a free proxy, take another one from the list.
CauseFixKicked with "Failed to verify username" on some servers
- The server has prevent-proxy-connections turned on and the game traffic uses a different IP from your login request to Mojang
- Send both through the same proxy: Proxifier does this for javaw.exe. Use a sticky session or an ISP proxy so the login request and the game connection leave from the same IP. With a mod, use one that also proxies authentication, or play that server without the proxy.
CauseFixKicked with a message about VPNs or proxies
- The server runs an anti-VPN plugin that checks your IP against lists of hosting and proxy ranges
- Switch to a residential IP. If the server still refuses it, the owner blocks proxies on purpose, so play without one.
CauseFixBedrock connects, but worlds, servers and Realms don't load
- The proxy passes TCP but not UDP
- Use the Geonode residential UDP gateway and check that -requireUdp-true is at the end of the username.
CauseFix
More for Minecraft users
Minecraft proxy FAQ
Yes, the Geonode free proxy list has SOCKS5 proxies you can use to test a Java setup. Expect bans on large servers, and use a residential proxy with UDP for Bedrock.
Use a general SOCKS5 list, such as the Geonode free proxy list, filtered by country and protocol. There is no Minecraft-only list, since any SOCKS5 proxy that the server has not banned will work.
Velocity and BungeeCord are server-side proxies that server owners run to link several Minecraft servers behind one address. They do not change a player's IP. To hide or change your own IP, you need a SOCKS5 proxy on the client side.
Not for multiplayer. Game traffic goes around the Windows and macOS proxy settings, so use a mod, Proxifier or a tunnel app.
Only from a ban tied to your IP, and joining again that way breaks most servers' rules, so the server can ban the account as well. A ban from Mojang or Microsoft covers the whole account on every server, and a proxy does not change it.
A residential SOCKS5 proxy in a country near the server. It is the only Geonode type that relays UDP for Bedrock, and servers flag residential IPs less often than datacenter ones.
