# How to Set Up a Private Minecraft Server for Friends > Make a Minecraft server only your friends can join: whitelist, operators and permissions, difficulty, hiding it from strangers, backups, and keeping it online while you're away. Source: https://www.beaconhosting.org/knowledgebase/how-to-set-up-a-private-minecraft-server-for-friends Category: Minecraft Last updated: 2026-10-22 A private server is an ordinary Minecraft server with the door locked: only people you've added can join, a few trusted friends can manage it, and it's backed up. Here's how to set one up, in the order that matters. ## 1. Turn on the whitelist This is what makes a server private. With the whitelist on, nobody joins unless you've added them, even if they have the address. Run these in **Console**: ``` whitelist on whitelist add FriendName ``` Add each friend by their exact Minecraft username. To keep it on after a restart, set `white-list` (and `enforce-whitelist`, to kick anyone not on the list) to `true` in `server.properties`. You can see and remove whitelisted players on the **Players** page. Full steps: [How to Whitelist a Minecraft Server](/knowledgebase/how-to-whitelist-a-minecraft-server). > [!TIP] > Friends on Bedrock joining through Geyser are whitelisted with a dot in front of their name: `whitelist add .BedrockName`. ## 2. Decide who's in charge There are two kinds of control, and it's worth keeping them separate. ### In the game: operators Operators can run commands such as `gamemode`, `tp`, `kick` and `whitelist`. Make yourself one first: ``` op YourName ``` Only op the people you'd trust with your world. `op-permission-level` in `server.properties` sets how much ops can do: `4` (the default) can run every command including `stop`; `2` allows game commands but not server management. See [How to Grant OP Permissions](/knowledgebase/how-to-grant-op-permissions-on-a-minecraft-server). For finer control, such as letting friends use `/home` and `/tpa` without op, run Paper and install **LuckPerms**: see [How to Install LuckPerms](/knowledgebase/how-to-install-luckperms-on-a-minecraft-server). ### In the panel: subusers If a friend should be able to restart the server, change files or make backups when you're not around, give them panel access instead of your password. On Beacon, open **Users** in the sidebar, add them by email, and tick only what they need. ## 3. Set the rules The usual choices for a group of friends, all in `server.properties` or as commands in **Console**: - **Difficulty:** `difficulty` set to `easy`, `normal` or `hard`. See [How to Change the Difficulty](/knowledgebase/how-to-change-the-difficulty-on-a-minecraft-server). - **Keep inventory:** `gamerule keepInventory true` if you'd rather not lose items on death. See [How to Turn On Keep Inventory](/knowledgebase/how-to-turn-on-keep-inventory-on-a-minecraft-server). - **PvP:** `pvp=false` to stop friends hurting each other. See [How to Turn Off PvP](/knowledgebase/how-to-turn-off-pvp-on-a-minecraft-server). - **Spawn protection:** `spawn-protection=0` so everyone can build near spawn (it doesn't apply to ops anyway). See [How to Change the Spawn Protection](/knowledgebase/how-to-change-the-spawn-protection-on-a-minecraft-server). - **Max players:** set `max-players` to roughly the size of your group. ## 4. Keep strangers out of sight The whitelist stops strangers joining, but you can also make the server less visible: - **Don't post the address publicly.** Share it in your group chat only. - **Leave `online-mode=true`.** Turning it off lets anyone join with any name, including yours, and makes the whitelist easy to get around. - **Hide who's online:** `hide-online-players=true` stops the server list showing player names. - **Hide it from the server list completely:** `enable-status=false` makes it show as offline in the multiplayer list. Your friends can still join; they just won't see the player count or MOTD. ## 5. Back it up Friends' servers lose worlds to griefing, a bad mod update or a mistyped command more often than to hardware. Set backups up on day one: 1. Make a backup now from **Backups**. 2. In **Schedules**, create a daily schedule with a **Send Command** task (`save-all`) and a **Create Backup** task a few seconds later. 3. **Lock** a backup before any big change, so it can't be removed by mistake. See [How to Back Up and Restore a Minecraft World](/knowledgebase/how-to-back-up-and-restore-a-minecraft-world). ## 6. Keep it online when you're not A server for friends is most useful when anyone can play at any time, not just when the owner is on. - **Open to LAN** and **LAN-sharing mods** stop the moment the host quits. - **A server on your own PC** stops whenever the PC sleeps, restarts or is switched off. - **A hosted server** runs in a data centre around the clock. Your friends can play at 3 a.m. without you. On a hosted server, add a daily restart in **Schedules** to keep it fresh (see [How to Schedule Automatic Server Restarts](/knowledgebase/how-to-schedule-automatic-server-restarts-on-the-games-panel)), and it will look after itself between your visits. ## Run your friends' server on Beacon Beacon servers stay online 24/7 with backups and DDoS protection included, so your group can play whenever they like. Plans start at 1 GB, and 2–4 GB suits most groups of friends. [Compare plans in the store](/store/games/minecraft).