How to enable offline (cracked) mode
Turn off online-mode in the Properties tab, save and restart. Anyone can then join with any name, so add a login plugin to protect accounts.
- Difficulty:
- Beginner
- Time:
- 5 minutes
On this page
Offline mode (often called "cracked" mode) lets players join without Mojang checking that they own Minecraft. You turn it on by setting online-mode to false in the Properties tab. Read the risks below before you do it.
How to turn on offline mode
Open your server in the Game Panel and click the Properties tab.
Type
onlinein the search bar.Turn the
online-modeswitch off.Click SAVE at the top.
Click Restart (or Start if the server is off).
Players with launchers that are not signed in to a Microsoft account can now join using the server address.
The risks you must know
Anyone can use any name. Without account checks, a player can join as you, or as any of your ops, and use their powers. The whitelist does not stop this, because it only checks the name.
Different player IDs. Each player gets a different UUID in offline mode, so existing inventories, ops and plugin data linked to online accounts will not match. Switching an existing world between modes can make players lose their items. Decide before your players start building.
No skins by default. Players without a verified account show default skins.
Protect your server with a login plugin
On Paper or Purpur, install an authentication plugin (for example AuthMe Reloaded or nLogin) from the Plugins tab. Each player then registers a password the first time they join and logs in with it afterwards, so nobody can take over their name. Add SkinsRestorer to give players skins. Setup steps are in SkinsRestorer and login plugins for offline servers.
Never give op to anyone on an offline server until a login plugin is installed and you have registered your own name with a strong password.
Running a proxy network? Don't use offline mode this way
If you use Velocity or BungeeCord, the proxy checks accounts and the backend servers are set to online-mode=false only so the proxy can forward players to them. Those backends must have forwarding turned on (Velocity modern forwarding in Paper's config, or the bungeecord option in spigot.yml), otherwise players lose their UUIDs and skins. This is different from a cracked server. See Velocity and BungeeCord proxy network.
Your responsibility
Running your server in offline mode is your choice and your responsibility as the owner. Mojang designed online-mode to verify that players own the game, and the Minecraft EULA and usage guidelines apply to every server. Endercloud does not provide or support pirated copies of Minecraft. We recommend keeping online-mode on whenever your players own the game.
Frequently asked questions
Can premium and cracked players play together?
Yes, premium (paid) players can also join an offline-mode server. Some login plugins can detect premium players and let them skip the password, but in offline mode their UUIDs still differ from their online ones unless the plugin handles it.
"Failed to verify username" when joining
The server is in online mode and the player's account could not be verified. Either the player needs a signed-in, paid account, or the owner switches to offline mode. See Failed to verify username.
Do Bedrock players need offline mode?
No. On a Java server with Geyser, use Floodgate so Bedrock players can join without a Java account while the server stays in online mode. See Geyser and Floodgate crossplay.
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