Minecraft Authentication Servers Down for Maintenance: How to Fix It

What does "The authentication servers are currently down for maintenance" mean?

It means your game tried to confirm your Minecraft account with Mojang's session service just before joining a server, and got no usable answer. The server itself was reachable – otherwise you would see a connection error such as getsockopt – but the account check in the middle of the login failed.

This is what happens when you join a normal (online mode) Java server:

1. Your game connects to the server.
2. The server asks your game to prove that the account is genuine.
3. Your game sends a request to Mojang's session service using the sign-in token from your launcher.
4. The server asks the same service whether you really did that, and lets you in.

If step 3 fails because the service can't be reached or returns an error, the game shows this message. Despite the text, it's not always planned maintenance: a short outage, a network problem on your side or something blocking the request gives the same result.

The wording depends on the game version:

The first two come from your own game (step 3 failed). The third comes from the server: your game passed its part, but the server couldn't reach the session service in step 4. In both cases the cause is the connection to Mojang's services, not the server's world, mods or settings.

Is it Mojang or is it me?

Try a second online-mode server and ask a friend on another network: if nobody can join anywhere, it's an outage; if only you can't, it's local. A five-minute check saves you from reinstalling things that aren't broken.

• Join a different server, for example a big public one. If it fails with the same message, your account check is failing everywhere.
• Ask someone else to join the same server. If they can and you can't, the problem is on your PC or network.
• Check the status channels: the @MojangStatus account on X, the Xbox status page (Minecraft Java accounts sign in through Microsoft and Xbox services) and Minecraft's help site. Reports from many players at the same time on outage-tracking sites are also a good sign that it isn't you.
• Singleplayer still works? Singleplayer doesn't need the session service, so it doesn't tell you much – but if the launcher can't even sign you in, the problem is with the account services, not with a specific server.

If it's a real outage, nothing on your side will fix it. Wait – these outages usually end within minutes to a few hours – and try again. Spamming reconnect doesn't help.

How to fix it as a player

Restart the game and the launcher, sign in again, then check your network and DNS. Work through the list in order; the first two steps solve most local cases.

1. Close the game and the launcher completely

Quit Minecraft, then close the launcher as well (on Windows, check the system tray next to the clock – the launcher can keep running in the background). Start it again and try the server. This gives the game a fresh copy of your sign-in data.

2. Sign out and sign in again

In the Minecraft Launcher, sign out of your Microsoft account and sign back in. In third-party launchers (CurseForge, Modrinth App, Prism Launcher and others) remove the account and add it again. A stale or broken sign-in can't be used for the session check, and signing in again replaces it. If the message changes to "Invalid session", see Minecraft invalid session.

3. Wait a few minutes and retry

Short hiccups in the session service are common and fix themselves. If the status channels show nothing and step 1–2 didn't help, try again in 10–15 minutes before changing anything else.

4. Check DNS

Your PC has to translate the session service's domain to an IP address. If your provider's DNS fails or returns an outdated answer, the request never arrives.

• On Windows, open Command Prompt and run ipconfig /flushdns, then restart the game.
• If that doesn't help, set a public DNS server (for example 1.1.1.1 or 8.8.8.8) in your network adapter or router settings and try again.

5. Turn off VPN, proxy and network filters

A VPN, a proxy or the "web protection" part of an antivirus can block or break Java's connection to Mojang's services while normal browsing still works. Turn them off for one test. If it helps, add an exception for Java instead of leaving protection off. School and work networks sometimes block these services outright – test on your phone's hotspot.

6. Check the hosts file

Some tools and unofficial launchers add lines to the Windows hosts file (C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts) that send Mojang's domains nowhere. Open it in Notepad as administrator; if you see lines mentioning mojang.com or minecraft.net that you didn't add yourself, remove them and save.

7. Check the date and time on your PC

The request to Mojang uses an encrypted connection, and a clock that is far off can make it fail. Turn on automatic date and time in your system settings. A wrong clock can also cause the related message Expired profile public key. Check that your system time is synchronized, and try restarting your game.

What should the server owner do?

Usually nothing: if your players see this message, your server is running and reachable – the failing part is Mojang's session service or the player's own connection. Don't reinstall the server or roll back the world because of it.

• One player affected, everyone else fine: it's on that player's side. Send them the player checklist above.
• Everyone affected at once: check the status channels. If there is an outage, tell your players on Discord that it's Mojang and wait it out.
• Players get "Authentication servers are down. Please try again later, sorry!" but other servers work: this kick comes from your server, which couldn't reach the session service. If you host at home, check your own internet connection, DNS and firewall on the machine running the server.

Should I switch to online-mode=false?

Not as a quick fix. With online-mode=false the server stops asking for the account check, so the message disappears – but so does the protection that comes with it:

• Anyone can join under any nickname, including yours or an operator's, unless you install a login plugin or mod first.
• Players get new UUIDs, so their inventories, homes and permissions saved under the old UUID no longer match.
• When the outage ends and you switch back, the same thing happens in reverse.

An outage lasts minutes or hours; the damage from an unprotected server can be permanent. If you want players without an original game to join for good, do it deliberately and securely – see our Minecraft offline mode server guide.

Authentication errors on a Spot.gg server

The Spot.gg panel detects when your server has trouble reaching Mojang's services and tells you so, so you don't have to dig through logs to find out it isn't your fault.

• Bug icon in the server panel. The panel checks the server logs since the last start; the icon turns red when it finds something. Click it to open "Detected errors". If the server had problems connecting to Mojang, you'll see the warning "Connections to MOJANG servers" with a hint to check whether Mojang has an outage, "since the problem is not always on your side or your server's side".
• "Who can join" in "Configuration" is where you choose between "Original accounts only" and "All players" (online-mode). The panel warns you when the server would accept any nickname – read the offline mode guide before you change it.
• "Ask the assistant" in the errors window opens the AI assistant, which can read your server's files and logs and explain what happened.

Want a server where your players only need the address from the panel? You can try a Minecraft server on Spot.gg free for 24 hours; paid plans start from $3.90 per month.

FAQ

Is Minecraft really down for maintenance when I see this message?

Not necessarily. The message appears whenever your game can't get an answer from Mojang's session service – a real outage, planned maintenance, or a DNS, VPN or firewall problem on your side all look the same.

Why does this error only happen on some servers?

Only online-mode servers ask for the account check. Offline-mode servers skip it, so they still let you in during an outage. That's also why switching your own server to offline mode hides the error – at the cost of security.

How long do Minecraft authentication outages last?

Most last minutes to a few hours. Follow the official status channels and try again later; there's nothing a player or server owner can do to speed it up.

Can a VPN cause the authentication servers error?

Yes. A VPN or proxy can block or break the connection to Mojang's services. Turn it off for a test; if the error disappears, add an exception or choose a different VPN server.

What's the difference between this and "Invalid session"?

"Authentication servers are down" means your game got no usable answer from the session service. "Invalid session" means it got an answer, and the answer was that your sign-in is no longer valid – that one is fixed by restarting the launcher and signing in again.

Does reinstalling Minecraft fix it?

Almost never. Reinstalling doesn't change Mojang's services, your DNS or your network. Restarting the launcher and signing in again is the reset that actually matters.