How it works
You do two things. We handle the rest.
Setting up a Minecraft server normally means port forwarding, config files and a long evening. This takes under two minutes, and the only thing you do afterwards is decide who can join.
Step 1
Create the world
Name the world and choose whether commands are turned on. We build the server and give you one address to share. There is nothing to install, no ports to forward, and no config files.
Step 2
Friends request access
Anyone who enters your address is denied until you approve them. You receive an email with the username they play under and the time they tried to join.
Step 3
You approve or deny
Approve or deny each request in your dashboard. Approved players can join whenever they like, everyone else stays out, and nobody is told who made the decision.
Setting up
Three choices, and then you are done.
There is no version to choose, no memory to configure and no plugins to install. These are the only decisions we ask you to make, and none of them are permanent.
The world
Survival or creative, and whether hostile mobs appear. You can change these later without starting over.
Commands
On or off. With commands on, your child can change the time of day, fly in creative mode and experiment, which is how most children learn what the game can do.
Playtime
Set hours when the world is open, if you want to. Outside those hours nobody can join.
Getting connected
One address, whatever they play on.
Your dashboard shows the address on a single screen you can hand to your child or send to another parent.
On a computer
Open Minecraft Java Edition, choose Multiplayer, then Add Server, and paste the address from your dashboard.
On a tablet or phone
Open Minecraft, go to Play, then Servers, then Add Server. Bedrock needs the port number as well as the address, and we show both together.
Approving players
Nobody joins until you approve them.
The first time a friend enters your address they are denied, and their request appears in your dashboard with the username they play under. Approve them once and they can join from then on.
Your world
brightfox42.guardedservers.com
Jayden_04
Try it. This is the only way anyone can join.
Common questions
Before you set anything up.
Can my child change who is allowed in?
No. Approvals happen in your account, and your child does not have access to it. Even with commands turned on, there is no in-game command that edits the approved player list, because that list is not stored on the server.
Can they use commands?
Yes, if you turn them on. Commands let a player change the time of day, switch to creative mode and spawn items. This is a normal part of learning the game, and you can turn commands off again at any time.
Do their friends need to buy anything?
Only the copy of Minecraft they already own. There is no second account to create and nothing to install. They enter the address, you approve them, and they can play.
What happens if the world gets wrecked?
We back up the world every night and keep the last seven days. Restoring to an earlier day takes one click.
Do you moderate chat?
No. We do not read, filter or monitor what players say to each other. The protection here is the approval list: your child only plays with people you have approved, and you can remove anyone at any time.
Can I pause it during the school year?
Yes. Pausing stops billing and saves the world exactly as it was. You can also cancel in one click, and every charge comes with a receipt.