ViaVersion: Let Friends Join Your Minecraft Server on Another Version
You get “Outdated client” or “Outdated server” and your friend can't join because they're on a different Minecraft version. You don't all have to update at once: on a Paper server, three plugins (ViaVersion, ViaBackwards and ViaRewind) translate between versions and let everyone in with their own. Here you'll see which one you need, how to install it and what it doesn't fix.
What each plugin does
ViaVersion lets in players on a NEWER version than the server's. It's the base: the other two don't work without it.
ViaBackwards does the opposite: it lets in players on an OLDER version than the server's. It needs ViaVersion installed.
ViaRewind adds the oldest versions, 1.8 and 1.7 (the ones many PvP players still use). It needs ViaVersion and ViaBackwards.
Quick rule: if the server is on the latest version, which is the usual case, what you almost always need is ViaVersion + ViaBackwards. If the server stayed on an older version and the players update, ViaVersion alone is enough.
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Installing them in the NapNodes panel
Make a backup first
In the panel, “Backups” → create a backup. These are very widely used plugins, but this way you can go back in a minute if something doesn't convince you. (The free server has no backups: if that's yours, skip this step.)
Open “Mods & plugins”
Inside the server, the “Mods & plugins” button. It only searches among the ones that work with your version and server type (Paper).
Install ViaVersion
Search for “ViaVersion” and install it. Then, if needed, “ViaBackwards” and, for 1.8 or 1.7, “ViaRewind”. If one doesn't show up for your version, download it from its Hangar page (hangar.papermc.io) and upload it in “Files”, inside the plugins folder.
Restart
Press “Restart”. Plugins load on startup; check in the console that ViaVersion loads without red errors.
Check who joins with which version
With someone online, type via list in the console (or /via list in the chat, if you're an operator): it groups players by the version they joined with.
If you've turned on Bedrock, ViaVersion is already there
The “Bedrock” tab in “Mods & plugins” (Java and Bedrock crossplay) installs Geyser, Floodgate and ViaVersion together, because Geyser talks like the newest Java client. In that case you'd only be missing ViaBackwards (and ViaRewind) if you want versions older than the server's to get in.
What ViaVersion doesn't fix
New blocks and items don't exist in old versions: anyone joining on an older version sees them swapped for similar ones, and some things (new mobs, certain menus) look odd. For playing seriously, it's still best for everyone to be on the server's version; ViaVersion is so nobody gets left out.
1.8 combat doesn't come back by installing ViaRewind: the player joins with their 1.8, but the combat rules are the server's.
It doesn't work for modded servers. Players need the same mods on the same version, and ViaVersion doesn't translate mods. On Fabric there's ViaFabric, which does the same for unmodded Minecraft, but not for the mods. To hand out the mods to your friends, your server has its napnodes.com/jugar page with the client-side modpack.
When a new Minecraft version comes out, ViaVersion needs updating to know about it. If a player on the brand-new version can't join, update ViaVersion (and ViaBackwards) to the latest from “Mods & plugins” and restart.
What if I'd rather change the server version?
Upgrading is done in “Mods & plugins”, “Server type” tab, and the world stays (see the guide to updating the server version). Downgrading isn't: a world opened on a new version breaks on an older one, unless you restore a backup made on that version (why, and what to do). So if your friends are behind, it's better to keep the server on the latest and add ViaBackwards than to downgrade the server.
Frequently asked questions
What does “Outdated client” mean when joining a Minecraft server?
It's Paper's message (on a server without plugins, the game says “Incompatible client!”): your game version is older than the server's. Update the game to the server's version or ask the admin to install ViaBackwards (with ViaVersion), which lets older versions in.
And “Outdated server”?
The opposite: your version is newer than the server's. Pick the server's version in the launcher, or have the admin install ViaVersion, which lets newer versions in.
Do players have to install anything?
No. ViaVersion, ViaBackwards and ViaRewind are installed only on the server; each player joins with their normal Minecraft and their own version.
Does it work on a Vanilla server?
No, they're plugins: they need Paper (or Spigot or Purpur). On NapNodes, Minecraft is delivered on Paper, so they're installed from “Mods & plugins” without changing anything else.
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Your server doesn't show up in the game? Check it in a second with “Is my Minecraft server online?”: players, version and MOTD, free. Need a player's UUID for the whitelist or permissions? Look it up here. Handing out enchanted items? Build the command with the /give generator.
Keep reading
- GriefPrevention: Let Every Player Protect Their Base with a Golden Shovel
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- Minecraft Server on an Old Version (1.8, 1.12.2, 1.16.5, 1.20.1): Why and How
Why 1.8, 1.12.2, 1.16.5 and 1.20.1 are still alive, how to set up a Minecraft server on an old version, which Java it needs and what stops working.
- Minecraft Gamerules: keep_inventory and the Rules Servers Ask for Most
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