Fixing “You Need to Authenticate to Microsoft Services” in Minecraft Bedrock

If you’re encountering the “You need to authenticate to Microsoft services” error while playing Minecraft Bedrock Edition, don’t worry. This article provides a few steps to help you resolve the issue quickly.

But first, check something out:

Press OK: First, click the “OK” button to close the message.

Sign in: Make sure you’re signed into your Microsoft account on the device you’re playing Minecraft on. You may need to sign in through the Minecraft main menu.

Check the Internet Connection: Ensure that your device is connected to the internet and that there are no issues with the connection, as this can sometimes cause authentication problems.

Restart Minecraft: Close the game completely and restart it. Sometimes this fixes any authentication issues.

Check for Updates: Make sure both Minecraft and your device’s operating system are up to date.

Try Signing Out and Back In: If you’re already signed in, try logging out and then logging back in with your Microsoft account.

If even after those steps, you are still facing this error, proceed to the section below:

How to Fix the Authentication Issue

1. Verify Date and Time Settings

• Ensure your device’s date and time are set correctly and synchronized with the internet. Incorrect date and time settings can sometimes cause authentication errors.
• For example, on the Nintendo Switch, syncing the system’s time with the internet has worked for some players.

2. Check Your Microsoft Account for Security Requirements

• Log into your Microsoft account on a web browser and check for any security prompts or requests for additional information, such as adding a phone number.
• Some users have found that completing these steps resolves the authentication error in Minecraft.

3. Check Server Settings (For Server Hosts)

• If you’re hosting a Minecraft server, and you do not own an official copy of the Minecraft Bedrock game, you might need to check the server.properties file on the server.
• Locate the online-mode setting and set it to false.
• After making this change, restart your server.

4. Restart Minecraft

• After performing these steps, close Minecraft completely and restart the game. This can help clear any issues related to authentication.

5. Update Minecraft and Your Device

• Make sure both your device’s operating system and Minecraft are up-to-date, as updates often contain important bug fixes.

Video Guide

If you need a visual walkthrough of these steps, check out this helpful video:

How to Fix “You Need to Authenticate to Microsoft Services” in Minecraft