Android: The multiplayer gameplay continually switches off.

Good day sir, as of beta 1.12.0.2, We tried (all of us even the host) connecting on one same WiFi. It works for some minutes then it switches off. We then have to restart our device in order to play again.
But as I can remember in the official 1.0 - 1.8 update we only need the host to start a mobile hotspot with the players connected to it to play together (which is not working in 1.9 - 1.12). The cellular data isn't enabled. Hoping for this fix soon. Thank you for your hardwork.

Please fix this. It's hard to play with friends when offline or connected to hotspot

Is this issue solely about not being able to play using a mobile hotspot?

Could you please provide steps to reproduce the problem?

Steps to Reproduce:
1.
2.
3.

Observed Results:

Expected Results:

Quick Links:
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Yes.
I turned on multiplayer and "visible to LAN players" is on, but when there's no internet connection in the mobile hotspot, it automatically turns off in-game. But when I tried to play in-game when connected to wifi, the multiplayer game is always on. So my current minecraft 1.11.0.8 can't be played with multiplayer LAN friends without internet connection?
Then LAN itself is useless in this version?

Have you enabled cellular data? You can check this by going to Settings→Profile→Use Cellular Data.

No sir the cellular data is not enabled.
It still affects 1.12.0.4.

The problem is like this:

Step #1

1. The host of the world opens the Mobile hotspot.
2. The host opens Minecraft, plays the world or creates the world with the multiplayer toggle on.
3. The players connects to the host and joins the world.

Observed Results:

1. The players can't join since the multiplayer toggle automatically turns off.

Expected Results:

1. All players can play together via LAN and the multiplayer toggle will still be on.

Step #2

1. The host of the world connects to the Internet.
2. The host opens Minecraft, plays the world or creates the world with the multiplayer toggle on.
3. The players connects to the host and joins the world.

Observed Results:

1. The players can now join since the multiplayer toggle is on.

Expected Results:

1. It will work and everyone can play together.

(This has nothing to do with cellular data enabled on or off for it doesn't affect the problem. It also affects new worlds, old worlds, and copied or backed up worlds. Even if signing in or not to X-box Live. )

What we are pointing out is that LAN isn't working with Mobile Hotspot and only works if all of the players connects (even the host) to the Internet or a different LAN. So finalizing that, the host of the world should connect to the internet or another lan (with every players) to play multiplayer. Then It's not LAN at all.

Sorry if you're confused but thank you for your hardwork in solving the problem.

Thanks for the comment. I did try opening my hotspot of my other phone (which do not have minecraft and internet) and me and my friends connected to it, we are able to play on each others' worlds. So these versions require a literal host hotspot that cannot play minecraft. Sorry if you did not understood. Thanksss

This bug has been reported to our internal bug tracker for further testing and a fix. It is scheduled to be fixed in one of the future updates (no specific date can be provided).

It still affects beta 1.12.0.4, 1.12.0.6, 1.12.0.9, and 1.12.0.10. Hoping for a fix soon!

Its been 3 months and I haven't heard any news of it. No offense, I know all of the admins are doing their best but I think it's progressing very slow. It still affects upto the 1.13 betas. Hoping for an answer and a fix soon!

Please fix this bug in version 1.13 beta, I haven't played with my friends in a long time

Sure ! I can't play with my friend whereas he is next to me !

FYI, I'm having the same issue (multiplayer turning off) with mobile hotspot off, cellular data on, with working internet.

Android 1.12.1

Will they fix this problem one day? We are already at 1.13 and nothing yet. I feel you are not paying attention to this point in MCPE.

Android 1.13.0.15

Joaquin Gabriel Ruiz Figueroa
In a comment they said this bug will be fixed in future releases ... but ... I think they forgot😕.

It's been 7 months since I submitted a report and have been waiting for 7 months and still this bug is not yet fixed. I'm going to be frank, I know that you are all busy but please sir and madam please fix this so we can enjoy multiplayer locally using hotspot again. This just makes me sad we're already on beta 1.14.0.2 😔.

1.13 released

Issue not fixed

Please fix this ASAP. Why did we buy the paid one, because we want everything fully if we paid full

Is this issue still occuring in the latest version (1.14.1)?

This issue is still not fixed in 1.14 please solve this I want to play multiplayer

If there is an external hotspot (another phone) not connected to the internet in which the players and host will connect to, the players CAN join the host's world if and only if the players, including the host, is not signed in to their xbox live account.

The players and host can play easily if the hotspot is connected to the internet

I think this problem is more related to the xbox live accounts because it shows error if you start Minecraft and you are not connected to the internet

Me and my friend had another phone for a hotspot

Then we both connect to that specific hotspot but unfortunately there is no signal so that phone could not connect to the internet

When we open minecraft it shows error in the profile section of the settings menu..

It also shows the "you cannot play on realms..."

But if I sign out of xbox live.. even if my friend who hosts the world is still signed in (also with the error) I can now see the world in LAN Games in the multiplayer tab but my items and xp is gone because I logged out of xbox live

Also the multiplayer automatically switches off if you play minecraft offline and your xbox live account is signed in even if you turn it off then on in the world settings before going into the world

But if you sign out of xbox live then enter the world (even without internet) with the multiplayer setting on, the multiplayer setting does not turn off

I have been having the same issue with Multiplayer on android with the Minecraft 1.15.0.53 beta version for the past 3 months.

This is also happening on latest beta 1.16.0.51.

If Android host the world it's not showing up on other devices, but i could join worlds hosted by pc. 

This issue is annoying when trying to do multiplayer sessions when on the go (train, holidays etc). typically we do not use xbox live, and have our hotspot disconnected from the internet (to save data, or because there is no / unstable connection - and because minecraft does not really require internet to play at all). multiplayer works fine for us (since 3 years) if the hotspot is on a device not joining the game. but if you dont have a spare device for hotspot, and try setting up a hotspot on the host / any player - this user can not join.

we think it is simply related to the fact that multiplayer only works with wlan enabled - but in hotspot mode wlan is disabled... so maybe minecraft should not ask android if wlan is enabled, but just let us play in whatever combo we hook up our devices. as i see it there is no technical reason to do otherwise....

This is issue still affects the new 1.16 official Nether Update on Android.

Yep this bug it's still there in the latest 1.16 version on Android, and it's getting pretty annoying because I can join my friend's game , but the can't join mine, because whenever I enter the world, multiplayer is off with no apparent reason.

Still an issue in 1.16.100.50 beta

Random disconnect on a wifi connection. I noticed it might be related with xbox account being disconnected while game is playing. Lan is stable. Game will just randomly kick a player and the player can't join again. You need to close the game and relaunch.

1.16.100.56 android

This is still an issue in the latest Beta (1.16.100.58) and in the latest Release (1.16.40).

Still affects Beta 1.16.100.59.

Affects Beta 1.16.100.60 & Beta 1.16.200.51.

Hello!  I'm the same, tried with the Microsoft account and without, writes you need to connect to Wi-Fi. I'm giving out one phone, I'm connecting with another, and so in turn, zero. (Minecraft BE 1.16.100.09) Android 8.1

Uh oh i have already found the solution....
Just connect all device to 1 wifi (have internet data), and u will can play together.... But i found more problem

Why LAN mode need Internet data?(i mean on this version), im playing with my communities and use 1gb for playin 12 hours without stop, and its still lagging in game.....

I know minecraft doing this to fix "Inventory gone" bug, because nothing server to safe, but its more good than loosing 1 gb data perday for MINECRAFT only

I hope u can fix this quickly...

We dont care lose our inventory because of the last bug, we just need our old minecraft which is LAN without Internet... Thanks

I feels beter using crack than the paid version :v

Crack is supporting lan _

I thought this multiplayer problem only happens to me, it's actually not fixed until today. It used to work connecting with friends without the need of internet. Please Mojang fix this, its been years. Some countries dont have that consistent connection to WiFi.

Update: the issue is still present in the latest beta (1.16.210.53)

Foreword: Good Day to Everyone and Happy Holidays! This is John David Florido the original reporter of this bug a year and a half ago. After years of not accessing this report, I somehow forgot my username and password so I created a new account. I still have managed to check this report once a month starting last October.

Update: As of December 24, 2020... this bug is still present up to the latest release (1.16.201) and latest beta (1.16.210.53) of Minecraft: Bedrock Edition. 

Solution and Cause: Months before this comment, my friends and I tried connecting through one router with and without Internet connection, as well as in the conditions of whether we're signed in or out from our Microsoft Accounts. Just like Cornelio stated earlier. It both worked regardless of the conditions. My only point is, its ways resulted to more irritating issues;

1) With Internet --->      Very laggy, glitches every time, and may use data for prepaid users.

2) Without Internet ---> Not much problem but other devices have connecting limits per person and not everyone has a router device.

3) Signed-in or out from Microsoft Account ---> No problems encountered so far.

To join Minecraft Multiplayer LAN based on our tests:

          1) All devices should either connect to a different device capable of doing Mobile Hotspot (Tethering) or an Internet router. (Note that the device of the world's host nor one of the players shouldn't be used as the host for Tethering Hotspot as it will not work it should be a unique device and not to be used in joining the world)

          2) Open Minecraft and Create or Select the World for your Multiplayer.

          3) Just take note also of the probable issues mentioned above if using this.

          4) You can also use the /setmaxplayers command to determine how many players are to join.

          5) Lastly, Enjoy and Play your world. Hope this helps.

Final Note: Minecraft is definitely one of the reasons our childhood became awesome. Especially when they added multiplayer gameplay to it. It was fun and all with different game modes, gameplays, and map themes all over... until this bug crashed it. I just hope that some of our great developers can fix it real soon. Just take your time and all to analyze the bug carefully.

I'm not that knowledgeable about coding or programming but I think they should change the multiplayer system through on/offline, signed in/out, or through realms and servers or not as it works perfectly during 1.7 BE to the oldest PE. Overall the test we've found can be a solution for those like us playing through LAN. I'm just thinking for those who don't have any or uncapable on doing so.

To those players experiencing this, please continue on updating, sharing, and voting for this report, your feedbacks are great. And to our dear developers, this bug report is already 1 year old turning 2, but we manage to understand the hardships of coding so no need to rush. No pressure and just do everything that you have to do. Enjoy this season after the tireless and fearsome year we all have been through. Once again Happy Holidays Everyone!  

I completely agree, this bug is affecting simple, offline gameplay with friends! I have three problems, which all boil down to the same issue, i think. Two are related to playing offline, with clients joined by an adhoc network:

• if the host of the adhoc network starts a world (set to multiplayer), this world switches to non-multiplayer, and no one can join

• if a client on an adhoc network starts a multiplayer world, then everybody can join fine, except the host of the adhoc network - he gets the "You must be connected to Wifi to play with your friends." message - even though he can see the world, and certainly sits on the same network...

• the third case is a little different: i have a bedrock server running at home, to which i can connect remotely using a vpn connection into my home network. this works fine from remote wlan or lan, but when connected to a mobile network operator, i get the same error message "You must be connected to Wifi to play with your friends." - even though the server shows up with ping, and online players

I think all three issues are related to minecraft thinking there is no connection for lan play (in case 1&2 because obviously wlan is off since hotspot is on), and in case 3 since the connection to the server is by vpn over 3G, and wlan is off, too...

I completely agree with John David Florido that they should take their time to fix this properly - but this feature is essential for casual gameplay on the go / remote areas without router....

Thank you Mojang for keeping up the quality of the game!

Update: As of April 22, 2021... this bug is still present up to the latest release (1.16.220.02) and latest beta (1.17.0.50) of Minecraft: Bedrock Edition. 

Update: As of Beta 1.17.0.52, you can now once again host multiplayer games and send invites over cellular data! But it doesn't fix the hotspot issue.