On attempting to log in to Realms (first attempt ever), I get the Microsoft account screen. I enter my (existing, active) Microsoft account, and (next screen) password.
I now get a screen which has my photo top right, and in almost unreadable white font on light grey background (what!???!) has my email address. This page HAS NO QUESTION on it. It just has a date entry form. For all reasonable values of date entered, the form simply returns without any action or any error message or any other feedback. It is an infinite loop or infinite guessing game with no clue whatever as to what date value I'm supposed to be providing, let alone why.
This is a total failure from a UX point of view as well as a practical point of view and is totally blocking me and my family from using Realms. Frankly, Microsoft is terrible at authentication systems. Forcing all Realms traffic through the mess that is Microsoft authentication is just going to act like a massive traffic limiter. I like Minecraft more than I despair about using Microsoft's perennially broken authentication frameworks. But only by a very small margin.
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Well I lied because in this "guess the question, then guess the answer" barndance from the geniuses at Microsoft, there is a microscopic piece of user feedback. If I don't modify any of the defaults and try to submit the date entry form, I get "the information is required", like someone copy and pasted from the "My First JavaScript Validation" tutorial. But still neither the Next or Cancel button actually does anything.
Preliminary diagnosis: Microsoft paying people $9 an hour to develop web forms. Can I get a discount for beta testing their handiwork please?
Even when I am actually already logged in to my Microsoft account - the dialog detects this and lets me select my currently logged in account without any credentials challenge - I still get stuck in this same inescapable, uninformative loop. No change in behaviour.
I think maybe, when it grows up, what this form wants to say (rather than nothing at all) is something like "Hi, I need to verify your age to continue, please enter your date of birth". Something like that. Rather than - Nothing.
I guess it's possible it's asking me questions in more white text on white background that isn't masked by an almost-white grey layer and so is totally invisible rather than just nearly invisible.
The workaround for this problem is to go directly to Microsoft Account and link the Microsoft Account to an XBox Live account, independently of Minecraft, and not attempt to log in to Realms via Minecraft until the association of the Microsoft Account to the new XBox Live account has already been completed outside of Minecraft.
The impact of this will be that in 99% of cases, end users who want to use Minecraft Realms, but who don't already have an XBox Live account associated to their Microsoft Account, will not be able to play Minecraft Realms and will give up. (99% will not persistently attempt to debug it like me).
So if you have less Realm activity and signups than you were expecting, this could be a big part of the reason.
The fix is probably as simple as getting a correct set of contrasting colours in the font, background and overlay.
Apparently Linux users should upgrade to the latest Launcher version (eg 2.1.3676) which is available from the Mojang site).
Cleaning up old tickets: This ticket had been set to 'Awaiting Response', but has not received a response from the reporter (~3 months+) so is being closed as Incomplete. If you feel this is still a valid issue then please comment, or create a new ticket following the Issue Guidelines which includes steps to reproduce the problem.
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The login form is a white form headlined Microsoft, taking up maybe 5/6th of the screen vertically (like a pop-up or pop-over) but with a Minecraft branded page still visible underneath it.
In addition to the Next (= submit) button on the form having no discernable effect, the Cancel button next to it has no discernable effect either.
If I use the Android back button to bail from this loop, Android reports that "unfortunately Minecraft has stopped".