Minecraft Realms Error Code 5 | Is Minecraft Realms Down

There are widespread reports that Minecraft Realms is experiencing an outage, particularly for Bedrock Edition (Console, Mobile, PC) players.

If you are seeing Error Code 5 right now, it is highly likely caused by this server outage and not a problem with your device.

Here is the breakdown of the situation:

1. Is Minecraft Realms Down?

• Status: Yes, issues reported.

• Details: There has been a spike in user reports today (Jan 18) indicating that players cannot join Realms or are getting kicked out. This has been a recurring pattern on weekends throughout January 2026.

• The Cause: The authentication servers are failing to connect you to your Realm, resulting in generic error codes like “Error 5” or “Unable to Connect.”

2. What does “Error Code 5” mean?

The meaning depends on which version you are playing:

Scenario A: Bedrock Edition (Most Likely Today)

• Meaning: In the context of an outage, this is a Server Communication Error. Your game is trying to “shake hands” with the Microsoft server, but the server is refusing the connection.

• The Fix: You cannot fix this. Do not uninstall your game. You simply have to wait for Mojang to bring the services back online.

Scenario B: Java Edition (PC Launcher Issue)

• Meaning: If you are on PC and seeing this error before the game even launches (during an update), it means “Access Denied.” Your computer’s security permissions are blocking the launcher from updating a file.

• The Fix:

  1. Close the Launcher completely.

  2. Right-click the Minecraft Launcher icon.

  3. Select “Run as Administrator”.

  4. The update should now finish without the error.

Summary Recommendation

If you are on console or mobile and just started seeing this error today, stop troubleshooting. It is a confirmed server-side issue. You can check sites like DownDetector to see when reports start to drop, indicating the servers are back up.