What works with an offline account
- Singleplayer. Every Minecraft version, with mods, resource packs and shaders. Arctic downloads the game and the right Java for you.
- LAN and Play together. Open your world to friends on the same network, or share a code and play over a direct connection with no port forwarding.
- Offline-mode servers. Servers that don’t verify accounts let any name in. You can filter for them in the Discover servers list.
- Everything that makes Arctic Arctic. Free skins, capes, 3D cosmetics and emotes that other Arctic players see, friends and chat, the built-in Arctic Client with its HUD widgets, and the performance mods.
What doesn’t
Servers that check accounts, which is most large public networks, still need a Microsoft account that owns Minecraft: Java Edition. Arctic doesn’t get around that and doesn’t pretend to. If you own the game, sign in with Microsoft in your browser or with a short code, and everything works on those servers too.
How to add one
- 1Get the launcherDownload Arctic Launcher for Windows, macOS or Linux. It is one small file; there is nothing to install and no sign-in screen in front of it.
- 2Add an offline accountOpen Accounts, choose Add account, then Offline ("Singleplayer and offline-mode servers").
- 3Pick a name and playType a name of 1 to 16 letters, digits or underscores. The account is ready, so pick a version and press Play. Add a Microsoft account later if you want online servers.
An offline account gets its identifier the same way vanilla offline-mode servers do, so your data on those servers stays with your name.
Safety and privacy
An offline account involves no sign-in, so nothing is sent to Microsoft for it. For Arctic’s own features (your cosmetics, friends) it proves itself with a random key the launcher made on your PC, never with hardware IDs. A recovery code, of which only a hash is kept, moves it to a new PC. The launcher has no telemetry and no analytics, and the code is open source under GPL-3.0. The privacy page lists exactly what is stored.
Coming from TLauncher or another launcher
The Move to Arctic window imports instances from TLauncher, the Minecraft Launcher, Prism, PolyMC, MultiMC, Modrinth App, CurseForge, ATLauncher and GDLauncher. Pick exactly what comes along: mods, worlds, packs, settings or screenshots. Your originals are never touched, so you can try Arctic without switching. See the comparison with TLauncher or all the launchers side by side.
Questions
- Can I play Minecraft without a Microsoft account?
- Yes. Add an offline account with any name in Arctic Launcher and play singleplayer, LAN and offline-mode servers. Servers that check accounts still need a Microsoft account that owns Minecraft: Java Edition.
- Can I join any server with an offline account?
- No. Offline accounts work for singleplayer worlds, LAN games and servers that run in offline mode. Servers that verify accounts, which includes most large public networks, need a Microsoft account that owns Minecraft: Java Edition.
- Do I still get skins, capes and cosmetics?
- Yes. An offline account gets Arctic skins, capes, 3D cosmetics and emotes like any other account, and other Arctic players see them in game. Friends can add you with your friend code.
- Can I use an offline account and a Microsoft account together?
- Yes. Arctic keeps several accounts side by side and switches between them in one click, so you can add your Microsoft account later without losing anything.
- Is Arctic Launcher a TLauncher alternative?
- Yes. It is free and open source, installs Fabric, Quilt, NeoForge and Forge with Modrinth mods, and can bring your TLauncher instances over for you.