Hikari Help Center

What is Offline Mode?

Offline mode (also known as "cracked" mode) disables Mojang's authentication system. When enabled, players can join your server using any username, even if they don't own a legitimate Minecraft account. This is the opposite of online mode, which requires players to authenticate with Mojang's servers.

Note

Offline mode is useful for testing, LAN play, or private servers where you want to allow players without premium accounts to join.

Important Security Considerations

Security Warning

Before enabling offline mode, consider the following:

Security Risk: Without authentication, anyone can use any username, including impersonating other players
No Account Verification: You cannot verify if a player owns a legitimate Minecraft account
Plugin Protection: Consider using plugins like AuthMe or similar to add your own authentication layer
Server Type: Offline mode is typically used for private servers, testing, or educational purposes

How to Enable Offline Mode

Step 1: Access Your Server Files

Log in to your panel
Navigate to your Minecraft server
Open the File Manager or connect via FTP
Locate your server's root directory

Step 2: Open server.properties

Find the server.properties file in your server's root directory
Click on it to open the file editor, or download it to edit locally

Step 3: Modify the Online Mode Setting

Look for the line that says online-mode=true
Change it to online-mode=false

The file should look like this:

# Enforces players to have a valid Mojang account
online-mode=false

Step 4: Save and Restart

Save the server.properties file
Restart your Minecraft server from the panel
Wait for the server to fully start (check the server console)

Step 5: Verify the Change

Check your server console for any errors
Try connecting to your server with a test account
If successful, offline mode is now enabled

Offline mode is now enabled! Players without premium accounts can now join your server.

Additional Configuration Options

While you have server.properties open, you might want to configure these related settings:

enforce-whitelist: Set to true to only allow whitelisted players
white-list: Set to true to enable the whitelist feature
max-players: Set the maximum number of players allowed

Troubleshooting

Server Won't Start

If your server fails to start after making this change:

Check the server console for error messages
Verify the syntax in server.properties is correct
Ensure there are no extra spaces or special characters
Try reverting the change and restarting to confirm the file isn't corrupted

Players Still Can't Join

If players are still unable to join:

Verify the server has fully restarted
Check that online-mode=false is saved correctly
Ensure your server's firewall allows connections on the correct port
Check if any plugins are blocking connections

Important

If you're still experiencing issues after following these steps, check your server logs for specific error messages that may indicate the problem.

Reverting to Online Mode

To switch back to online mode:

Open server.properties
Change online-mode=false back to online-mode=true
Save and restart your server

Enable Offline Mode