How to unban someone in Minecraft

For one reason or another, occasionally Minecraft server/LAN world admins or Mojang have to ban players. There are different types of bans, some of which must be dealt with directly by Mojang, while others can be removed directly by a moderator or admin on a world or server through the use of a command. It all comes down to the severity of the ban and who is issuing it.

The means of unbanning Minecraft players also have some disparities between editions of the game. In Java Edition, administrators and moderators can use commands to remove a player from a ban list, but these commands aren't present in Bedrock, so if players are banned, they'll more than likely have to take the issue up with Mojang.

How to unban somebody in Minecraft: Java Edition

The ban screen in Minecraft: Java Edition (Image via Mojang)

For Minecraft players who are running a server on Java Edition, undoing a ban is incredibly simple. As long as you have the operator privileges (also known as OP) and can therefore utilize commands, you can enter one of a few commands to remove a player from the ban list on a server.

This can be accomplished with the following commands:

/pardon PlayerName - Removes a player from a ban list based on their username.
/pardon-ip PlayerIPAddress - Removes a player from the ban list based on their IP address if they were banned with the /ban-ip command.
/unban PlayerName - Removes a player from a ban list by using their username.
/unban-ip PlayerIPAddress - Removes a player from the ban list if their IP address was banned via the /ban-ip command.

Moreover, you can use the "/banlist ips" and "/banlist players" to check which players you currently have on the ban list. It's also possible to run the commands above via popular server plugins and the server console. The commands also work via command blocks as long as the executor has OP privileges. Admins can even directly edit their server's "banned-ips.json" file in a text editor.

How to unban somebody in Minecraft: Bedrock Edition

Minecraft Bedrock bans are handled in a very different capacity (Image via JetStarFish/YouTube)

Compared to Java Edition, the /ban, /unban, and /pardon commands are not used in Minecraft Bedrock. Without the use of plugins or third-party add-ons, server admins and mods can use "/kick PlayerName" command to kick a player off a server, but this is only semi-permanent, and all you need to bring a player back in is to reload the game world and/or send an invite to the kicked player.

However, these aren't considered true bans, and admins/mods that do have real ban capabilities on their server are likely using third-party tools to do so. In light of that, admins will have to refer to their server console on the hosting website to use the /ban, /unban, and /pardon commands as they aren't accessible in vanilla Bedrock.

There is a third situation to consider, which is being banned within Minecraft in general by Mojang. Players will know this ban occurs when they boot up the game, as they'll receive a notification telling them they can't access most online functionality. If this occurs, you have to remove your ban by filing an appeal with the following steps:

Head to the Mojang feedback page where a new appeal ticket can be opened.
Select Minecraft or Java & Bedrock Edition for PC as your game title.
Choose your ban reason from the list provided, or at least the closest possible reason if you don't believe you received one.
Follow by entering your name, email address, why you believe you were banned unjustly and wish to appeal and attach any screenshots or other documents to the ticket that will support your case.
Once everything is to your liking, press the submit button.

After submitting your ticket, you should receive an email from Mojang or Microsoft in short order regarding the status of your account. There is no guarantee that a ban will be lifted, but it's certainly better to appeal just to see if a ban removal is possible.