Most of the time, this error is caused due to poor Internet connection or issue on the Minecraft server side itself. However, there may be other causes as well. This article will guide you through the causes of the authentication error and ways to fix it.
Causes: You need to authenticate to Microsoft services
How to Fix “You need to authenticate to Microsoft services” Error?
The authentication problem is solved by performing minor tweaks like restarting the server and changing the time zone. However, there are other fixes as well that work. Here, we have compiled a list of 9 fixes you can apply when encountering this error. So, let’s get straight into them without further delay.
Check the Server Status
Before you move to further fixes, you must be sure that the Minecraft server is not down. Sometimes the Minecraft server goes down for maintenance, and you may be experiencing an authentication error. You can search Google to know about the status of Minecraft servers. In case the servers are down, you must wait until you get an up notice from Minecraft. Else, there is an issue on your side. Please move down to further fixes.
Re-Sign In to Your Microsoft Account
Since the error mainly deals with account authentication, the first thing you can do is to re-sign into your Microsoft account. As reported by many users, re-signing in often solves the error without further hassles. Here’s how to re-sign in:
Set Time Zone to Automatic
You may also encounter the issue if the time settings on your device and time server are different. Having a different time zone setup on your device and server creates synchronization problems, and the server can not authenticate your connection. So, set the time zone to automatic. Follow these steps on your Windows PC:
Try Restarting the Server
Sometimes, the issue lies within the server side itself, and you may encounter an authentication error. Restarting the server generally solves the problem. Follow these steps to restart the server: It should restart the server and fix any issues if the server is the culprit.
Whitelist Minecraft Services
An antivirus installed in your system can sometimes interfere with the Minecraft services and block your access to the Minecraft server. Meanwhile, the firewall also may do the same. Whitelisting a few Minecraft services will help solve the issue. Here’s how to whitelist sites from the Windows firewall:
Install Identity Provider App from Xbox
Since the Minecraft server uses xboxlive.com to sign in, not having an Xbox identity provider app can create issues with sign-in, and you may encounter the error. Make sure you have this app on your device before trying signing in. You can simply download and install it using the Microsoft Store.
Run Bedrock Server as Administrator
If you use a Bedrock version from Minecraft, it lets you have a separate bedrock server. This version enables you to host your own server locally or on a cloud. However, it may throw an authentication error if you don’t have administrator privilege to run it. You should run it as an administrator, so you don’t encounter the error. Here’s how:
Connect using Hypixel Server
You normally connect to the Minecraft server using the server list. But the servers listed there may not always be able to authenticate the connection. If you are in the Java version of Minecraft, there is another high-quality server called Hypixel that you can join. It should fix the authentication problem if other servers cannot resolve the request. Follow these steps to connect using the Hypixel server:
Update or Reinstall Minecraft
If you tried every fix mentioned in this post, you should be able to sort out the error. However, if not, you can try updating Minecraft to the latest version or reinstalling it.
