What is openfriendmc?

OpenFriendMC is an unofficial, community-built project that brings a feature from a newer version of Minecraft Java Edition, specifically the Friends List introduced in snapshot 26.2, back to older versions of the game and makes it work on any server. Normally, this friends list feature only lets you join a friend's local world, not a dedicated server. OpenFriend extends it so you can use that in-game friends list to join any server you run or have permission to use. The project is a collection of five components you can mix and match. The core piece is a small program that handles authenticating your Microsoft account and bridging the friends list connection to your actual server. There is also a mod for the Fabric modding platform that adds the friends list interface to older Minecraft versions from 1.16.5 through 1.21.11, a server plugin for popular server platforms, and an optional bypass component for servers with stricter authentication settings. This is useful for Minecraft server operators who want to let their players connect through the friends list instead of typing in a server address, and for players on older game versions who want access to the new friends UI. It is written in Go and released under the MIT license. It is not affiliated with Microsoft or Mojang.