What is a Minecraft UUID?
Every Java Edition account has a UUID, a 128-bit ID written as 32 hexadecimal characters such as 069a79f4-44e9-4726-a5be-fca90e38aaf5 (that one is Notch). Names can change once every 30 days; the UUID never does. That is why servers, plugins and the game’s own files track players by UUID.
Online and offline UUIDs
Which UUID a player gets depends on the server, not just the account:
- Online-mode servers check every player with Mojang and use the account’s real UUID, the one this lookup finds. It stays the same after a rename.
- Offline-mode servers, often called cracked servers, skip that check. They make a UUID from the name instead: a version 3 UUID of
OfflinePlayer:plus the exact name. The same name gives the same UUID on every offline server, and a different name, even different capitals, gives a new one.
Switching a server between the two loses player data
Inventories, homes and permissions are saved under the UUID, so turning online-mode on or off makes everyone’s saved data point at UUIDs nobody has any more. Migrate the playerdata files, or use a plugin that does it, before switching.
Offline-mode servers are common in our Java server list. If you run one, the offline UUID generator above tells you which file in world/playerdata belongs to which name.
UUID formats and where they are used
| Format | Example | Used in |
|---|---|---|
| Dashed | 069a79f4-44e9-4726-a5be-fca90e38aaf5 | Server files, plugins, /tp and other commands |
| Undashed | 069a79f444e94726a5befca90e38aaf5 | Mojang’s API and many websites |
| Int array | [I;110787060,1156138790,-1514210135,238594805] | NBT from 1.16: entity data, heads, data packs |
| Most/Least | UUIDMost:475826800676128550L | NBT before 1.16, as two numbers |
How to find your own UUID
- Here: type your Java name into the lookup above.
- In game (Java 1.16+): run
/data get entity @s UUID. It prints the int array, which the lookup also shows so you can match them up. - In a server’s files:
usercache.jsonlists the names and UUIDs of recent players.
You rarely have to type a UUID by hand: /whitelist add and /op take a name and look the UUID up for you. Our guides to the server whitelist and server commands cover when the UUID matters, such as editing whitelist.json while the server is offline.
Bedrock players and UUIDs
Bedrock accounts use an Xbox user ID (XUID) rather than a Mojang UUID, so this lookup can’t find them. Java servers that accept Bedrock players through Geyser and Floodgate give them a Java-style UUID built from that XUID, and usually a name prefix so they can’t clash with Java names.
More for the same player
Once you have the player, grab their skin with the skin grabber or get a player head command. To see whether a name is free for a new account, use the name checker.
UUID questions
What is a Minecraft UUID?
A UUID is the permanent ID of a Java Edition account: 32 hexadecimal characters, usually written with dashes as 8-4-4-4-12. Servers use it instead of the name to store inventories, bans, whitelists and permissions.
Does your Minecraft UUID change when you change your name?
No. A premium Java account keeps the same UUID forever, so renaming doesn’t lose progress on online-mode servers. The exception is offline-mode (cracked) servers, where the UUID is made from the name and changes with it.
What is an offline UUID?
Offline-mode servers don’t ask Mojang who you are, so they make a UUID from your name: an MD5-based version 3 UUID of the text “OfflinePlayer:” followed by your exact name. It is case sensitive, so Steve and steve get different UUIDs.
How do I find my UUID in game?
In Java 1.16 or newer, run /data get entity @s UUID. The game prints it as four numbers, the int array format. This lookup shows the same int array next to the normal dashed UUID so you can compare them.
What is the UUID int array?
Since Java 1.16, NBT stores UUIDs as four 32-bit integers written like [I;1,2,3,4]. You need this form in commands and data packs, for example to target a player’s UUID in NBT or give a textured head.
Do Bedrock players have a UUID?
Bedrock accounts are identified by an Xbox user ID (XUID) instead. On Java servers that let Bedrock players join through Geyser and Floodgate, Floodgate gives each Bedrock player a Java-style UUID based on that XUID.