What does the outdated client mean on Minecraft? – Could not connect to outdated server error explained

For those attempting to jump into their Minecraft server, you may encounter an error where you cannot connect to your server because you’re using an outdated client. It’s a common thing to encounter whenever you haven’t check in on the game for a long time, or you immediately attempt to load into a game the same morning Minecraft receives an update. When you see this error, the only problem is the fact that you need to update your game.

To update your game to the latest version, make sure to check out how to change your game version to the latest release. Mojang, the developers behind Minecraft, has a full article breaking down the quickest way to do this. Here’s what you need to do:

1. Click “Installations” on the launcher start page. 
2. Click “New” to bring up the “Create new installation pop up.
3. Select a name for the insatlation and choose the game version in the “version” drop down list.
4. Press “Create” to save.
5. Press “Play” in the top menu to take you to the launcher landing page.
6. In the drop down menu to the left of the “Play” button you can now find your saved installation and choose it to play this version of the game.

Follow those steps, so your launcher makes the proper installations. Once those are finished, you can freely log back into your client and no longer encounter the error. However, if you continue to experience this problem, reach out to the Mojang team on their support page. You may need to provide them with exact details of what you’re dealing with to see what they can do for you.