Minecraft Bedrock Server Not Showing Up? How to Fix It

If your Minecraft Bedrock server is not showing up, check five things in order: the server is running, the address and port are correct, the game and server versions match, the port is open for TCP and UDP, and your name is on the allowlist. Also, dedicated servers never appear in the Friends list, and consoles cannot add servers.

Quick fixes by symptom

1. Make sure the server is actually running

Look at the server console first. It should have finished starting and be waiting for players. If it crashed on start, nobody can see it. On a hosting panel, the server status shown in the panel must be online; on TheGameHosting you can also check the server status page.

2. Do not look for it in the Friends list

A dedicated server is not a hosted world, so it does not appear under Friends. The Minecraft Wiki says servers cannot be joined through the Xbox network in Bedrock Edition. Add it by hand instead. On Windows, phones and tablets, open Play, then Servers, scroll to the bottom and select Add Server. The steps are in how to add a server in Minecraft Bedrock.

On Xbox, PlayStation and Switch the game has no Add Server button. The Minecraft Wiki says the featured servers are the only servers available on console versions. Console players need a helper, which how to join a Bedrock server on Xbox, PlayStation and Switch explains.

3. Check the address and the port

• Use the public IP address or domain. An address that starts with 192.168 or 10. only works on your own network.
• The default Bedrock port is 19132. Java uses 25565, which does not work here.
• Type the port in its own field. Do not put it after the address with a colon.
• Delete old entries after a change of address or port, and add the server again.

4. Match the versions

Bedrock servers and clients have to be on versions that match. After a game update, the server may still run the old version, and the client refuses it. The fix is to update the server software, or to update the game on the device if the server is already newer.

5. Check the allowlist

The default server.properties sets allow-list=true, and the list starts empty. With the allowlist on, only listed names can join. The owner adds a friend from the server console:

allowlist add FriendGamertag

Names with spaces go in quotes. The server also keeps online-mode=true by default, which checks that players are signed in with their account, so a player who is signed out cannot join either.

6. Open the port for TCP and UDP

This is the usual cause for a server on a home PC. Bedrock's default connection type changed to NetherNet in version 26.50, and RakNet was deprecated in 26.60. NetherNet uses both TCP and UDP on the server port, while RakNet used only UDP. Old guides that tell you to open UDP alone are out of date. The relevant settings in server.properties look like this:

server-port=19132
server-udp-ports=19132
transport=nethernet

1. Forward port 19132 to the server PC for both TCP and UDP. If your router only lets you choose one type per rule, add two rules.
2. Allow the server in the firewall. On Windows, accept the prompt or add a rule. On Ubuntu, Microsoft's guide uses sudo ufw allow 19132.
3. Make sure transport is not set to raknet. The current game versions cannot connect over it.
4. Some home connections share one public IP address between customers, which makes port forwarding impossible. If every setting is right and nothing helps, ask your provider.

A quick test: open http://YOUR-ADDRESS:19132/v1/join in a browser on another network. A NetherNet server answers that web request with a short block of JSON that includes the server name and version. If you get that, the TCP side is reachable, and the remaining problem is the UDP rule.

If you use a hosting plan

On a hosting panel you cannot forward ports, because the host has already done it. That leaves the address, the version, the allowlist and the console workarounds. Check the server is online, copy the address and port shown in the panel, add your name with allowlist add and update the server software if the game has just updated.

Starting from scratch? Here is how to get a working Bedrock server on TheGameHosting.

1. Choose a plan on Minecraft Bedrock server hosting. Bedrock needs only 1 GB of RAM, so it runs on every size on the plans page.
2. If the server is set to another game, switch to Minecraft Bedrock Vanilla in the Game Changer. Back up first if it holds a world.
3. Edit server.properties in the Files section and restart from the panel.
4. Give your friends the address and port from the panel.

For settings and the allowlist in detail, read how to make a Minecraft Bedrock server. If your problem is a Java server with Bedrock players, go to Geyser not working instead.

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