Friends on Xbox, PlayStation, Switch, phones or Windows 10/11 Bedrock can't join a Java server. They need a Bedrock Dedicated Server, which listens on port 19132 UDP. You can run one from the app in a few clicks or by hand from Mojang's zip.
Updated October 2026
Minecraft has two flavours that don't talk to each other natively. Java Edition is the original PC version, supports mods like Forge and Fabric and uses TCP port 25565 by default. Bedrock Edition is the version that runs on Xbox, PlayStation, Switch, iOS, Android and Windows 10/11, supports add-ons and behaviour packs and uses UDP port 19132.
If your friends are on console, mobile or the Windows 10 Edition of Minecraft, you need a Bedrock server. A Java server won't accept their connections.
Want both? Geyser lets a Java server accept Bedrock players, with Floodgate so they don't need a Java account. In MC Server Manager it's one button: on the Java server's Network tab, press Add Geyser and the app downloads the Geyser team's own build, as a plugin on Paper and Purpur, a mod on Fabric and Quilt, or standalone beside a vanilla or Forge server, then shows the Bedrock address and port on the card. A pure Bedrock Dedicated Server is still the simpler path if all your friends are on Bedrock, since there's no Java server underneath to run.
MC Server Manager handles the official Bedrock Dedicated Server (BDS) for you, downloading it, configuring it and starting it without touching any zip files or scripts.
The app downloads the Bedrock binary from Mojang, accepts the EULA on your behalf and the server is running.
If you'd rather do it by hand:
C:\BedrockServerbedrock_server.exe by double-clickingTo stop it cleanly, type stop in the console window.
Bedrock uses server.properties just like Java does, but the file format is slightly different. The most useful settings:
| Property | Default | What it does |
|---|---|---|
server-name | Dedicated Server | Name shown in the server list |
gamemode | survival | survival, creative, adventure |
difficulty | easy | peaceful, easy, normal, hard |
max-players | 10 | Maximum number of players |
level-name | Bedrock level | Name of the world folder |
level-seed | (empty) | Optional world seed |
server-port | 19132 | IPv4 game port |
server-portv6 | 19133 | IPv6 game port |
online-mode | true | Verify players own Minecraft (keep true) |
allow-cheats | false | Enables /commands by ops |
view-distance | 32 | Lower for better performance |
In MC Server Manager: the properties editor handles all of these visually, no manual file editing needed. Changes take effect on the next server restart.
By default, the server is only reachable on your local network. Players outside your home need either an open port or a relay.
MC Server Manager can open port 19132 UDP for you using UPnP, which most home routers have switched on. Turn UPnP on in the server's Network section and give your friends your public IP.
If UPnP isn't supported or doesn't work, you can forward port 19132 (UDP, not TCP) on your router. The process is the same as for Java servers, just with port 19132 instead of 25565. See our port forwarding guide for the per-router walkthroughs.
If your internet uses CGNAT (most mobile, 4G/5G, Starlink and many fibre providers do), neither port forwarding nor UPnP can ever work. A relay gives your Bedrock server a custom address that gets round CGNAT and tells you which port to give your players.
The connection flow is the same on every Bedrock platform:
19132 by default)Console players (Xbox, PlayStation, Switch): some platforms restrict joining unofficial servers. On Xbox you may need to set the privacy setting You can join multiplayer games to Allow. PlayStation requires PS Plus. Switch requires Nintendo Switch Online.
Not natively. You need a Java server running Geyser, which translates Bedrock packets to Java in real time, plus Floodgate so Bedrock players don't need a Java account. MC Server Manager sets both up from the Java server's Network tab with the Add Geyser button and the Floodgate switch, then puts the Bedrock address and port on the card for you to hand out. It works well, but it's a Java server underneath, not a Bedrock one. If most of your friends are on Bedrock, a pure Bedrock Dedicated Server is simpler.
1 to 2 GB is plenty for most worlds with under 10 players. Bedrock is more memory-efficient than Java in general.
Yes. Place .mcpack or .mcaddon files in your server's behavior_packs or resource_packs folder, then enable them in world_behavior_packs.json and world_resource_packs.json. MC Server Manager has a UI for this so you don't have to edit JSON by hand.
That's the official Bedrock default. 25565 is reserved for Java. You can change it in server.properties if you want, but most player guides assume 19132.
No. Realms is a paid Mojang-hosted service, separate from Bedrock Dedicated Server. If you want Realms, buy it through Minecraft. If you want self-hosted, this is the right page.
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