Minecraft Bedrock: set up, join, configure

A Minecraft Bedrock server is the server for the edition of Minecraft on phones, tablets and Windows (formerly Pocket Edition). It is a product of its own: Java players cannot join it. If you want Java and Bedrock on one server, take a Java server with crossplay.

The first start

1. 1

   Accept the EULA

   The Overview says Minecraft is waiting for your consent. Read Mojang's end user licence and press Accept and start. Only you as the operator can accept; we do not do it for you.

2. 2

   Download from minecraft.net

   Nothing is downloaded at setup. Only the start after your consent downloads Bedrock Dedicated Server from minecraft.net and creates the world. The first time takes a little longer; you can follow it in the Console.

3. 3

   Add players

   Bedrock ships the allowed players list switched on and empty. While it is empty nobody can join, not even you; the console then says “Allow list is enabled but contains no entries”. Add your Xbox gamertag on the Players tab under Allowed players, or switch the list off.

Joining

1. 1

   Open Minecraft and choose Play, then the Servers tab.

2. 2

   At the very bottom: Add Server.

3. 3

   Enter a name, the address from the overview under Server Address and the port under Port. Bedrock has two separate fields for them.

4. 4

   Save and tap the server in the list.

• Players need the same version of the Minecraft app as the server. With Always the newest, the server updates itself at the start; players with an older app get in after updating it.
• Every player needs an Xbox (Microsoft) account. The allowed players list takes the gamertag, exactly as in the Xbox app.
• Bedrock does not read SRV records: anyone using your own domain always gives the port as well.
• On Xbox, PlayStation and Nintendo Switch, Minecraft has so far only shown the featured servers under Servers; there is no field for your own server there. Whether console players can join is therefore up to Minecraft, not your server.

The server identity

Bedrock identifies itself to players with an identity. If none is saved, the server makes a new one at every start, and players then have to trust it again. On the Properties tab, the Server identity card shows whether one is saved; Save identity (while the server runs) stores the current one in keys/server_identity_key.pem.

Players, operators, messages

On the Players tab you see who is online while the server runs. There you disconnect players with a reason, make them operators (they may then use commands) and write a message to everyone. Operators are kept in permissions.json with their Xbox ID, so making someone operator only works while they are online. Removing the permissions also works with the server stopped.

Settings

The Properties tab shows server.properties as a form, in groups: Server and access (name, player count, list, permissions of new players), Game (game mode, difficulty, cheats, chat, skins), World (world name, seed), Performance, Security and movement and Technical. The i next to each setting explains what it does. Everything applies after the next restart; after saving, the page offers it.

• Server name, game mode, difficulty and cheats are written into the file from the start variables at every start by our system. The page therefore changes both, the variable and the file.
• Please keep the server name and world name free of accented letters and special characters: they would show up in the game as character codes.
• A new World name creates a new world at the start; the old one stays in the worlds folder. The Seed only applies to new worlds.
• We set the port and network to match your address; these values are locked.
• Under Version you choose Always the newest or a Fixed version, for example to stay on the version all your players have.

You edit the file itself in the file manager; after the first restart it no longer has comments, the explanations are behind the i.

Performance

What costs the most is the View distance (view-distance) and the Simulation distance (tick-distance): the larger, the more memory and CPU time per player. Bedrock ships view distance 32; the presets Light (12) and Balanced (20) in the Performance group take noticeable load off the server. The simulation distance weighs more; 4 is the default.

• If it lags with many players, lower the view distance first, then the player count.
• Let the player's app generate chunks too (on by default) leaves the far part of the view to the players' devices.
• How much memory and CPU time the server is using right now is shown on the Performance tab. If it is not enough over time, a larger plan helps.