How to Set Up a Minecraft Bedrock Server

Bedrock is the version of Minecraft that runs on phones, tablets, consoles and the Windows 10/11 app. Its official Linux Bedrock Dedicated Server (BDS) lets everyone on those platforms play together on a world you control. Here's how to run it on a VPS.

Java vs Bedrock — pick the right one

If your friends play on iOS, Android, Xbox, PlayStation, Switch or the Windows app, you need Bedrock. If they buy Minecraft: Java Edition on PC, you need Java. The two don't connect without extra proxy software, so match your server to your players.

What you'll need

• A VPS with 2 GB RAM for a small group; 4 GB for a busy world.
• Ubuntu 24.04 or Debian.
• An SSH session with a sudo user.

Step 1: Prepare the system

BDS ships as a Linux binary and needs a couple of libraries:

sudo apt update && sudo apt install unzip screen libcurl4 -y
sudo adduser --disabled-password bedrock
sudo su - bedrock

Step 2: Download the Bedrock server

Go to minecraft.net/en-us/download/server/bedrock, accept the terms, and copy the current Linux download URL. Then:

wget -O bedrock-server.zip "PASTE_BEDROCK_URL"
unzip bedrock-server.zip -d bedrock && cd bedrock

Step 3: Configure server.properties

Open server.properties and set the essentials:

• server-name — what shows in the friends/servers list.
• gamemode=survival and difficulty=normal.
• max-players=10.
• allow-cheats=false.
• view-distance=10.
• online-mode=true — requires valid Xbox Live accounts, which blocks most griefers.

Step 4: Start the server

BDS needs its own libraries on the path, so launch it like this inside a screen session:

screen -S bedrock
LD_LIBRARY_PATH=. ./bedrock_server

You'll see the world generate and a "Server started" line. Detach with Ctrl+A then D; the world keeps running.

Step 5: Open the firewall port

Bedrock uses UDP port 19132 (not TCP like Java):

sudo ufw allow 19132/udp

If you also want IPv6 clients, open 19133/udp as well.

Step 6: Connect

In Minecraft, go to Play → Servers → Add Server, enter your VPS IP and port 19132. On consoles that restrict third-party servers, players can add it as an external server or use a companion app — the server itself is identical either way.

Keeping it healthy

• Back up the worlds folder regularly. Stop the server or run save hold in the console first for a clean copy.
• Add-ons and behaviour packs go in the behavior_packs and resource_packs folders and are enabled per-world.
• Wrap the launch command in a systemd service so it restarts automatically after a crash or reboot.

Control who can join with allowlist

Bedrock's equivalent of a whitelist is the allowlist. Set allow-list=true in server.properties, then add players by gamertag in allowlist.json:

[
  { "name": "FriendGamertag" },
  { "name": "AnotherFriend" }
]

Only listed players can connect, which keeps uninvited joiners out. Grant operator rights sparingly through permissions.json using each player's XUID.

Common connection issues

• Friends can't find the server: you opened TCP instead of UDP. Bedrock is UDP 19132 — double-check your firewall rule.
• Console players can't add it: some consoles restrict third-party servers; players may need a companion app or the "external server" workflow.
• "Unable to connect to world": the server process crashed or the version doesn't match the client. Update BDS with the latest download and restart.
• Server starts then exits: a missing library — install libcurl4 as shown in step 1.

Deploying the fast way

Bedrock is sensitive to disk latency when many players load chunks at once. Running it on Nxeon's NVMe VPS with a nearby Singapore location keeps ping low for players across Asia-Pacific, and full root access means you can drop in add-ons or a systemd unit without fighting a locked-down panel. One-click deploy gets a Bedrock world online in about a minute if you'd rather skip the manual steps.