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RCON

How to use RCON on a Minecraft server with the RCON app

Turn on RCON in your server's server.properties (enable-rcon=true, a rcon.password and rcon.port, usually 25575), restart the server, then add it in the RCON app with the same address, port and password. Tap the server and you land in a console where whitelist add or time set day run as if you typed them on the host itself.

4 min read · Updated 2026-09-15

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Why bother with RCON instead of just joining

RCON lets you administer the server without logging into the world. A friend texts asking to be whitelisted while you are out, a griefer needs kicking, the server needs a save before a restart, and all of it takes a few seconds from your phone. The server does not even have to be on your own network, as long as its RCON port is reachable.

Turning RCON on at the server

This half happens on the server, not inside the app. Stop the server, open server.properties in the server folder, and set three lines.

  • enable-rcon=true
  • rcon.password= followed by a long password of your own choosing. The server refuses to start RCON with an empty one.
  • rcon.port=25575 (the default; change it only if your host tells you to).

Start the server back up and check the log for a mention of an RCON listener on that port. Renting the server instead of running it yourself? The host's panel almost always exposes the same three settings, and the panel itself will tell you which address and port to type into the app.

Pointing the app at your Minecraft RCON

  1. On the Servers screen, tap the plus button to open Add Server.
  2. Enter a Server Name you will recognise later and the server's Hostname or IP.
  3. Under Server Type, choose Minecraft. The Port fills in with 25575 on its own and the Protocol row shows Source.
  4. Type the exact value of rcon.password into RCON Password.
  5. Tap Test Connection and look for the green check, that means the server accepted the password, then tap Save Server.
  6. Tap the server in the list. The console connects, and you can type a command at the prompt.

The commands you will actually type

Drop the leading slash, that is a chat habit, not an RCON one. Command Suggestions shows matching commands with their arguments as you type, and Command History brings back whatever you sent last time.

Common Minecraft RCON commands
CommandWhat it does
listShows how many players are online and their names
whitelist add SteveAdds the player Steve to the whitelist
kick Steve Spamming chatKicks Steve with a reason
op Steve / deop SteveGrants or removes operator status
time set daySets the time to morning
weather clearStops rain and thunder
save-allWrites the world to disk
stopSaves and shuts the server down

What actually travels to the server

Minecraft speaks the Source RCON format underneath. Each command leaves as a small packet: a 4-byte length field, then a 4-byte request ID, a 4-byte type, the command text, and two zero bytes closing it off. The length field only counts what comes after itself.

Source RCON packet size for three commands
CommandText lengthLength fieldBytes on the wire
list41418
time set day122226
whitelist add Steve192933

Which is also why RCON stays snappy even on a shaky mobile signal. A command is a few dozen bytes, the reply comes back as plain text, and there is barely anything for a slow connection to choke on.

Cutting down on retyping

  • Command Aliases, set up in Settings, map a short word to a long command, wl for whitelist list is a common one to set up first.
  • Bookmark Current Command in the console menu drops a command into Bookmarks for one-tap reuse later.
  • Macros run several commands in order. The built-in Minecraft Day Setup template sends time set day, weather clear, difficulty normal and a say message one second apart, tap Install under Templates and it is on your server in seconds.

What trips people up

  • Typing 25565, the port players join on, into the RCON Password or Port field. RCON listens on its own separate port, 25575 by default.
  • Editing server.properties while the server is still running. It can overwrite your change the moment it stops, so stop it first and edit after.
  • Starting commands with a slash out of habit. Over RCON, whitelist add Steve works on its own; the slash only matters in the in-game chat.

Questions and answers

What is the RCON password in Minecraft?
Whatever value you set in rcon.password inside server.properties. It has nothing to do with any player or panel password, and it is exactly what the app asks for in RCON Password.
Is there a default RCON password for Minecraft?
No, it is empty by default, and the server flatly refuses to start RCON until you set one yourself. Make it long and unique while you are at it.
Can I use RCON on a Minecraft server hosted by a provider?
Yes, as long as the host lets you enable RCON and actually exposes the port. Use whatever address and port the host gives you, it may well not be 25575.
Does RCON show the in-game chat?
No. You only get the reply to whatever command you just sent, not a live feed of chat or the server log.

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