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Why does Minecraft RCON say connection refused, and how to fix it

Connection refused means nothing was listening on the RCON port at that address: RCON is off (enable-rcon=false), the server was not restarted after you changed it, the port is wrong, or a firewall or router is in the way. Scan port 25575 with Port Scanner in the RCON app first; if it is not Open, the fix is on the server or the router, and the password does not matter yet.

5 min read · Updated 2026-09-15

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The RCON app never prints the words "connection refused". When RCON is blocked, for example by blocking port 25575 on the router's firewall, the header stays yellow on Connecting... and never turns red, and Test Connection in the server form keeps spinning on Testing..., rather than showing a plain red error that would be quicker to spot.

Here is how to read it: a status that never leaves Connecting... means nothing answered at all, the port is filtered, not actively refused. A port that actively refuses the connection, nothing listening there, no firewall in the way, does turn red, with Error: Connection failed, usually within a few seconds.

What the app tells you, and what it means

RCON console status and the likely cause
What you seeWhat happenedLook at
Connecting... that never endsNo response at all: a firewall or router is dropping the packets silentlyFirewall, router port forward, wrong IP
Error: Connection failedThe port actively refused the connection: nothing is listening thereenable-rcon, rcon.port, server not restarted after the change
Error: Authentication failedThe port answered, the password was wrongrcon.password
Error: Connection lostIt was connected, then the server dropped itServer stopped or restarted
Could not connect or authenticate. Check address, port, and password.Test Connection failed for either reasonRun Port Scanner to tell which

Look at the third row again. Error: Authentication failed sounds worse than it is: the network path works and only the password is off.

Check the port before anything else

  1. On Servers, tap the terminal button in the top bar and choose Port Scanner under Tools.
  2. Type the same address you gave the console into Hostname or IP.
  3. Pick the Minecraft entry in Preset. It scans 25565, 25575 and 19132; if you moved RCON, type your port instead.
  4. Look at 25575. Open means a program accepted the connection. Anything else means the console cannot work yet, whatever password you type.

Each port gets 3 seconds to answer, so the whole Minecraft preset is done in about that long. Running the scan twice, once on home Wi-Fi with the server's LAN address, once on mobile data with the public address, gives two answers that point at different fixes.

Two scans of port 25575 and what to fix
Wi-Fi, LAN addressMobile data, public addressFix
OpenOpenThe port is fine: check password and Server Type
OpenNot openRouter port forward or the host's firewall
Not openNot openThe server: RCON off, wrong port, or not restarted

The server.properties lines that cause it

  • enable-rcon=false is the default. Set it to true.
  • rcon.port is the port to type into the app's Port field. It is 25575 unless someone changed it. 25565 is where players join, not RCON.
  • rcon.password must not be empty, or RCON will not start.
  • server-ip, if filled in, limits which address the server listens on. Leave it empty unless you know why it is set.

Edit with the server stopped, start it again, and look in the log for a line saying RCON is running on port 25575. No such line, no listener, and every connection will be refused. A common mistake is editing the file while the server is still running: it writes its old settings back when it stops.

Firewall, router and the wrong IP

On a Linux box, the firewall has to allow TCP 25575. Behind a home router, a port forward has to send TCP 25575 to the server's LAN address. In Docker, the container has to publish 25575 as well as 25565; it is easy to end up with a setup that only publishes the game port.

Some routers cannot reach their own public address from inside the home network. If the public address fails on Wi-Fi but works on mobile data, that is the router, not the server. At home, use the LAN address, something like 192.168.1.40.

Rented servers often give RCON a different port from 25575. Use the address and port in the host's panel; if the panel has no RCON setting at all, the host may not expose it.

Two causes on the iPhone side

If you tapped Don't Allow when iOS asked about the local network, the app cannot reach 192.168.x.x addresses at all. Turn it back on in iOS Settings, Privacy & Security, Local Network.

The other one is the Protocol row in Add Server. Pick Minecraft as the Server Type and it reads Source. If the server was saved as another game, the app may speak the wrong protocol to a port that is open and the password will look wrong. Fix it in Edit Server.

What happens after a drop

Once connected, if the server goes away, the console tries again after 1, 2 and 4 seconds, 7 seconds in total, then writes that it failed after 3 attempts. A Minecraft restart takes longer than that, so tap the server again once it is back up.

Everything on this page, the console, Port Scanner and Test Connection, works in the free version with up to 2 saved servers. Premium removes the ads, lifts that server limit, and unlocks things this guide does not touch, like Scheduled Commands and the extra themes. The app cannot fix your server's settings. It only shows which step is still wrong.

Questions and answers

What does connection refused mean in Minecraft RCON?
Your device reached the machine, but nothing was listening on that port. For RCON it is nearly always enable-rcon=false, a server that was not restarted after the change, or the wrong port number.
Connection reset vs connection refused: what is the difference?
Refused happens before any connection exists, because nothing listens on the port. Reset happens on a connection that was open and the other side cut it, for example when the server stops.
Does RCON need port 25575 open on the router?
Only if you connect from outside your home network. On the same Wi-Fi as the server, use its LAN address and leave the router alone.
Why does RCON say not connected or server loading?
The server may still be starting. RCON only starts listening once the server has finished loading, so wait for the log line about RCON and connect again.

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