Java and Bedrock are different games speaking different protocols. Geyser translates between them, which lets phone, console and Windows-edition players join a Java server — with caveats worth knowing before you promise it to anyone.
What to do
- Install Geyser on the server
It runs as a plugin on Paper and Spigot, or as a standalone proxy. The plugin route is simpler for a single server.
- Add Floodgate if you want Bedrock players without Java accounts
Without it, every Bedrock player also needs to own Java Edition and link the accounts. Floodgate removes that requirement.
- Give it its own port
Bedrock uses UDP, not TCP, and Geyser listens separately from the Java server. It needs an allocation of its own — the default Bedrock port is
19132. - Hand out the right address
Bedrock players add the server with the Geyser port, not the Java one. Java players keep using the Java port. Two audiences, two addresses.
What does not translate cleanly
| Thing | Reality |
|---|---|
| Custom modded content | Does not work. Geyser translates vanilla Minecraft, not mods. |
| Complex inventory GUIs | Often render badly or not at all on Bedrock. |
| Redstone and combat timing | Differ between editions, so PvP feels different for Bedrock players. |
| Resource packs | Java packs do not apply to Bedrock clients. |
Geyser is remarkable and it is not invisible. Telling Bedrock players «most things work, some menus look odd» avoids a stream of reports for behaviour that is inherent to the bridge.
A Bedrock device adds the server with the Geyser address and port, joins, and appears in the console alongside Java players.