For a non-dedicated ARK session, the documented general way to let another player use admin commands is to have them authenticate with the session’s server administrator password. They open the console and enter enablecheats <server-admin-password>. This is password-based access, not a confirmed in-game process for adding a friend to a non-dedicated admin list.
Enable admin commands with the server password
- Check that you and the other player are on the same game edition: ARK: Survival Evolved (ASE) or ARK: Survival Ascended (ASA). Do not assume the editions share controls or session behavior.
- Give the player the session’s administrator password through a private channel. The ARK Official Community Wiki identifies this as the server’s
ServerAdminPasswordvalue. If you do not know which password is configured for your session, check the host/settings screen for your edition and platform; a universal menu path is not established. - Have the player open the in-game console and enter
enablecheats <server-admin-password>, replacing the bracketed text with the actual password. The wiki describes the command as enabling server administrator commands for the current player: ARK Official Community Wiki: Console commands. - Once authenticated, have them run the desired multiplayer admin command. Depending on the command, it may need the
cheatoradmincheatprefix; see the wiki’s console command reference.
Keep the administrator password private. Under the general password-authentication method, a connected player who can authenticate with it may gain admin command access.
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| 1 |
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ARK: Survival Evolved - Xbox One | $23.99 | Buy on Amazon |
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ARK: Survival Evolved (Xbox One) | $44.75 | Buy on Amazon |
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ARK: Survival Evolved (Xbox One) | $39.99 | Buy on Amazon |
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ARK: Survival Evolved - Xbox One (Renewed) | $21.26 | Buy on Amazon |
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Ark: Ultimate Survivor Edition - For Xbox Series X | $89.99 | Buy on Amazon |
If the player can authenticate but commands fail
- Check that they entered the correct server administrator password, rather than another game or account password.
- Try the command with the multiplayer prefix
cheatoradmincheat, as appropriate. - Confirm that the console can be opened on the player’s platform. Console controls and session behavior can differ by edition and platform; the available instructions do not establish one set of controls for every setup.
ASA non-dedicated workaround: treat it as unverified
A 2025 Steam Community post reports a host-side workaround for an ASA non-dedicated session: the host looks at the other player and enters GFID AdminB, then the other player enters EnableCheats <password>. This is an anecdotal community report, not official instruction. It does not establish that the method works across platforms or on current builds: Steam Community discussion.
Why dedicated-server admin lists are different
The ARK Official Community Wiki documents administrator whitelisting as a server configuration method. It describes ASA administrators by EOS ID and ASE administrators by Steam ID, with listed admins able to use cheat commands automatically. That is a configuration approach for a server; the available documentation does not show that its whitelist-file procedure can be applied through the non-dedicated in-game host interface. Read the server configuration guidance as a separate method, not as proof of a non-dedicated grant flow.
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- Capture and Tame Dinosaurs: Discover over 100 different dinosaurs and prehistoric creatures on the island, finding ways to tame them into useful additions for your tribe's dino herd
- Survive Above All: Hunger, thirst, basic safety, and protecting yourself from the weather are all part of the game
- Harvest, Hunt and Build: Cut down trees and turn them into a basic home, which you can quickly expand into a Jurassic estate. Hunt for meat, scavenge for plants (or start your own garden!)
- Customize Everything: An extensive crafting system invites you to mix and match materials scavenged from the island, while also modifying the colors, textures, shapes, and styles
- Explore the Island: Solve the mystery of The ARK as you explore this massive island, discovering Explorer's Notebooks (filled with clues!) throughout
Confirm the edition before troubleshooting
ASE and ASA are separate editions, and Studio Wildcard said in its March 31, 2023 announcement that they would not support crossplay. The same announcement said ASE would continue to support single-player, non-dedicated, player-dedicated, and unofficial play after the official-server shutdown. Those are statements made in the 2023 announcement, not a current guarantee about every platform’s controls or settings: Studio Wildcard, Community Crunch 355.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- Test your tribe and your beasts in battle with every boss challenge from the franchise.
- Experience everything that the ARK franchise has to offer in this definitive collection.
- Complete your collection of notes and dossiers left by past explorers to learn the surprising history of the ARKs.
- From primordial island jungles to the futuristic gardens of an interstellar starship, every sprawling environment is here for you to conquer.
- Discover the hundreds of unique species roaming these lands, from the prehistoric to the fantastical, and learn how to befriend these creatures, or to defeat them.
Rank #4
- Capture and Tame Dinosaurs: Discover over 100 different dinosaurs and prehistoric creatures on the island, finding ways to tame them into useful additions for your tribe's dino herd
- Survive Above All: Hunger, thirst, basic safety, and protecting yourself from the weather are all part of the game
- Harvest, Hunt and Build: Cut down trees and turn them into a basic home, which you can quickly expand into a Jurassic estate. Hunt for meat, scavenge for plants (or start your own garden!)
- Customize Everything: An extensive crafting system invites you to mix and match materials scavenged from the island, while also modifying the colors, textures, shapes, and styles
- Explore the Island: Solve the mystery of The ARK as you explore this massive island, discovering Explorer's Notebooks (filled with clues!) throughout
Rank #3
Rank #2
- Use cunning strategy and tactics to tame, train, ride and breed the 100+ dinosaurs and other primeval creatures roaming the dynamic, persistent ecosystems across land, sea, air, and even underground Build your character's strengths and gain items, skills, and pet creatures using in-depth role-playing systems
- Start a tribe with hundreds of other players to survive and dominate competing tribes...and ultimately discover ARK's true purpose
- Build a fire or shelter, then craft customizable clothing & armors to help protect against damage and extreme temperatures on your way to unlocking advanced technologies and equipment
- Chop down trees and mine metal and other precious resources to build massive multi-leveled structures composed of complex snap-linked parts
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
