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How to Pair Rust+ With Your Own Rust Server

Set the correct Rust+ companion port, expose it over TCP, configure server.cfg, restart your server, and pair from Esc → Rust+ → Pair with Server.
Length12 min Posted Quest giverVGSources Team

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To pair Rust+ with a server you run, set a reachable companion-app port in server.cfg, set the server’s public IP, restart, and then pair from inside Rust. The required sequence is: configure app.port (10,000 or higher), configure app.publicip with an IP address only, make that TCP port reachable from the internet, restart the server, choose Esc → Rust+ → Pair with Server, and approve the pairing in the phone app.

What Rust+ pairing actually requires

Rust+ is the companion app connection for a Rust server. The app does not pair through the normal game connection port alone. Your server also runs a companion service that listens on an app port. The Rust+ backend must be able to reach that port over the internet before the phone can complete pairing.

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There are four separate conditions to satisfy:

  • The server must be running and joinable in Rust.
  • app.port must be set to a port accepted by the Rust+ backend. The official Rust Wiki specifies 10,000 or higher.
  • The companion port must be reachable from the internet over TCP. On a home server, this means router forwarding as well as a host firewall rule. On rented hosting, it usually means using the port assigned in the control panel.
  • The server must advertise the correct public address through app.publicip, then be restarted after configuration changes.

Pairing is a two-stage action: first authorize the server from the in-game menu, then accept it in the Rust+ phone app. Completing only one of those stages does not finish the pairing.

Choose the correct companion port

The official default calculation

When you have not selected a custom app port, the official default is calculated from your server ports: add 67 to the game port or the RCon port, whichever produces the larger value. With the unchanged default game and RCon ports, that calculation results in 28082.

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Item Value or rule What it means
Minimum custom app.port 10,000 Ports below this threshold are not accepted for reachability by the Rust+ backend, according to the official Rust Wiki.
Default calculation Game port + 67, or RCon port + 67, whichever is larger The companion service chooses the larger resulting number when no custom port is supplied.
Typical unchanged defaults 28082 This is the calculated companion port when the standard game and RCon ports have not been changed.
Protocol to expose TCP The companion listener must be reachable over TCP from the public internet.

Do not assume that 28082 is correct for every installation. Changing either the game or RCon port changes the default calculation, and rented server providers may assign a different app port. The definitive value is the one shown by app.info on the running server or by the provider’s App Port field.

Hosted server versus a server at home

Where the server runs How to determine the port Network work you control
Rented or managed host Read the host panel’s App Port field or run app.info in the server console. Use the assigned port and follow the host’s firewall or port-allocation controls. Do not substitute 28082 unless the panel or console shows it.
Self-hosted at home Choose an unused port of at least 10,000, or confirm the calculated port with app.info. Forward that TCP port from the router to the server’s private address and allow it through the server and router firewalls.
Container deployment Check the container’s published port and the value reported by the server. The didstopia Rust server image uses 28082 by default and exposes an override through RUST_APP_PORT. Publish the same TCP port through the container runtime, host firewall, and router if the machine is behind a home gateway.

A port can be open locally and still be unreachable from outside your network. Pairing depends on the public path all the way from the Rust+ service to your machine.

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Configure server.cfg

Set app.port

Open the server’s server.cfg and add or edit the companion-port setting. Use a free TCP port at 10,000 or above. For example:

app.port 28082

The number in this example is appropriate only when it is actually available and matches the port you intend to expose. If another service already occupies it, select another qualifying port and use that same number in every place: the configuration file, the host panel or container mapping, the router forward, and the firewall rule.

Set app.publicip when the advertised address is wrong

app.publicip tells the companion service which public address the app should use. Enter an IP address only; do not append a colon and port number. A valid form is:

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app.publicip 203.0.113.25

The address must be the public IP through which the server is reachable, not the machine’s private address such as a 192.168.x.x or 10.x.x.x address. If the server has multiple network interfaces, a VPN, or another unusual route, an incorrect automatically detected address can make the app look for the wrong endpoint. In that situation, set app.publicip explicitly.

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Use app.listenip only for unusual networking

app.listenip controls the local interface on which the companion service listens. Most installations do not need it. If your machine has unusual routing or multiple interfaces and the service is binding to the wrong one, set it to the server’s public IP as directed by the official Rust Wiki. Do not use app.listenip as a replacement for the router forward or firewall rule; it changes the local bind address, not the public network path.

Keep the three values logically separate

  • app.port is the TCP port number.
  • app.publicip is the public IP address, with no port appended.
  • app.listenip is an optional local listening-address override for special network layouts.

Putting a port into app.publicip, choosing a value below 10,000, or changing the file without restarting are common reasons a correct-looking configuration has no effect.

Verify what the running server is using

After the server is running, open its server console and run:

app.info

The command reports the companion port in use. Treat that output as authoritative for the current process. It catches situations where a startup parameter, host template, container environment variable, or configuration edit caused the server to use a different port than expected.

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Before troubleshooting the app, confirm all of the following:

  • The displayed app port is at least 10,000.
  • It matches the port opened in the host panel, router, container mapping, and firewall.
  • The server is fully started and can be joined normally from the Rust client.
  • The public IP configured in app.publicip is the address your internet connection actually presents to the outside world.

Open the companion port to the internet

Self-hosted server behind a router

  1. Give the Rust server machine a stable private address, either with a static configuration or a DHCP reservation. A forwarding rule aimed at a changing private address will eventually point to the wrong computer.
  2. Create a router port-forward rule for the exact TCP number shown by app.info. Forward the external port to the same port on the Rust server’s private address unless your network design deliberately uses a different internal mapping.
  3. Add an inbound TCP rule to the operating system or hardware firewall on the server machine.
  4. If you run a separate firewall appliance, cloud security group, or container host firewall, allow the port there as well.
  5. Save the network changes and test from a network outside the home LAN. A test made from inside the same network can succeed because of local routing while the public path remains closed.

The official requirement is that the TCP port on which the companion server listens be reachable over the internet. Port forwarding is therefore an additional requirement for a typical home installation, not a substitute for app.port.

Rented or managed server

Managed hosts often reserve an app port for each instance. Find the panel’s App Port value instead of calculating a number from the standard defaults. If the panel does not display it, run app.info in the server console and ask the host to confirm that the reported TCP port is externally reachable. Some providers prevent customers from changing this value; in that case, use the assigned port consistently rather than forcing a custom one.

Container deployment

A container adds another mapping layer. The value inside the Rust process, the published host port, and the externally opened port must line up. The didstopia Rust server image documents 28082 as its default and supports overriding it with RUST_APP_PORT. If you override that environment variable, publish the replacement TCP port through the container runtime and expose the same external port on the host network. A mapping that exists only inside the container is not publicly reachable.

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Restart after configuration or network changes

Changes to the app port and public IP take effect only after a server restart. Stop the server cleanly, allow the process to exit, and start it again using the normal launch method for your host, service, or container. Once it is back online, run app.info again rather than relying on an old console line.

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Restarting also prevents a misleading test in which the configuration file contains the new value but the running process still owns the old port. If you changed a provider-side allocation, restart after the panel reports the new assignment.

Pair from Rust and the phone app

Start with a normal game connection

Join the server in Rust first. The server should be running and joinable before you attempt pairing. If you cannot enter the game server, resolve that availability problem before investigating Rust+; the companion workflow depends on a live server.

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Authorize the server in the game client

  1. While connected to your server, press Esc.
  2. Open Rust+ from the pause menu.
  3. Select Pair with Server.

This action initiates the pairing request from the game session. If the menu uses different wording after a game update, look for the Rust+ screen’s server-pairing action; the exact labels are version-sensitive.

Approve the request on the phone

  1. Watch for the Rust+ push notification and accept it, or open the Rust+ app directly.
  2. If the server is listed, choose Pair Server.
  3. Complete the confirmation shown by the app.

After approval, the server should appear as a paired server in the app. Keep the game server online while completing both stages. If the app does not list it, return to the network and port checks rather than repeatedly pressing the pairing control.

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Troubleshoot Rust+ on a self-hosted server

The “Pair with Server” option is missing

  • Confirm you are connected to the intended Rust server, not at the title screen or in a different server session.
  • Verify the server is fully started and joinable. The pairing control may not be useful until the game session is connected to a live server.
  • Check whether the Rust client or server build changed the menu labels. The documented path is Esc, Rust+, then Pair with Server, but labels can change between versions.
  • Restart the server after adding the app settings, reconnect in Rust, and check the menu again.

The server is not visible in the phone app

  1. Run app.info and record the active companion port.
  2. Compare that number with app.port, the host panel or container mapping, the router forward, and every firewall rule.
  3. Confirm the number is 10,000 or higher and that the rule is TCP rather than only UDP.
  4. Check app.publicip. It must contain the public IP only and must not point to a private LAN address.
  5. Test from outside the local network. Internal tests can bypass the public route.
  6. Make sure the server is still joinable in Rust, then restart it if any value was corrected.

The app finds the server but pairing fails

Discovery and completion still depend on a stable public route. Verify that the public IP has not changed, especially on a home internet connection, and that the router forward still targets the current private address of the server machine. Check that the port shown by the newly restarted process is the one exposed externally. A firewall rule allowing a previous custom port will not allow a newly selected one.

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If you recently changed the app port, the Rust+ app may retain the old server record. One community troubleshooting report recommends deleting the server entry in the phone app and pairing it again after the port change. This is a recovery step rather than a substitute for opening the new port.

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Pairing worked until the server moved or the port changed

A changed public address or companion port can invalidate the app’s saved endpoint. Recheck app.info, update app.publicip if the public address changed, update forwarding and firewall rules, restart, and then remove and re-pair the server in the phone app if the old entry does not reconnect.

The server works locally but not from the internet

This pattern points to the network edge rather than the in-game pairing menu. The companion process may be listening correctly while the router, host firewall, container publication, or provider allocation blocks inbound TCP traffic. Verify each layer in order: process, host port, operating-system firewall, router or security group, then external reachability. Do not conclude that the port is open because a local client can join the game server.

Common configuration mistakes

Mistake Why it breaks pairing Correction
Using a port below 10,000 The official Rust+ backend requirement is 10,000 or higher. Select a qualifying unused port and expose that exact TCP port.
Assuming 28082 on every server The default is calculated from game/RCon ports, and hosts may assign another value. Use the host panel or app.info.
Writing IP:port in app.publicip The setting expects an IP address, not a combined endpoint. Put only the public IP in app.publicip; keep the port in app.port.
Editing server.cfg without restarting The running process keeps its previous values. Restart, then verify with app.info.
Forwarding UDP only The companion listener must be reachable over TCP. Add or correct the TCP rule.
Forwarding to a changing private address The router eventually sends traffic to the wrong machine. Reserve a stable LAN address for the server.
Opening the port only inside a container Internal container reachability does not publish the service publicly. Publish the port on the host and open it through every network layer.

A reliable pre-pair checklist

  • Rust server starts without configuration errors.
  • You can join the server normally in Rust.
  • app.port is present and is at least 10,000.
  • app.publicip, if needed, contains the correct public IP only.
  • app.listenip is used only when the server has an unusual interface or route.
  • app.info confirms the port you believe you opened.
  • The exact port is allowed as inbound TCP in the operating-system firewall.
  • A home router or other network edge forwards the port to the server’s stable private address.
  • A host panel, security group, or container runtime is not blocking or remapping the port unexpectedly.
  • The server was restarted after every configuration or port change.
  • You are using Esc → Rust+ → Pair with Server in a live game session.
  • The phone app is open and ready to accept the pairing request.

What to verify after a successful pairing

Record the app port reported by app.info, the public-IP setting used, and the private address targeted by your forward. This small record makes future maintenance easier when a host changes allocations, a router lease changes, or you migrate the server to another machine. If the public IP changes, update the setting and restart before attempting to pair again.

For a self-hosted setup, keep the router rule and firewall rule tied to the same stable destination. For a hosted setup, check the provider panel whenever the instance is recreated or moved. For a container, keep the environment variable, published port, and external firewall rule synchronized.

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Version and availability caveat

The port requirement and configuration names above follow the official Rust Wiki guidance available for this article. Rust server builds and the Rust+ app can change menu labels or default-port behavior, so check the current official documentation if your installation shows different labels or if app.info reports a different default. The operational rule remains the same: use the port reported by the running server, make that TCP port publicly reachable, restart after edits, and complete authorization in both the game and phone app.

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