Industry is a unique hybrid of real-time strategy and factory simulator that has won the hearts of millions of players thanks to its depth and freedom of action. However, the true scale of engineering battles and cooperative construction is revealed only when playing with friends or other community members. On the platform Android this process has its own characteristics, which differ from the PC version, but are quite feasible even for beginners.
Many users encounter difficulties when trying to find a server or create their own room, believing that this requires complex router settings or paid hosting services. In fact, the game engine provides several built-in connection methods, each suitable for different use cases. In this article, we will analyze in detail all the available connection methods, from simple play over a local network to organizing a dedicated server.
Before you start setting up, make sure that you have installed the latest version of the game client from the official store Google Play or a trusted source F-Droid. Outdated versions may have incompatible communication protocols, which will result in connection errors. It is also worth checking the stability of your Internet connection, since synchronizing huge maps with thousands of units requires a constant stream of data.
Main types of network connections in Mindustry
The game offers three fundamental ways to interact between devices, and choosing the right method depends on where your opponents or allies are located. Understanding the difference between them is critical to successfully launching a session without lags and connection breaks.
The first type is local network (LAN). This method is ideal if you and your friends are in the same room or connected to the same home Wi-Fi router. In this case, data is transferred directly between devices within the network, without going to the global Internet, which ensures minimal latency (ping). To activate this mode, no complex port settings are required; the game automatically detects available hosts.
The second option is connecting via official list of servers. The developers and community maintain a list of public rooms that you can join in one click. This is the easiest way to find random players or popular mod servers. However, here you depend on the settings of the server owner and the quality of his communication channel.
The third and most flexible method is direct connection via IP address. It is necessary if you want to play with a friend who is in another city or country and do not want to use public servers. This method requires the host (the one who creates the game) to properly configure the network, but gives full control over the session parameters, including setting a password and choosing mods.
⚠️ Attention: When using the direct IP connection method, make sure that your provider does not use CGNAT (common external address for several subscribers) technology. If you do not have a unique white IP address, friends from the external network will not be able to connect to you without using third-party tunnels.
Device preparation and basic settings
Before creating or searching for a game, you need to do a little preparation of your Androidsmartphone. Device performance directly affects the quality of the online experience, especially on maps with a high density of conveyor lines and turrets.
Go to the game settings and make sure that the optimal quality is selected in the section Settings → Graphics . Settings that are too high can cause FPS drops, which, when playing online, will lead to desynchronization of the state of the world between clients. For mobile devices, it is often recommended to turn off shadows and reduce the draw distance if you are the host.
It is also critical to check application permissions. Mindustry must have access to your device's local network. In modern versions Android (starting from 10 and higher), when you first start the game or try to scan the network, the system may ask for permission to access devices nearby. Without confirming this function, searching for servers on the local network will not work.
Don't forget to update the mod lists if you plan to play on servers with extensions. In the main menu, go to the Mods section and click the update button. The game will automatically download the necessary files when you log into a specific server, but pre-downloading will eliminate the long wait in the lobby.
If the game crashes when loading a map in multiplayer, try clearing the application cache in the Android settings without deleting the saved progress data.
Playing on a local network (Wi-Fi)
This scenario is the most trouble-free and does not require knowledge of network protocols. All you need to get started is that all session participants are connected to the same Wi-Fi access point. Mobile data (4G/5G) is not suitable in this mode, as it creates an isolated network for each device.
The process of creating a game is as follows: one player selects a card, clicks the “Host” button and sets the session parameters. It is important to select the correct game mode (PvP, PVE, Sandbox) and set a password if you do not want strangers from the same network to join you (for example, in a dorm or cafe).
Other players should go to the "Network" menu and select the "Local Game" tab. A list of available rooms will be automatically displayed here. If the server does not appear in the list within 10-15 seconds, try manually refreshing the list by clicking the appropriate refresh button. Sometimes it helps to temporarily disable and enable Wi-Fi on client devices.
- 📶 Make sure that the AP Isolation feature is disabled on the router, which prevents devices from seeing each other on the network.
- 🔒 Use WPA2 or WPA3 protection for your Wi-Fi network to prevent interception of game traffic data by intruders.
- 📱 If the host is a phone, keep the screen on and do not minimize the game to the background, otherwise the operating system may pause network activity.
It is worth noting that the Wi-Fi channel bandwidth may be limited if there are too many other devices connected to the router, downloading files or watching 4K videos. In such conditions, the game may begin to “lag”, even if the ping within the network is low.
☑️ Checking readiness for a LAN game
Direct connection via IP address
When friends are far from each other, the local network will no longer help, and you have to use a direct connection. This method requires the host (the creator of the game) to know its external IP address and configure port forwarding on the router.
First, the host must find out its external IP. This can be done through any browser by entering the request “my ip”. The resulting address (for example, 95.123.45.67) must be shared with friends. However, simply having an address is not enough: the router by default blocks incoming connections from outside for security reasons.
You need to go to the control panel of the router (usually at 192.168.0.1 or 192.168.1.1) and find the section Port Forwarding (Port Forwarding) or Virtual Server. For Mindustry, the standard port is 6567. You need to create a rule that forwards incoming traffic from port 6567 to your phone's local IP address on the Wi-Fi network.
Example forwarding rule:
External port: 6567
Internal port: 6567
Internal IP: 192.168.1.55 (IP of your phone)
Protocol: TCP/UDP (or Both)
After setup, friends enter your external IP and port in the connection field in the format 95.123.45.67:6567. If everything is done correctly, they will successfully connect to your server. This method gives the best performance since the connection is direct, without intermediaries.
⚠️ Attention: Never publish your IP address in public chats or forums. Share it only with people you trust, as attackers can use it for DDoS attacks or scanning your home network for vulnerabilities.
What to do if port forwarding does not work?
If after setting up the router the connection still does not work, check the built-in firewall of your smartphone. Some antiviruses or Android system security settings may block incoming connections even when the port on the router is open. Try temporarily disabling third-party security applications.
Using third-party tunnels and emulators
If your provider does not issue a white IP address or you do not want to tinker with the router settings, apps for creating virtual local networks come to the rescue. The most popular solution in the Android ecosystem is the application Radmin VPN or Hamachi (although the latter is unstable on mobile phones).
The principle of operation is simple: all players install the same application, create a common network and connect to it. For the system and for the game, it looks like you are in the same room and connected to the same Wi-Fi router. In this case, the local network connection method described above is used.
An alternative option for advanced users is to launch the Mindustry server on a PC or VPS (virtual server) and connect to it from a phone. The official game server is written in Java and can be launched via the console. This frees up your phone's resources, allowing it to work only as a client, which significantly increases FPS and stability.
| Connection method | Setting up complexity | Stability | Requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local network (Wi-Fi) | Low | High | One router |
| Direct IP (Port Forwarding) | High | Very high | White IP, access to router |
| Radmin VPN / Hamachi | Average | Average | Installing additional. Software |
| Public servers | Absent | Depends on the host | Internet |
When using tunnels, it is worth considering that traffic passes through intermediary servers, which can add additional 20-50 ms to ping. For dynamic PvP battles this can be critical, but for quiet construction it is quite acceptable.
Using Radmin VPN is the best compromise between ease of setup and connection quality for players without a white IP address.
Solving common problems and connection errors
Even with proper configuration, failures may occur. One of the most common mistakes is "Desync" (desync). It occurs when the state of the game on your phone no longer matches the state on the server. Most often this happens due to an unstable Internet or an overly complex map that the phone processor does not have time to calculate in real time.
If you see a message Connection Lost immediately after logging in, check the version of the game. Even a difference of one minor version (for example, 6.0 versus 6.1) can make connection impossible. Go to the settings and force check for updates.
Problems with mods are solved through automatic downloading. When you log into a server with mods, the game will offer to download the missing files. If the download freezes, check to see if your antivirus or firewall is blocking the connection to the Mindustry mod repository.
- 🔄 If the connection frequently drops, try switching from your mobile network to Wi-Fi or vice versa to eliminate problems with a specific provider.
- 🗑️ Clear the mod cache in the menu games, if there are strange artifacts on the map or crashes when loading certain blocks.
- ⚙️ Reduce the number of active units and the complexity of logical circuits on the map if your phone heats up and starts to slow down during a network game.
⚠️ Attention: The router settings interface and the names of menu items may differ depending on the device model and version firmware. Always check the official instructions for your specific router when setting up port forwarding.
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
Can I play between Android and PC?
Yes, Mindustry supports cross-platform multiplayer. Players on Android can easily connect to servers on a PC (Windows, Linux, Mac) and vice versa, provided that the game versions and mod sets match.
Why don’t I see a friend’s server in the list of local games?
Most likely, the access point isolation function on the router is enabled, or the firewall is blocking detection. Try connecting manually by entering the host's local IP address (usually starts with 192.168...) in the direct connection field.
Do you need a Steam account to play on Android?
No, the mobile version does not require linking to Steam. However, if you play on servers that use Steam protection (VAC or similar), restrictions may arise, but most public servers work without this connection.
How to set a password on your server?
When creating a game, there is a "Password" field in the hosting menu. Enter any character set there. Now players trying to connect will have to enter this password in the appropriate field before entering the lobby.
What should you do if the game says "Server outdated"?
This means that the server version is newer or older than yours. You need to update the game to the latest version through the app store. If you are the host, then all your friends should update.