To edit gamemode, difficulty, player cap, or cheats on your Bedrock server, open Server Properties in the left sidebar. It's a friendly editor built specifically for these values, so you don't need to hand-edit any file. Change the setting, save it, then restart the server from the top-right Restart button so it takes effect.
Symptoms
- Players get kicked with "Flying is not allowed."
- Cheats/commands don't work even though you're the owner.
- Player cap is too low and friends can't join.
- MOTD/server name shown in the server list isn't what you set.
- A gamerule (coordinates, sleep percentage, mob griefing) doesn't seem to apply.
Why this happens
Most of these are simply settings that are off by default or that need a restart to load. Bedrock servers don't support Java-style OP for command permissions, moderation and cheats are controlled entirely through Server Properties and console commands. Support has also seen changes silently "not take effect" because the setting was changed but the server was never restarted, or the config wasn't saved first.
How to fix it
- Open your server in the panel and click Server Properties in the sidebar.
- Use the search/filter field to find the setting you need: common ones include gamemode, difficulty, max players, allow-cheats, and allow-flying.
- Change the value (for example, set allow-flying to true if friends keep getting kicked for flying).
- Save your changes before doing anything else.
- Click Restart on the top-right of the server page to apply the new settings.
- To adjust rules mid-game instead (like coordinate display, mob griefing, or sleep requirements), use gamerule commands from the Console once cheats are enabled: see our guide on changing difficulty, gamemode and gamerules.
- To rename what players see in their server list, edit the MOTD field inside Server Properties: there's no separate "server name" box.
Always save your Server Properties changes before restarting. A restart without saving first will revert everything back to the old values. This trips up more people than any actual bug.
Since Bedrock has no traditional OP system, cheats and admin-only commands are gated by the allow-cheats setting plus console access, not a player permission list. If you're locking the server down instead of opening it up, check out whitelisting players so only approved usernames can join.
Still stuck?
If you've saved and restarted and a setting still won't apply, or a value you expect to see just isn't listed in Server Properties. Open a ticket with our support team through the Support center link at the top of the panel and we'll check the server directly.
Need to double check where friends connect after changing settings? See how to connect to your Bedrock server.
Did this solve it?
If you are still stuck, our team can look at your server directly.