How do I install, enable and reload X-Plane 12 plugins?

To install an X-Plane 12 plugin, quit the simulator, extract the plugin’s complete folder into X-Plane 12/Resources/plugins, then restart X-Plane. Enable or disable it through Plugins > Plugin Admin > Enable/Disable. Use Reload Plugins after adding or replacing a global plugin, but restart X-Plane whenever the developer requires it.

Where do X-Plane 12 plugins go?

Global compiled plugins belong directly under X-Plane 12/Resources/plugins, while aircraft plugins and script-based add-ons have different locations.

A modern compiled plugin commonly contains a platform binary below a 64 directory, such as PluginName/64/win.xpl, mac.xpl or lin.xpl. Keep the accompanying folders and files intact; pulling the .xpl file out by itself often breaks the plugin.

1. Quit X-Plane. Although some global plugins support hot reloading, a closed simulator is the safest installation state.
2. Extract the download. X-Plane cannot load a plugin from inside its ZIP or other archive.
3. Find the actual plugin folder. Avoid an extra wrapper level such as Resources/plugins/PluginName-v1/PluginName/64. The folder immediately beneath plugins should normally be the one containing the plugin’s files and subfolders.
4. Copy the complete folder. If the package already contains Resources/plugins/PluginName, merge that supplied structure into the X-Plane 12 root rather than creating Resources/plugins/Resources/plugins.
5. Start X-Plane and verify it. Look in Plugin Admin and inspect Log.txt in the X-Plane root if the plugin is absent.

Some packages contain several components rather than one plugin folder. Our folder-by-folder installation guide for X-Plane add-ons explains how to recognise plugins, scripts, aircraft and scenery before copying anything.

How do I enable or disable a plugin?

Open Plugins > Plugin Admin > Enable/Disable and use the control beside the plugin’s name.

If the plugin appears in Plugin Admin but has no separate entry in the main Plugins menu, that does not necessarily indicate a fault. Background utilities, aircraft systems and data providers may not expose their own menu command.

Disabling a plugin stops its active callbacks, but it does not necessarily unload its binary or clear all state. Disable and re-enable is useful for testing conflicts; it is not a substitute for reloading after replacing plugin files.

How do I reload X-Plane 12 plugins without restarting?

The Plugin Admin’s Reload Plugins command can rescan and reload many global plugins without closing X-Plane.

Use it after installing or updating a global plugin only when that plugin supports hot reloading. Save anything important first: some add-ons retain stale state, lose their connection to the loaded aircraft or expect to initialise only when X-Plane starts. A full simulator restart remains the reliable choice after changing binaries or dependencies.

For an aircraft-specific plugin, use the Developer menu’s aircraft reload command, change to another aircraft and back, or restart X-Plane. Do not move the plugin into Resources/plugins; aircraft plugins often depend on files and datarefs belonging to that aircraft.

FlyWithLua is itself the compiled plugin, while individual Lua files are scripts managed by it. Follow our instructions for installing and reloading FlyWithLua scripts rather than placing every script directly in Resources/plugins.

Why is my X-Plane 12 plugin not showing?

A plugin missing from Plugin Admin has usually been placed in the wrong folder or rejected during loading.

• Extra folder nesting: move the real plugin folder up one level so its binary and support files sit beneath Resources/plugins/PluginName.
• Wrong add-on type: Lua scripts, aircraft plugins and command-line applications do not all belong directly in the global plugins folder.
• Incompatible build: X-Plane 12 requires a compatible 64-bit plugin for the operating system and processor architecture in use.
• Missing dependency: a required runtime or shared library can prevent the binary from loading even though the folder structure is correct.
• Operating-system security: macOS may reject an unapproved or incompatible binary. Use a properly supported build rather than bypassing security controls blindly.
• Duplicate copies: an old and new copy may share the same plugin signature. Renaming the folder does not change that signature; remove the obsolete copy.

Open Log.txt immediately after the failed run because X-Plane rewrites it on subsequent launches. Search for the plugin name and nearby loading errors. If the plugin is listed and should create custom datarefs, checking those datarefs with DataRefTool can distinguish a loaded plugin from one that failed during initialisation.

What if the plugin loads but its window is blank?

A blank or corrupted plugin window is usually a graphics-compatibility problem rather than an installation failure.

Legacy OpenGL-drawing plugins can need X-Plane’s bridge when running through Vulkan on supported Windows or Linux systems. Our guide to deciding when to enable and troubleshoot Zink covers that case. Zink cannot fix a missing binary, incorrect architecture or failed dependency.

Can X-Plane 11 plugins work in X-Plane 12?

Some 64-bit X-Plane 11 plugins also work in X-Plane 12, but compatibility must be confirmed for the individual add-on.

Plugins tied to weather, rendering, aircraft systems or older drawing methods are more likely to need an X-Plane 12 build. On Apple silicon, use a compatible native or Universal plugin; an Intel-only plugin requires the whole simulator to run through Rosetta, and only when the add-on developer supports that arrangement. Renaming an old binary or moving it between platform folders cannot make it compatible.