Install FlyByWire SimBridge for Microsoft Flight Simulator, connect the A32NX or A380X, use a remote MCDU, and fix common network errors.
Install SimBridge from the FlyByWire Installer on the same Windows PC as Microsoft Flight Simulator, then launch it before using a supported FlyByWire aircraft. Leave SimBridge running in the background; the aircraft connects automatically. For browser tools such as the remote MCDU, use the local address SimBridge displays.
What does FlyByWire SimBridge do?
SimBridge is a separate Windows companion application that exchanges data between the A32NX or A380X and supported external features. These include the remote MCDU and, where required by the aircraft build, terrain, route-file or other external-interface functions.
It is not the aircraft installer, and it is not required merely to load and fly the aircraft. SimBridge also does not belong in the Community folder; the aircraft package goes there, while SimBridge runs as its own application.
Because the server application runs on Windows, SimBridge is effectively a PC feature. A phone or tablet can display its browser interface, but cannot replace the PC host. Xbox and PlayStation installations cannot run SimBridge or FlyByWire's PC aircraft packages.
How do I install SimBridge for the A32NX or A380X?
- Install the correct aircraft package. Use the FlyByWire Installer and select the package intended for your simulator. For the A32NX, follow our simulator-specific installation checks for MSFS 2020 or our package-selection guidance for MSFS 2024. Do not point a 2020 package at the 2024 Community folder, or vice versa.
- Close Microsoft Flight Simulator. Installing or updating aircraft files while the simulator is open can leave the old package loaded until the next restart.
- Select SimBridge in the FlyByWire Installer. Install it as an application when offered. Do not extract or move its program files into the Community folder.
- Launch SimBridge. Start it from the Installer or its Windows shortcut and leave it running. If Windows requests network access, permit it on trusted private networks so other devices on the same network can connect.
- Start Microsoft Flight Simulator. Load the FlyByWire A32NX or A380X and allow the cockpit to initialise. Power the aircraft if the feature you want, such as the MCDU, depends on powered cockpit displays.
- Open the required SimBridge feature. The aircraft and SimBridge normally discover each other automatically; there is no account pairing or IP address to enter inside the aircraft.
Starting SimBridge before loading the aircraft gives the clearest connection sequence. If it was launched later, it should reconnect, but reloading the flight after both applications are running can clear a stalled connection.
How do I use SimBridge on a tablet or second computer?
Run SimBridge only on the simulator PC, then open its browser interface from the other device. Our remote MCDU connection walkthrough covers the full A32NX and A380X procedure.
- On the simulator PC, use the local address presented by SimBridge.
- On a phone, tablet or second computer, use the simulator PC's LAN address and the port shown by SimBridge.
- Keep both devices on the same home network. Guest Wi-Fi, wireless client isolation and some VPN configurations prevent local devices from communicating.
- Do not enter
localhoston a tablet. That name refers to the tablet itself, not the PC running SimBridge.
If the remote page opens but the MCDU remains dark, check the aircraft rather than the network first. The correct FlyByWire aircraft must be loaded and its electrical system and MCDU must be powered.
Why is SimBridge not connecting?
| Symptom | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| The FlyByWire aircraft is missing from MSFS | Wrong simulator package or Community-folder destination | Fix the aircraft installation first. SimBridge cannot connect to an aircraft that MSFS has not loaded. |
| SimBridge reports no aircraft | SimBridge is not running, the aircraft is still initialising, or one package is outdated | Update both through the FlyByWire Installer, remove unintended duplicate aircraft copies, then restart SimBridge and MSFS. |
| The interface works on the PC but not a tablet | The tablet is using localhost, a guest network or a blocked firewall connection | Use the PC's LAN address, connect both devices to the same private network and allow SimBridge through the Windows firewall. |
| The local page will not open | SimBridge is not listening, another instance is running, or its port is occupied | Exit every SimBridge instance completely, start one fresh instance and use the address and port it displays. |
| The remote MCDU is blank | The wrong aircraft is loaded or the cockpit is unpowered | Load a supported A32NX or A380X build and switch on the required aircraft electrical power. |
| Connection fails after an update | Old processes or mismatched aircraft and SimBridge builds remain loaded | Close MSFS and SimBridge, update both in the Installer, then restart them in that order. |
The quickest fault-isolation method is to test each layer separately:
- Confirm the aircraft loads and operates without relying on SimBridge.
- Open the SimBridge interface on the simulator PC. If that fails, the fault is with SimBridge, its port or the local firewall configuration.
- Test the second device only after the local page works. A local page that works on the PC but not elsewhere points to an address, Wi-Fi or firewall problem rather than an aircraft installation fault.