Install FlyByWire SimBridge for MSFS on the same PC: FlyByWire Installer steps, A32NX/A380X support, remote MCDU and network address.
Install FlyByWire SimBridge through the FlyByWire Installer on the same Windows PC as Microsoft Flight Simulator, not in the Community folder. Run one SimBridge instance while a supported, powered A32NX or A380X is loaded. It connects automatically; remote browsers use the address SimBridge displays over the same private network.
What is FlyByWire SimBridge?
SimBridge is a standalone Windows companion application that exchanges data between supported FlyByWire aircraft and external features. Depending on the aircraft build, these can include the remote MCDU, browser interfaces, terrain data and route-file functions.
It is not the aircraft installer, SimBrief or the in-cockpit flyPad. Our flyPad EFB controls and configuration notes cover that separate cockpit interface. SimBridge is also unnecessary for basic flying or using the MCDU inside the virtual cockpit; run it when a feature is marked as SimBridge-dependent.
SimBridge supports compatible FlyByWire A32NX and A380X packages, not similarly named stock Microsoft aircraft. It runs outside the Community folder, and the basic setup is the same for the Steam and Microsoft Store editions of Microsoft Flight Simulator.
How do I install and connect SimBridge?
- Install the matching FlyByWire aircraft. Use the FlyByWire Installer and select the package made for your simulator. For the A32NX, follow our MSFS 2020 aircraft installation checks or MSFS 2024 package-selection guidance. Do not mix packages or Community folders from the two simulators.
- Close MSFS and old SimBridge processes. Before installing or updating, exit the simulator and check the Windows notification area or Task Manager for a copy of SimBridge still running.
- Install SimBridge separately. Open the FlyByWire Installer, confirm that it is using the simulator installation you intend to fly, select SimBridge and use its install or update control. Never copy the SimBridge application into
Community. - Launch one SimBridge instance. Start it from the Installer, Windows Start menu or its shortcut. Wait for its local service and browser address to appear; a second instance may be unable to use the same port.
- Allow private-network access. If Windows Firewall prompts you, permit SimBridge on your trusted private network. Public-network access is unnecessary for an ordinary home setup.
- Load and power the aircraft. Start Microsoft Flight Simulator, enter a flight with the FlyByWire A32NX or A380X and wait for the cockpit to initialise. Apply battery or external power so the avionics and MCDU are active.
- Test the local interface. Open the exact address displayed by SimBridge on the simulator PC. No aircraft IP address, account pairing or FSUIPC7 installation is normally required.
For routine use, starting SimBridge before loading the aircraft gives a clean connection sequence. If detection fails, wait until the cockpit has finished loading, close SimBridge and start it again. If that still fails, reload the flight with both components running.
Keep the aircraft and SimBridge updated through the same Installer. A mistake we see often is leaving an obsolete manually installed aircraft package beside the Installer-managed copy in Community, which can prevent detection after an update.
How do I use SimBridge on a tablet or second computer?
The remote device connects to the SimBridge web service on the simulator PC, not directly to Microsoft Flight Simulator. The Windows host must remain running; a phone or tablet cannot replace it.
- Use the same local network. Connect both devices to the same router. Avoid guest Wi-Fi, which commonly blocks communication between local clients.
- Find the PC's active IPv4 address. Use the LAN address shown by SimBridge or run
ipconfigin Windows and identify the address for the active Ethernet or Wi-Fi adapter. - Enter the complete address. If the local URL contains
localhost, replace only that part with the simulator PC's IPv4 address. Keep the protocol, port number and interface path exactly as SimBridge supplies them. - Open it in the remote browser. Do not use
localhoston the tablet because that points back to the tablet itself. - Keep the host awake. Leave SimBridge running and prevent the simulator PC from entering sleep mode during the flight.
If the PC has Ethernet, Wi-Fi, VPN or virtual network adapters, use the IPv4 address belonging to the network shared with the remote device. Temporarily disconnect a VPN if SimBridge advertises the wrong adapter. Router port forwarding is neither required nor advisable.
For the aircraft-specific screens and controls, use our browser EFB and web MCDU walkthrough.
Why is FlyByWire SimBridge not connecting?
First establish whether the failure is between the aircraft and SimBridge or between SimBridge and the remote browser. If the interface works on the simulator PC but not on a tablet, the aircraft connection is sound and the problem is on the local network.
| Symptom | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| The aircraft is missing from MSFS | Wrong simulator package, Community folder or a conflicting duplicate | Correct the aircraft installation first. SimBridge cannot detect an aircraft that MSFS has not loaded. |
| No local SimBridge page opens | SimBridge is not running, the address is stale or another instance owns the port | Close every SimBridge process, launch one copy and use the new address it displays. |
| The local page opens but no aircraft is detected | MSFS is still at the menu, the stock Airbus is loaded, the cockpit is initialising or component builds do not match | Load and power the FlyByWire variant, update both components and restart SimBridge after initialisation. |
| It works on the PC but the tablet times out | Wrong IPv4 address, firewall blocking, guest-network isolation or VPN routing | Use the active home-network adapter's IPv4 address and allow SimBridge through the private-network firewall. |
| The remote MCDU opens but stays blank | The cockpit is unpowered, the wrong interface path was used or the connection was interrupted | Power the avionics, confirm that SimBridge detects the aircraft and reload the complete MCDU address. |
| It stopped working after an update | Stale processes, mismatched components or duplicate aircraft packages | Close MSFS and SimBridge, update both through the Installer, remove obsolete duplicates and restart them. |
Do not disable Windows Firewall completely. A bookmarked LAN address may also stop working when the router assigns the simulator PC a different IPv4 address, so compare it with the address displayed by SimBridge before changing other settings.
Does SimBridge work with MSFS 2024 and consoles?
SimBridge works with supported FlyByWire aircraft on Windows PC installations of MSFS 2020 and MSFS 2024. It is a Windows executable and cannot be installed on Xbox or PlayStation, including console editions of MSFS 2024. A mobile device can display its browser interface, but the Windows simulator PC must remain the SimBridge host.