How do I install and use YourControls in MSFS?

To install and use YourControls in Microsoft Flight Simulator, extract the Windows application to a permanent folder, run it alongside MSFS, and select the exact aircraft profile. Every pilot needs the same YourControls and aircraft versions; one hosts, the others join, then the crew tests synchronisation and assigns control before departure.

This process applies directly to MSFS 2020 on PC. MSFS 2024 on PC requires a YourControls release and aircraft definition that explicitly support it.

What do you need to use YourControls?

YourControls needs a Windows PC for every crew member, matching software and aircraft, and a profile written for the exact aircraft.

It is an external companion application that synchronises the simulator variables and events covered by the selected definition. It does not stream the host’s simulator, distribute aircraft files or licences, or convert ordinary multiplayer into a shared cockpit.

• Every participant must run the same YourControls release and definition files.
• Simulator builds, aircraft variants and add-on versions should match.
• Each person must own and install the aircraft locally. YourControls cannot share Marketplace purchases or other paid content.
• A matching livery is safest but usually matters less than the aircraft, engine and systems variant.
• A generic or similarly named profile is not a safe substitute for an aircraft-specific definition.

You do not need to join the same MSFS multiplayer group. Standard multiplayer places each player in a separate aircraft; our guide to how MSFS multiplayer groups and visibility settings work explains that separate mode.

How to install YourControls

Install YourControls by extracting the complete packaged release to a normal writable folder and keeping its executable, definitions and supporting files together.

1. Obtain the packaged Windows release. Use the project’s official release source and avoid source-code archives intended for developers, which may not contain a ready-to-run application.
2. Extract the entire archive. Choose a permanent, user-owned folder. Do not run the program from inside the compressed archive or move only its executable.
3. Keep the desktop application outside Community. YourControls is not a normal MSFS package. If a release includes a separately labelled bridge or in-sim component, install only that component in Community. Our guide to finding the active Community folder and avoiding double-nested packages covers the required package structure.
4. Start Microsoft Flight Simulator. Loading fully into the intended aircraft before connecting is more reliable than starting a session from the main menu.
5. Run YourControls and approve its firewall rule. Permit it on the appropriate trusted network rather than disabling Windows Firewall.
6. Repeat this on every PC. Compare the displayed YourControls versions before diagnosing profiles or network settings.

If Windows security blocks or removes the executable, verify where the archive came from. Never restore or whitelist an unknown copy obtained through a mirror.

How do I start a YourControls shared-cockpit session?

A reliable shared-cockpit session starts with matching aircraft and flight states, followed by a controlled initial synchronisation and ground test.

1. Match the flight setup. Use the same airport, parking position, aircraft state, flight plan, weather, time, fuel, payload and assistance settings. A cold-and-dark parking stand is safer than an active runway. Matching airport scenery also reduces elevation and stand-position differences.
2. Select the exact aircraft definition. Every pilot must choose the profile intended for that aircraft and variant before connecting.
3. Create the session. One pilot starts the host, server or room function supplied by that YourControls release. The host must leave the application running throughout the flight.
4. Join after loading the aircraft. Other pilots enter the host address, room details or relay information. Connect one client at a time when diagnosing a fault.
5. Wait for the initial state to settle. Do not immediately start pressing controls. Compare the battery, avionics, lights, radios, engines and control positions first.
6. Test representative controls. While parked, operate a cockpit light, radio setting, primary flight control and autopilot input. This exposes an incorrect profile before taxi.
7. Assign cockpit roles. Agree who is pilot flying and pilot monitoring, then use control-transfer or permission functions where available. Only one pilot should operate the yoke or stick, pedals, throttles, trim and autopilot at a time.

Different controllers are acceptable because bindings remain local to each PC. One pilot can use a yoke and another a joystick, but duplicate commands and controls that continually transmit axis movement can fight the active pilot.

If a second aircraft model appears in exactly the same position, disable ordinary MSFS multiplayer aircraft visibility or online traffic for the session.

How do you connect YourControls over the internet?

Use a relay or room-code connection when the installed release offers one; use direct hosting when the host can configure the firewall and router correctly.

For a local network, clients use the host PC’s local address and configured port. An internet direct connection generally requires the host’s public address, a firewall allowance and port forwarding using the exact port and protocol specified by that release. Do not copy port numbers from an old tutorial or publish the host address openly.

If local connections work but internet clients time out, check the public address, firewall rule and router forwarding. Carrier-grade NAT can prevent ordinary inbound connections altogether, making a supported relay method the practical choice.

Why is YourControls connected but not synchronising?

A connection can succeed while cockpit systems remain unsynchronised because networking, simulator detection and aircraft-profile coverage are separate issues.

How do you recover from cockpit desynchronisation?

Recover by leaving one pilot in control, stopping every other input and restoring both simulators to a stable, matching state.

Compare decisive items first: autopilot modes, gear, flaps, engines, electrical power and radios. Use YourControls’ resynchronisation function if the installed release provides one. If the disagreement remains, park or stabilise the aircraft, disconnect the client and reconnect after the states match; a complete reload is usually cleaner than correcting dozens of variables in flight.

Avoid active pause, slew and simulation-rate changes unless the crew has confirmed that the aircraft definition handles them. Before take-off and approach, agree who retains control after a connection loss. The other pilot should make no inputs until synchronisation is restored.

Does YourControls work with MSFS 2024 and consoles?

The YourControls companion application requires Windows, while simulator and aircraft compatibility depends on the installed release and profile.

A successful connection does not prove full aircraft compatibility. Position and basic controls may work while custom avionics remain independent, so test every system needed for the flight while still on the ground.