Fix Navigraph Simlink not connecting with ordered checks for live-flight state, permissions, firewall, SimConnect and X-Plane plugins.
Navigraph Simlink usually will not connect because the simulator is still at a menu, its SimConnect or X-Plane plugin bridge is unavailable, Simlink is hung in the tray, or Windows permissions or security software are blocking it. Load into the cockpit, restart Simlink fully, match permission levels, then repair the simulator-side connector.
Fix Navigraph Simlink not connecting: fastest checks
The quickest reliable fix is to load a live flight, restart Simlink completely, and then check the bridge and permissions in that order. These checks apply to Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 and 2024, FSX, Prepar3D and X-Plane, although the simulator-side connector differs.
- Load fully into a flight
Simlink may not report usable aircraft data while the simulator is at its main menu, world map or aircraft-selection screen. Enter the cockpit at a gate or runway, let the aircraft finish loading, and only then check the connection.
If MSFS cannot reach that point because the program itself will not open, resolve the underlying problem with our MSFS 2020 start-up checks before troubleshooting Simlink.
- Quit Simlink rather than closing its window
Simlink normally remains active in the Windows system tray or macOS menu bar. Use its exit command, then check Task Manager or Activity Monitor for a leftover process before reopening it. Running two copies or leaving one hung in the background can prevent a clean reconnection.
- Check the Navigraph account session
Make sure Simlink is signed in and that the Charts client is using the same Navigraph account. Sign out and back in if the session has expired or Simlink appears connected locally but the chart never receives a position.
- Match permission levels on Windows
Run the simulator and Simlink at the same privilege level. The preferred arrangement is to run both normally; if the simulator has been forced to run as administrator, Simlink may also need elevation for a controlled test. Do not leave one elevated and the other running normally.
- Check firewall, antivirus and VPN filtering
Simlink must read the local simulator interface and send position data over the internet. Allow the Simlink executable through security software and test without a VPN, proxy or aggressive web filter. If you temporarily pause third-party protection for diagnosis, restore it immediately and create a narrow application exception rather than leaving protection disabled.
- Use a clean start-up sequence
Close the simulator, Simlink and the Charts client, then restart the computer. Open Simlink, start the simulator, load into the cockpit and reopen Charts. If detection still fails, exit and relaunch Simlink once the live flight is already running.
- Compare another simulator-connected utility
If every external utility has stopped reading position, heading and altitude, the simulator interface is the likely fault. If other utilities work and only Simlink fails, concentrate on Simlink, its account session and its installed connector.
What does the Simlink status tell you?
The exact symptom separates a simulator-bridge failure from a Charts or account problem.
| Symptom | Most likely cause | Best next check |
|---|---|---|
| No simulator is detected | The sim is at a menu, Simlink is stale, or the simulator connector is unavailable | Load a flight, terminate every Simlink process and relaunch it |
| One simulator works but another does not | The failing simulator has a missing or broken connector | Check SimConnect for Microsoft-based simulators or the plugin for X-Plane |
| Detection stopped after an update, repair or drive move | The connector registration or plugin location no longer matches the installation | Rerun the Simlink installer and select the correct simulator installation |
| Simlink detects the simulator but values never change | Permission mismatch, frozen simulator state or a failed data interface | Match permissions and leave pause, replay and slew modes |
| Simlink is connected but Charts shows no aircraft | Expired sign-in, blocked internet traffic or disabled moving-map display | Check both account sessions, internet access and the Charts display controls |
An outdated AIRAC cycle or malformed flight plan does not normally stop Simlink detecting the simulator. Those faults can produce route and procedure mismatches after connection, but live aircraft position is a separate data stream.
Which simulator-side component should I repair?
Repair the connector used by the affected simulator rather than repeatedly reinstalling the Charts client.
Microsoft Flight Simulator, FSX and Prepar3D
MSFS 2020, MSFS 2024, FSX and Prepar3D expose flight data to external applications through SimConnect. When several external programs fail together, SimConnect or the simulator installation is the common point to investigate.
Restart Windows and test a live flight before repairing anything. If only Simlink fails, rerun the Simlink installer first; if every SimConnect application fails, repair the simulator installation or the runtime supplied with it. Avoid downloading miscellaneous SimConnect files or copying unknown DLLs into the simulator, because FSX and Prepar3D add-ons may depend on different legacy runtime components.
A simulator update can also reset an executable's administrator setting or trigger new firewall prompts. Recheck those settings rather than assuming SimConnect itself has been deleted.
X-Plane
X-Plane requires the Simlink simulator plugin to load from the active installation's Resources/plugins directory. A common mistake is installing it into an old X-Plane copy while launching a different one.
Confirm that the plugin appears in X-Plane's plugin manager and inspect Log.txt if it does not load. Security controls, an incompatible plugin build or missing plugin files should be visible there. After repairing the plugin, close X-Plane completely and restart it; reloading only the aircraft does not reliably reinitialise every plugin.
On macOS, also check whether the operating system has blocked the plugin or Simlink application. Grant access only to the recognised Simlink components, then restart both programs.
Does FSHud need Navigraph Simlink?
No. FSHud and Navigraph Simlink are separate applications, and FSHud does not rely on Simlink as its simulator connector.
Simlink carries live aircraft-position data to Navigraph Charts. FSHud is an ATC application with its own simulator connection, so a working Simlink connection does not prove that FSHud is connected, and reinstalling Simlink will not normally fix an FSHud-only failure.
If FSHud and Simlink both stop detecting a Microsoft-based simulator, check their shared conditions: a live flight, SimConnect, matching Windows permissions and security filtering. If Simlink works but FSHud does not, troubleshoot FSHud's own connector and settings. Any Navigraph navdata option used by FSHud is also separate from Simlink's moving-map link.
Why does Simlink say connected but Charts does not move?
A connected Simlink status confirms the simulator bridge, but it does not guarantee that the Charts client is signed in, online or displaying the moving map.
- Verify the account: Simlink and Charts must use the same Navigraph account.
- Refresh the Charts client: restart the desktop, browser or mobile app and enable its aircraft-position or moving-map display.
- Check the flight state: pause, replay and slew modes can stop or distort movement even though the connection remains active.
- Test internet access: firewall filtering, a VPN or an expired account session can block delivery after Simlink has read the simulator successfully.
- Separate position from route data: an aircraft symbol that moves without the expected route indicates a flight-plan problem, not a Simlink connection failure.
A phone or tablet does not normally need local network discovery from the simulator PC; both devices need internet access and the same account. If the moving aircraft is visible but an MSFS 2024 route is missing, use our procedure for importing SimBrief data into the MSFS 2024 EFB.
When should I reinstall Simlink?
Reinstall Simlink after ruling out the live-flight state, account session, permissions and simulator-side interface. Reinstallation is appropriate when the application will not start correctly, duplicate installations exist, or an update or restored backup has left its files inconsistent.
- Reinstall Simlink if it fails with every supported simulator while other external utilities still connect.
- Repair only the connector if Simlink works with one simulator but not another.
- Repair the simulator interface if all SimConnect-based applications fail together.
- Retarget the X-Plane plugin if you have multiple X-Plane folders or moved the active installation.
- Uninstall Simlink through the operating system and remove duplicate start-up entries, but do not delete unknown SimConnect components manually.
- Restart the computer to clear background processes and locked files.
- Install the official Simlink package supplied through your Navigraph account and let it detect the simulator installations again.
- Confirm the correct simulator path, particularly when more than one X-Plane installation exists.
- Test with a standard aircraft in a fully loaded flight before restoring overlays or unrelated external utilities.
A mistake we see repeatedly is reinstalling Simlink while leaving a broken X-Plane plugin or SimConnect environment untouched. The useful distinction is simple: if only Simlink fails, repair Simlink; if every external application fails, repair the simulator interface.