Anvil-MC's biggest update yet has arrived. You can now run any Java-based Minecraft server software directly from your Android device, including Paper, Spigot, Bukkit, Fabric, and Vanilla. Bring your mods, your plugins, and your existing worlds.
What's New
This major release introduces Custom JAR support as a first-class option alongside PumpkinMC. Here's everything that's included:
- Custom JAR servers: Vanilla, Spigot, Bukkit, Fabric, and Paper
- Mod & plugin support: upload via the in-app file browser
- File editor: edit
.json,.yml,.properties, and.txtfiles directly in the app - Syntax highlighting: color-coded file previews for config files
- Extended file actions: rename, clear folder, and unzip
- Custom world import: upload a
.zipof your world via the file browser - Memory slider: fine-tune how much RAM is allocated to your JAR server
- Various stability and textual improvements
Custom JAR is currently in Beta. Some bugs and glitches are to be expected. JAR servers are significantly more demanding than PumpkinMC, so this feature may not work well on pre-2018 devices or devices with limited RAM. A minimum of 2GB allocated RAM is required just to start most servers.
PumpkinMC vs Custom JAR: Which Should You Use?
Anvil-MC gives you two server software options. Here's how they compare:
PumpkinMC
- + Ultra-fast startup (~15ms)
- + Very low RAM usage (~100MB idle)
- + No Java or downloads required
- – Early development, missing mob AI & mechanics
- – No plugin or mod support
Best for: testing, technical experiments, simple lobbies
Custom JAR
Recommended- + Full vanilla gameplay, including all mobs, redstone and dimensions
- + Plugin support (Paper/Spigot) & mod support (Fabric)
- + Production-ready and stable
- – Requires 2GB+ RAM to start, 4–6GB for stable play
- – Requires manually downloading a .jar file
Best for: survival worlds, modded servers, long-term play
Step 1: Install Anvil-MC
Download Anvil-MC from the Google Play Store. Make sure your device is arm64-v8a (most Android phones from 2018 onwards are).
Once installed, you can optionally create an account. Registering gives you access to our free tunneling service, which provides a public address like elite-golem-20.anvil-mc.com so your friends can join without any port-forwarding.
Step 2: Obtain a JAR File
Due to Google Play restrictions, Anvil-MC cannot download server JARs automatically. You'll need to download the .jar file from the server software's own website and transfer it to your device. Here are the official download pages:
- Paper: papermc.io (recommended for plugins)
- Fabric: fabricmc.net (recommended for mods)
- Spigot: spigotmc.org
- Vanilla: minecraft.net
Tip: Download directly on your phone. You can visit these sites in your Android browser and download the .jar directly to your device. No PC needed. The file will appear in your Downloads folder, ready to upload in the next step.
Step 3: Create and Configure Your Server
Tap the + button on the server page to create a new server. In the software dropdown, select Custom JAR. You'll then be prompted to upload your .jar file from your device's storage.
With your JAR selected, you can configure the remaining server settings:
- Server name & description
- Gamemode & difficulty
- Memory slider: allocate RAM to your server. Most JAR servers need at least 2GB to start, and 4 to 6GB for comfortable play.
- View distance & simulation distance: lower these if you experience in-game freezes.
- Max players: more players means more load on your device.
Step 4: Start Your Server
Once configured, press the Start button on the server card. Navigate to the Console tab to view logs and send commands like op or whitelist add.
To find your server's address, check the top right of your active server card. If you're using the tunneling service, it will look like elite-golem-20.anvil-mc.com. For local hosting it will be something like 192.168.1.1:25565.
Step 5: Adding Plugins & Mods
Open your server's files by pressing the file button on the server card.
Adding a Plugin (Paper / Spigot)
- Navigate to the
pluginsfolder inside your server's root directory. - Press the + button at the bottom to upload a
.jarplugin file. - Restart your server for the plugin to load.
Adding a Mod (Fabric)
- Navigate to the
modsfolder inside your server's root directory. - Press the + button at the bottom to upload a
.jarmod file. - Restart your server for the mod to load.
Step 6: Importing a Custom World
You can replace the default world with your own by importing a .zip archive of your world folder:
- Open your server in the file browser and find the world folder.
- Press the three-dot menu on the world folder and select Clear Folder to remove the existing world data.
- Open the now-empty world folder and press the + button to upload your
.zipfile. - Once uploaded, press the three-dot menu on the zip file and select Unzip.
- Start your server. Your imported world will load automatically.
Make sure to clear the folder first. Unzipping into a folder that already contains world files can cause conflicts. Always use the Clear Folder action before uploading your zip.
Performance Tips
- View distance: reduce to 6–8 for better performance (default is often 10+)
- Simulation distance: keep this at 4–6 on mobile
- Max players: every connected player increases RAM and CPU usage
- Memory allocation: allocate as much as your device can spare, but leave at least 1–2GB for Android itself
This feature is not recommended for pre-2018 devices or devices with less than 6GB of total RAM. Flagship phones from the last few years will see the best results.
Join the Community
Have questions, running into issues, or want to share your setup? Join our Discord server. We also have a dedicated #getting-started channel with a step-by-step setup guide.