Enable Rust+Pair the companion app: chat, map & smart devices

Published on August 4, 2026 · last updated on November 8, 2026

What is Rust+?

Rust+ is the official companion app from Facepunch (iOS/Android). Paired with your server, it offers team chat, a live map with markers, notifications and control of smart in-game devices such as alarms and switches - right from your smartphone.

Server settings for Rust+

For the app to reach the server, two convars have to be correct and the app port has to be reachable:

app.port 28082
app.publicip "12.34.56.78"

• app.port - the Rust+ port (default 28082). It has to be reachable.
• app.publicip - the public IP of your server, so the app knows where to connect.

At MainHoster.de, the app port is provided for your Rust server; you will find the public IP in the panel. Enter it in app.publicip and restart the server.

The app port is a second port

Rust+ does not run over the game port. In addition to the address your players join through, the server listens on a second port for the app - 28082 is the default value for it. Both belong to the same fixed server address made of IP and port; the app simply connects to the app port instead of the game port.

This leads to two points that cause troubleshooting in practice:

• The app port must not overlap. Game port, RCON port and app port are three different ports. What counts are the values the panel shows you - 28082 is only the default and not necessarily yours. The basics are covered in Ports and firewall for game servers.
• app.publicip has to be correct from the outside. The value tells the app where to connect. If it contains a wrong or outdated address, the app will not find the server even if the port is reachable - and the symptom then looks exactly like a blocked port.

Both values belong in the server.cfg and only take effect after a restart. What you set via the console at runtime only survives the next start if you save it with server.writecfg.

Pair the server in the app

1. Install the Rust+ app and sign in with your Steam account.
2. Connect to your server in the game (client.connect).
3. Open the Rust+ menu in-game and select Pair with Server - the server appears in your app automatically.
4. You pair smart devices (such as a smart alarm) individually via their context menu with Pair.

Pairing is per player, not per server

A common misunderstanding: pairing is not a server setting you make once for everyone. Each player pairs the server themselves via the in-game menu, using exactly the Steam account that is signed in to their app. So you cannot do the setup for your team - you can only create the requirements and explain where the button is.

One level down, the same applies to smart devices: a smart alarm notifies the person who paired it. If the whole team should be notified, each person pairs the device individually - provided they can reach its context menu. And without power, an alarm reports nothing at all, no matter how often you pair it.

Finally, the team chat in the app shows exactly what is in the in-game team chat. Anyone who is not in a team will not see any messages there either - that is not a pairing error, but the expected behavior.

In practice, this means for you as the operator: Rust+ is a tool for your players, not for server administration. Your job ends once the app port and app.publicip are correct. Anyone who needs admin rights gets them via ownerid and moderatorid, not via the app.

What the app can actually do

Rust+ is often taken for a mere gimmick. For a running server, though, it is a solid tool - above all for everything that happens while you are not playing:

• Team chat on the go. You read and write in team chat without starting the game. For coordinating raids or wipe times, it is the most practical part.
• Smart alarm. An alarm at your base sends a notification to your phone as soon as someone opens the door or attacks a wall. That is why most people set up Rust+ in the first place.
• Smart switch. Switch doors, lights and turrets remotely - for example to shut the base down at night to save power.
• Map and events. The live map shows team positions, the cargo ship and helicopter events.

For you as the operator, Rust+ is not an administration tool - you cannot kick players, send commands or change the configuration through it. For that, WebRCON remains the right way.

When pairing does not work

The symptoms are limited and can be clearly attributed:

• No "Pair with Server" in the menu. Then Rust+ is not activated on the server side. Check the corresponding convars in the server.cfg and restart the server - values set while the server is running do not survive the next restart.
• Pairing confirmed, app stays empty. The Steam account in the app has to be the same one you are connected with in the game. A second account does not see the pairing.
• Server disappears after a wipe. That is normal: a force wipe also resets the pairings. Pairing once more is enough.
• Devices do not respond. Each smart device is paired individually and needs power. A smart alarm without a power connection reports nothing.

Two causes lie outside your server. First, Rust+ depends on Facepunch services - if something fails there, no setting in the server.cfg helps, and pairing works again as soon as the service is back. Second, a notification only arrives if the phone allows it: notifications turned off in the system settings are the least obvious reason a smart alarm seems to stay silent.

Also keep in mind: Rust+ reaches your server via its fixed address made of IP and port. If this changes, all pairings are void and have to be set up again - just like the address your players use to join.

Frequently asked questions