Set up Simple Voice Chat on your server

Simple Voice Chat by henkelmax adds proximity voice chat to a Java server, with push to talk, voice activation and password protected groups. It ships as a mod for Fabric, Forge, NeoForge and Quilt, and as a plugin for Paper and Purpur servers. It wants a UDP port of its own and the mod on every player's game, so it takes a few more steps than most mods.

Checked against Simple Voice Chat 2.6.22 (the Fabric, Forge, NeoForge and Quilt builds for Minecraft 1.21.1, 8 August 2026) and the plugin build 2.6.24 (20 September 2026), October 2026. The project's newest builds also target Minecraft 26.x. This guide uses 1.21.1 because 2.6.22 is the newest stable mod build for it; 2.6.23 and 2.6.24 are beta there.

What it needs

• The mod on the server and on each player's game. Without it on their game, a player can still join but cannot use any voice chat feature. The mod works across loaders, so a Fabric player can talk to a Forge server. A plugin server still needs the Fabric, Forge, NeoForge or Quilt mod on the player's game.
• A UDP port of its own. The default is 24454. The mod's docs advise against sharing the port players join on, so this guide gives it one of your plan's extra ports. If Settings says "Your plan doesn't include extra ports.", voice chat has no port of its own on that plan. How to upgrade or downgrade your plan covers the options.
• No other required mods. Modrinth lists only optional extras for the build, and the panel may offer them when you install.

Install the mod

1. Open your server and choose Mods under Content in the left rail. On Paper or Purpur the tab is called Plugins.
2. In the Store view, leave the Modrinth chip pressed above the search box and search for Simple Voice Chat. The filters start on your server's own Minecraft version, and on a Fabric, Forge or NeoForge server its loader too.
3. Press Install on Simple Voice Chat by henkelmax. If a No backup yet window appears, take a backup or choose to install anyway.
4. If a window titled Works well with appears, it lists optional add-ons. Leave them unticked and press Install Simple Voice Chat only.
5. Restart the server from the Console tab. The mod writes its config files on its first start.

Give it a port

1. In the left rail, open More and choose Settings. Under Connections, the Network ports card has Add port. Press it and note the number after the colon in the new Extra row, which shows ip:port. You cannot pick the number. How to add an extra port to your server shows the card.
2. Open File Manager and go to config/voicechat/voicechat-server.properties. On Paper or Purpur it is plugins/voicechat/voicechat-server.properties.
3. Click the file, press Edit, and change port=24454 to your new number. Leave bind_address and voice_host empty. Press Save.
4. Restart the server again. Edits only take effect after a restart.

On a test server, after port was set to the extra port and the server restarted, the Console logged Voice chat server started at 0.0.0.0: followed by that port number, so the mod was listening on it.

Join and test

1. Each player installs the Simple Voice Chat build for their own loader and Minecraft version, matching the server's mod or plugin version where they can (check the version the Mods or Plugins tab installed), then joins your server address as usual. Join a modded server from your launcher covers the client side.
2. The first time in, the mod shows a setup guide. Press V to open it and pick the microphone, the speakers and push to talk or voice activation.
3. To check a player's connection, an operator types /voicechat test <PLAYERNAME> in chat. The command works in game only, not in the Console, and needs the voicechat.admin permission, which operators have by default. Whitelist players and set operators shows how to make one.

Common problems

• A plug icon shows and voice chat is not connected. Its docs name an unreachable UDP port as the most likely cause. Check that port in the config matches your Extra port and that you restarted. If only one player has it, their network may block UDP, which is common on mobile data and VPNs.
• The server fails to start with "Address already in use". Another mod or plugin is using that UDP port. Use a different extra port for each tool.
• Fabric reports a missing mod version. Install the latest Fabric API from the Mods tab, as the mod's docs advise.
• Changed settings have no effect. Restart the server after every edit to the file.