Kick idle players from a Minecraft server

The Config Editor searched for idle, showing the Idle kick after (minutes) row and the Save button.

To kick players who are away from the keyboard, set Idle kick after (minutes) in the Config Editor to the number of minutes you allow. Save and restart. A value of 0 never kicks anyone, and 0 is the default for a Java server.

An idle player is kicked with the message “You have been idle for too long!” This is the game’s own text. It frees a slot on a full server (see maximum players).

What counts as idle

The Minecraft Wiki says the timer is reset when the server receives one of these from the player:

an action such as breaking a block,
using an item, or using an item on a block,
changing the held item,
a chat message,
swinging an arm,
interacting with something,
clicking in a container, or a container button,
placing a recipe,
editing a sign.

Moving is not on the wiki’s list. A player who only walks, runs or flies around can still be counted as idle.

In the ArthOS panel

Open your Minecraft server and choose Config Editor.
Type “idle” in Search….
Type the number of minutes in Idle kick after (minutes) (1). It sits in the Players group. The panel’s help says: “Minutes before an idle player is kicked. 0 never kicks.”
Choose Save (2). The banner says “Saved changes apply after a restart.”
Restart the server.

By hand

Stop the server.
Open server.properties in Files.
Set player-idle-timeout to the number of minutes. The wiki says: “If set to 0, idle players are never kicked.”
Start the server. A change to server.properties needs a restart.

For example, player-idle-timeout=15 kicks a player after 15 minutes without any of the actions above.

If it does not work

Nobody is ever kicked. The value is still 0, or you did not restart after Save.
A builder was kicked while working. Placing and breaking blocks reset the timer. Moving alone does not. Raise the number of minutes.
A player is kicked while only walking. See the list above. Walking is not on it.
Operators. The wiki does not say whether operators are exempt. Not checked on 26.3 as of 11 October 2026.
You want to remove someone for another reason. See ban and kick players.

On a Bedrock Dedicated Server the same key exists. Its file says the default is 30 minutes, and 0 lets players idle indefinitely.