If your browser says localhost refused to connect, nothing is answering at that address. Usually the server isn’t running, or you are on the wrong device or using the wrong port.
Updated 23 October 2026.
1. Start the server
On Windows, Jellyfin and Emby run from an icon in the notification area, by the clock. If there is no icon, start the server from the Start menu and wait a minute before you reload the page.
2. Use the right address
| Server | Address on the server PC |
|---|---|
| Jellyfin | http://localhost:8096 |
| Emby | http://localhost:8096 |
| Plex | http://127.0.0.1:32400/web |
3. Use localhost only on the server PC
localhost always means the device you are typing on. On another PC, a phone or a TV, type the server PC’s IP address instead, such as http://192.168.1.20:8096. Jellyfin server not found shows how to find it.
4. Run Jellyfin or Emby, not both
Jellyfin and Emby both use port 8096, and only one can use it at a time. If both are installed, quit the one you are not using from its icon in the notification area.
Still nothing?
Quit the server from its icon and start it again. Library Check tells you whether a server is running but not answering, and whether two servers are fighting over port 8096.