Where Does Moonlight Store Settings and Pairing Keys?
Where Moonlight Qt keeps settings per OS: registry on Windows, conf file on Linux, plist on Mac.
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Moonlight Qt follows Qt conventions per OS: the Windows registry for installed builds (Moonlight.ini for portable), ~/.config/Moonlight Game Streaming Project/Moonlight.conf on Linux, and a plist on macOS. Pairing keys live alongside settings.
The Settings page rewrites the file on open, which surprises hand editors whose custom values vanish. Edit with the client closed and skip the settings screen afterward. Flatpak builds mirror the conf path inside their sandbox directory.
Where Moonlight stores this, by platform
~/.config/Moonlight Game Streaming Project/Moonlight.conf
Moonlight.conf with stream, audio, and host sections. Flatpak builds use the sandbox config path instead. The file tolerates comments with # prefixes for documenting custom values.
HKCU\SOFTWARE\Moonlight Game Streaming Project
Installed builds use HKCU registry keys; portable builds use Moonlight.ini beside the exe. Registry edits need the client closed. Pairing certificates travel with whichever store is active.
Frequently asked questions
where is the moonlight config file
Edit Moonlight.conf with the client closed (~/.config/Moonlight Game Streaming Project/Moonlight.conf on Linux). The Settings page overwrites hand edits on open, so change values without visiting settings afterward. Restart the client to apply.
where are moonlight settings in the windows registry
In the registry under the Moonlight key (HKCU\SOFTWARE\Moonlight Game Streaming Project), since Qt maps settings there on Windows. The portable build uses Moonlight.ini beside the exe instead. Export the key before tweaking unknown values.
where are moonlight pairing keys stored
Pairing certificates and host keys live with the settings (registry or conf file depending on OS). Deleting them unpairs every host and forces re pairing with PINs. Back them up together with settings before reinstalls.
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