Imagine 84 buttons, each of which does something different. And you have to memorize what they all do. Sounds like an almost impossible task, right? Those 84 keys on your keyboard (some of you, like me, may have 101) might have taken you years to memorize. Mastering Minecraft’s controls will be easy by comparison!
Once you get the basic controls down you’ll be well on your way to delve into the deepest dungeons and create the most epic builds. The diagram below shows the most important controls for the game.
Flying: If this isn’t working for you, don’t worry. It’s only available in creative and spectator mode. To learn more about game modes check out our guide. Once your in creative mode double tap the space bar and fly away.
Scroll Wheel: Flick the scroll wheel up or down to access quickslot items in your inventory. These items are displayed at the bottom of your screen and can be changed in your item inventory, accessed with the E Key.
Chat: The chat window is important for entering commands or making friends in multiplayer. You can bring up chat by pressing the T key.
Screenshots: Use the F1 and F2 keys together to take the best screenshots. F1 hides the HUD (the “heads up display” that shows information like health, hunger, and your inventory). F2 takes a screenshot. They can be a little hard to find. See our Sharing Your Creations Guide for help finding those screenshots (Coming Soon).
Debug Screen: Press F3 to access the debug screen. WARNING: The debug screen can take away a little bit of the magic. Why craft a compass or note the directions of the sunrise, after all, when the debug screen tells you which way you’re facing. You’re going to get lost at least once, right? It’s an important part of the experience.
The Controls Menu
The controls menu can be easily accessed while playing if you need a quick refresher. Hit the escape key and click on Options and then Controls. From here you can see all the controls and customize them. You can also manage touchscreen settings and mouse sensitivity. Most importantly you can turn of Minecraft’s most annoying setting, auto-jump.
