Movement
Sprint needs at least three hunger drumsticks. Flight (double-tap Space) only works in Creative, or with the mayfly ability on a server.
Movement controls
| Key | Action |
|---|---|
| W | Move forward |
| S | Move backward |
| A | Strafe left |
| D | Strafe right |
| Space | Jump / swim up / fly up (Creative) |
| Left Shift | Sneak / fly down / dismount |
| Left Ctrl | Sprint (hold) |
| Double-tap W | Toggle sprint |
| Double-tap Space | Toggle Creative flight |
Inventory & hotbar
Middle-click “pick block” grabs the block you are looking at. In Survival it only works if that item is already in your inventory; in Creative it always works (and works on entities as spawn eggs). Ctrl + middle-click copies block data (full chests, written signs, command blocks). Hover an item and press a number key to shove it straight into that hotbar slot.
Inventory controls
| Key | Action |
|---|---|
| E | Open / close inventory |
| Q | Drop selected item |
| Ctrl + Q | Drop entire stack |
| 1–9 | Select hotbar slot |
| 1–9 (while hovering an item) | Move that item into that hotbar slot |
| F | Swap main hand ↔ off-hand |
| L | Open Advancements |
| Middle-click | Pick block (Creative: get any block / spawn egg) |
| Ctrl + middle-click | Pick block with NBT (chests, signs, command blocks) |
| Shift + click | Quick-move stacks between inventories |
| Shift + double-click | Move all matching items of that type |
| Scroll wheel | Cycle hotbar |
Creative toolbars
Builders search for this constantly: save up to nine hotbar layouts and swap them without opening chests.
Creative toolbar shortcuts
| Key | Action |
|---|---|
| C + 1–9 | Save current hotbar to that toolbar slot |
| X + 1–9 | Load saved hotbar from that toolbar slot |
| Middle-click (inventory) | Grab a full stack of the hovered item |
| Shift + click (Creative menu) | Delete item from hotbar / inventory |
Mouse
Mouse controls
| Key | Action |
|---|---|
| Left click | Attack / mine / break |
| Right click | Use / place / interact |
| Shift + right click | Place against containers instead of opening them |
Function keys & narrator
F2 saves a PNG under .minecraft/screenshots. F1 hides the HUD for clean shots. F5 cycles camera views. F4 only matters while you are spectating a mob that applies a screen shader.
Function keys
| Key | Action |
|---|---|
| F1 | Toggle HUD |
| F2 | Take screenshot (saved to .minecraft/screenshots) |
| F3 | Debug screen — coordinates, FPS, biome, facing |
| F4 | Toggle Spectator shader effects (when spectating mobs) |
| F5 | Cycle perspective (1st → 3rd back → 3rd front) |
| F11 | Toggle fullscreen |
| Ctrl + B | Toggle Narrator (if Narrator Hotkey is enabled) |
F3 debug shortcuts (full list)
F3 is the Java debug screen: FPS, XYZ coordinates, biome, light, and facing direction. The shortcuts people Google most are chunk borders (F3 + G), hitboxes (F3 + B), copy position (F3 + C), copy NBT (F3 + I), spectator (F3 + N), and the gamemode switcher (F3 + F4). Remap or review them under Options → Controls → Key Binds → Debug.
F3 combinations
| Key | Action |
|---|---|
| F3 | Toggle debug overlay |
| F3 + A | Reload chunks |
| F3 + B | Toggle entity hitboxes |
| F3 + C | Copy current position as a /tp (or /execute) command |
| F3 + C (hold ~10s) | Force a debug crash (intentional; for reporting) |
| F3 + D | Clear chat history |
| F3 + G | Toggle chunk borders |
| F3 + H | Advanced item tooltips (IDs, durability, firework details) |
| F3 + I | Copy looked-at block/entity server data (NBT) to clipboard |
| F3 + Shift + I | Copy client-side looked-at data |
| F3 + L | Start / stop performance profiling dump |
| F3 + N | Cycle Spectator ↔ previous gamemode (cheats / OP) |
| F3 + P | Toggle auto-pause when the window loses focus |
| F3 + S | Dump dynamic textures to screenshots/debug |
| F3 + T | Reload resource packs / textures |
| F3 + V | Dump client version info to chat / log |
| F3 + F4 | Open gamemode switcher (cheats / OP) |
| F3 + F6 | Open debug overlay options (what F3 shows) |
| Shift + F3 | Open debug overlay with profiler pie chart |
| Alt + F3 | FPS / frame-time graph style overlay |
| F3 + Esc | Pause singleplayer without the pause menu |
| F3 + 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 | Toggle profiling / FPS / network / lightmap charts |
Chat & multiplayer
Chat controls
| Key | Action |
|---|---|
| T | Open chat |
| / | Open chat with / pre-typed (commands) |
| Tab | Player list (hold) / autocomplete in chat |
| ↑ / ↓ | Cycle previous chat / command history |
How to change keybinds
- Open Options → Controls.
- Open Key Binds.
- Click the action you want to change, then press the new key.
- Click Done. Use Reset if two actions collide.
Troubleshooting
- F-keys do nothing: hold Fn (common on laptops), or disable “function lock” in your keyboard/BIOS settings.
- F3 opens a browser or Windows tool: another app is capturing the key — close overlays, or remap debug in Controls.
- Can't sprint: you need food ≥ 3 drumsticks, and Sprint must still be bound (check Key Binds).
- F3 + C crashed the game: holding it for ~10 seconds is a deliberate debug crash. Tap briefly to copy coordinates only.
- No coordinates on Bedrock: this page is Java. On Bedrock go to Settings → Game → Show Coordinates.
FAQ
What are the default Minecraft controls on Java Edition?
WASD to move, Space to jump, Left Shift to sneak, Left Ctrl to sprint, E for inventory, Q to drop, left click to mine/attack, right click to use/place, and F3 for the debug screen with coordinates.
How do I show coordinates in Minecraft Java?
Press F3. Your XYZ coordinates appear on the left of the debug screen. On many laptops you need Fn + F3. Bedrock uses a Settings → Game → Show Coordinates toggle instead.
How do I copy my coordinates as a teleport command?
Press F3 + C. Minecraft copies a /tp (or execute) command for your current position to the clipboard. Paste it with Ctrl + V. Do not hold F3 + C for ~10 seconds — that forces a debug crash on purpose.
How do I copy a command block’s NBT or an entity’s data?
Look at the block or entity and press F3 + I. That copies server-side data to the clipboard (operators / cheats). F3 + Shift + I copies client-side data instead.
How do I take a screenshot in Minecraft Java?
Press F2 (or Fn + F2 on some laptops). Files save to the screenshots folder inside your .minecraft directory. Press F1 first if you want the HUD hidden.
How do I change gamemode with a keybind?
Press F3 + F4 to open the gamemode switcher, then use the mouse or number keys. F3 + N toggles Spectator and your previous mode. Cheats must be on in singleplayer, or you need operator permission on a server.
How do I save and load Creative hotbars?
In Creative, press C + a number (1–9) to save the current hotbar, and X + that number to load it later. Great for builders who jump between tool sets.
Why don’t my F3 shortcuts work?
Laptops often require the Fn key (Fn + F3 + G, etc.). Also check that another program isn’t capturing F-keys, and that you’re on Java Edition — Bedrock does not use the F3 debug screen. On multiplayer, reduced_debug_info can disable some F3 tools.
How do I see chunk borders or hitboxes?
F3 + G toggles chunk borders. F3 + B toggles entity hitboxes. Both are Java Edition only and stay on until you toggle them off.
Where is the list of all F3 shortcuts?
Open Options → Controls → Key Binds and scroll to the Debug section. Older versions used F3 + Q to print the list in chat; that help hotkey was removed in recent Java updates.
How do I remap Minecraft keybinds?
Options → Controls → Key Binds. Click an action, press the new key, then Done. Debug hotkeys are remappable there too. Reset keys from the same menu if something conflicts.
Are these the same as Bedrock controls?
Basic movement is similar, but Bedrock has no F3 debug screen, different screenshot behavior by platform, and its own Settings → Controls menu. This guide is for Java Edition on PC.