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Sandbox survival · PC · PlayStation · Xbox · Switch · Mobile

Minecraft controls & keybinds

Minecraft's Java and Bedrock editions share the same core keys on PC: WASD, Space to jump, Shift to sneak, Ctrl to sprint and the number row for the hotbar. Consoles use a standard layout with the hotbar on the bumpers.

The keys people look up first

Minecraft controls at a glance

Default bindings for the actions searched for most. The full lists, the settings that change how they feel and the printable layout are below.

ActionPCPlayStationXbox
CrouchLeft ShiftR3 (press)RS (press)
JumpSpaceCrossA
InteractL2LT
InventoryESquareX
Chat / voiceTD-pad RightD-pad Right
ScreenshotF2
EscEscapeF1Hide HF1: Hide HUDF2ScreenF2: ScreenshotF3Debug F3: Debug screen (coordinates)F4F4F5ToggleF5: Toggle perspectiveF6F6F7F7F8CinemaF8: Cinematic cameraF9F9F10F10F11FullscF11: FullscreenF12F12``1Hotbar1: Hotbar slots2Hotbar2: Hotbar slots3Hotbar3: Hotbar slots4Hotbar4: Hotbar slots5Hotbar5: Hotbar slots6Hotbar6: Hotbar slots7Hotbar7: Hotbar slots8Hotbar8: Hotbar slots9Hotbar9: Hotbar slots00--==⌫BackspaceTabPlayer liTab: Player listQDrop iQ: Drop itemWMoveW: MoveEInventE: InventoryRRTChatT: ChatYYUUIIOOPSocialP: Social interactions[[]]\\CapsCaps LockAMoveA: MoveSMoveS: MoveDMoveD: MoveFSwap iF: Swap item with off-handGGHHJJKKLAdvancL: Advancements;;''EnterEnterShiftSneakLeft Shift: SneakZZXXCCVVBBNNMM,,..//ShiftRight ShiftCtrlSprintLeft Ctrl: SprintWinWinAltLeft AltSpaceJumpSpace: JumpAltRight AltFnFnMenuMenuCtrlRight Ctrl
LMBAttack / destroyRMBUse item / place blockMMBPick blockM4unboundM5unboundScroll ↑Cycle hotbarScroll ↓Cycle hotbar
Highlighted keys carry a default action; hover or tap a key for every action bound to it.
ActionDefault key
Movement
Move W / A / S / D
JumpHold in water or while flying to rise. Space
SneakStops you falling off edges and hides your name tag. Left Shift
SprintDouble-tapping W also sprints. Left Ctrl
Interaction
Attack / destroy Mouse 1
Use item / place block Mouse 2
Pick blockSelects the block you look at if it is in your inventory (creative: any block). Mouse 3
Drop itemCtrl + Q drops the whole stack. Q
Swap item with off-hand F
Interface
Inventory E
Hotbar slots 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9
Cycle hotbar Scroll Up / Scroll Down
Chat T
CommandOpens chat with a slash already typed. /
Player listHold on multiplayer servers. Tab
Advancements L
Social interactions P
Camera & debug
Toggle perspective F5
Hide HUD F1
Screenshot F2
Debug screen (coordinates)F3 + G shows chunk borders; F3 + B shows hitboxes. F3
Cinematic camera F8
Fullscreen F11
Reach check · your keyboard, this game

Can your board actually play Minecraft?

Every default bind, re-scored against the keyboard you own. Distance is measured from the left hand resting on WASD, because that is where it stays while you play.

  • W / A / S / D Move
  • Space Jump
  • Left Shift Sneak
  • Left Ctrl Sprint
  • Mouse 1 Attack / destroy
  • Mouse 2 Use item / place block
  • Mouse 3 Pick block
  • Q Drop item
  • F Swap item with off-hand
  • E Inventory
  • 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 Hotbar slots
  • Scroll Up / Scroll Down Cycle hotbar
  • T Chat
  • / Command
  • Tab Player list
  • L Advancements
  • P Social interactions
  • F5 Toggle perspective
  • F1 Hide HUD
  • F2 Screenshot
  • F3 Debug screen (coordinates)
  • F8 Cinematic camera
  • F11 Fullscreen
On the keys
your hand is already there
Comfortable
a finger moves, the hand does not
Stretch
the hand lifts, movement wobbles
Off movement
you let go of A and D to press it
Not on this board
the key does not physically exist

Reach uses the same key geometry as BindIQ, which can rebuild the whole layout for you once you know what is out of reach. Mouse buttons always count as reachable — your right hand is already there.

Minecraft control lab

Shift and Ctrl do not do what you think

Two things about Minecraft's controls trip up everyone who arrives from another game. The first is that sneak and sprint are on the opposite keys from every shooter. The second is stranger and more useful: holding a modifier here usually changes how much of something happens rather than what happens, and almost none of it is written down in the controls menu.

KeyOn its ownWith Shift heldWith Ctrl held
W / A / S / DWalkSneak: you cannot walk off an edge, and your name tag hidesSprint — and double-tapping W does the same thing
QDrop one itemNothing extraDrop the entire stack
Mouse 1 in a chestPick up the stack under the cursorMove the whole stack straight to the other containerNothing extra
Mouse 2 on a chestOpen itPlace the block in your hand against it instead of openingNothing extra
SpaceJumpDescend, while flying or in waterNothing extra
Mouse 3Pick block: puts the block you are looking at in your handNothing extraNothing extra

Sneak is Shift and sprint is Ctrl, which is the reverse of every shooter — that single swap is behind most of the confusion, and Toggle Sneak and Toggle Sprint in Accessibility settings spare your little finger if you build for hours. The rest of the table is worth reading once and never looking up again: Shift-clicking to move a full stack and Shift-right-clicking to place a block against a chest instead of opening it are the two that save the most time, and neither appears anywhere in the game's own controls list.

One line per question

How to do the things people search for in Minecraft

Generated from the default bindings above, so an action and its key can never disagree.

How to crouch in Minecraft on PC and controller?

To crouch in Minecraft, press Left Shift on PC, R3 (press) on PlayStation and RS (press) on Xbox. Stops you falling off edges and hides your name tag.

How to jump in Minecraft on PC and controller?

To jump in Minecraft, press Space on PC, Cross on PlayStation and A on Xbox. Hold in water or while flying to rise.

How to interact or pick things up in Minecraft on controller?

To interact or pick things up in Minecraft, press L2 on PlayStation and LT on Xbox.

How to open the inventory in Minecraft on PC and controller?

To open the inventory in Minecraft, press E on PC, Square on PlayStation and X on Xbox.

How to open chat in Minecraft on PC and controller?

To open chat in Minecraft, press T on PC, D-pad Right on PlayStation and D-pad Right on Xbox.

How to take a screenshot in Minecraft on PC?

To take a screenshot in Minecraft, press F2 on PC.

Quick answers

How do I see coordinates in Minecraft?

Press F3 on Java Edition for the debug screen; XYZ shows your position. On Bedrock, turn on Show Coordinates in World Settings and they appear in the top-left corner.

How do I sprint in Minecraft?

Hold Left Ctrl while moving forward, or double-tap W. On controller press the left stick while moving. Sprinting drains hunger faster.

What does pick block do?

Middle mouse copies the block you are looking at into your hand if you have it in your inventory; in Creative it gives you any block, including ones with data.

How do I drop a full stack?

Hold Ctrl and press Q with the stack selected, or drag it out of the inventory window. Plain Q drops one item.

How do I switch to third person?

F5 cycles first person, third person behind and third person front. On controller press D-pad Up.

Where to go from here

Next steps for Minecraft

Sensitivity converterBring the cm/360 you already trust into MC instead of guessing a number.eDPI calculatorWork out where your MC sensitivity sits and what it becomes if you change DPI.Controller deadzone tunerFind the smallest deadzone that hides drift without swallowing slow aim in MC.Stick drift testFive-second resting sample, so a wandering camera is not blamed on the game.Touch sampling rate testHow often your screen reads your finger — the number that decides how MC feels on a phone.