Basic Controls for Minecraft on PC

Keyboard shortcuts and mouse controls for playing on PC

By
Scott Marriott
Scott Marriott
Writer
Former Lifewire writer Scott Alan Marriott covered simulation video games, and was also the senior editor for Allgame.com. His work has appeared in Classic Gamer Magazine and others.
lifewire's editorial guidelines
Updated on April 22, 2020

While you can play Minecraft using a PC gaming controller, keyboard shortcuts make it easier to jump on top of things, sneak up on people, and perform other actions. Learn how to take full advantage of keyboard and mouse controls for Minecraft on PC.

Information in this article applies to all PC versions of Minecraft for Windows and Mac.

Minecraft
 Allinonemovie

Movement Controls for Minecraft on PC

The basic controls for Minecraft are similar to most other PC games that use a qwerty keyboard:

Key Action
W Move forward
A Sidestep left
S Move backward
D Sidestep right
Left or Right Shift Stack
Left Shift (Hold) Sneak
Left Control or W (Double-tap) Sprint
Space Bar Jump or swim

In Minecraft Creative game mode, tap the space bar twice to fly. While flying, press the space bar again to move higher up and press Shift to move down.

Minecraft PC controls visual guide for QWERTY keyboards
Gamepedia Minecraft Wiki 

Minecraft Mouse Controls

Most action commands are executed with the mouse.

Mouse Command Action
Move Mouse Look around
Left Mouse Button (click) Attack or use the item in your main hand
Left Mouse Button (hold) Break nearby blocks
Left Mouse Button (hold and drag) Split a stack evenly
Left Mouse Button (double-click) Sort loose items into a single stack
Right Mouse Button (click) Place a block, interact with objects
Right Mouse Button (hold and drag) Put one item from a stack in each inventory slot
Mouse Scroll Wheel (scroll) Switch items in the inventory toolbar, scroll through the quick-bar and chat when opened
Mouse Scroll Wheel (click) Switch to the block you're currently looking at, as long as it's in your inventory

If you're playing on a laptop with a track-pad, it may be easier to use an external gaming mouse.

Inventory Controls

A few simple keyboard shortcuts will let you view and control your inventory faster.

Key Action
E Open inventory
1-9 Select a hotbar item
F Swap the items between hands
Q Drop the item in your hand
Control + Q Drop a stack of items

Multiplayer Controls

If you're playing Minecraft with friends, these controls can help you stay connected.

Key Action
T Open the chat menu
Tab List all players
/ Open the chat window

Minecraft Shift Commands

Using the Shift key with the mouse buttons or other keys has different effects depending on the situation:

Key Context Action
Shift + Left Click In the inventory screen Move items between your inventory and the hotbar
Shift + Left Click In front of an open container Move an item into your inventory
Shift + Left Click While crafting Craft the max possible number of an item
Shift + Up or Down In the multiplayer server selection menu Change the order of servers

Miscellaneous Controls

These controls don't fit into any of the categories above, but that doesn't mean they're not useful. Give them a try, you may find the make Minecraft even more fun to play.

Key Action
L Open the Advancements screen
Escape Pause, open the Options menu
F1 Hide the heads-up display
F2 Take an in-game screenshot
F3 View the debug display to show the character's coordinates and other information
F4 Disable shaders
F5 Toggle between first-person (default) and third-person perspective
F6 Toggle stream on/off
F7 Pause stream
F8 Improve mouse sensitivity
F11 Switch between full-screen and windowed displays
Control + B Toggle the narrator on/off
C + # Save the current toolbar to the specified number
X + # Load the specified tool bar

You can change the controls for Minecraft in the Options menu.

Was this page helpful?