Can you activate a beacon without a pyramid?

A beacon will only activate when placed on a pyramid . To build this pyramid, you'll need iron, gold, emerald, diamond, or netherite blocks. You can use just one or all of these four resources together when building your pyramid — however, you'll need a lot of them.

How many blocks of iron for a full beacon?

You need 164 iron blocks which is 1,476 ingots.

Why won't my beacon work?

In order to function, a beacon has to have an unobstructed view of the Minecraft sky . This means that not a single block—other than clear ones—can be above it. Even if it is 100 blocks above the beacon, this item won't work.

What blocks can power a beacon?

Beacons require an unobstructed view of the sky. Transparent blocks (glass, water, etc.) and bedrock (the nether ceiling) are allowed. The beacon is on top of a pyramid constructed from iron blocks, gold blocks, emerald blocks, diamond blocks, and/or netherite blocks.

Do you need silk touch to mine a beacon?

A beacon can be mined successfully by hand or with any tool .

What are the requirements for a beacon?

Beacons require an unobstructed view of the sky . Transparent blocks (glass, water, etc.) and bedrock (the nether ceiling) are allowed. The beacon is on top of a pyramid constructed from iron blocks, gold blocks, emerald blocks, diamond blocks, and/or netherite blocks.

What blocks can activate a beacon?

To activate the beacon you're going to need to build a Pyramid, and the higher you build it the more powers you'll be able to have within a certain radius. Pyramids can only be made of ore blocks, so you can use Iron, Gold, Emeralds, Diamonds, or Netherite blocks to make it.

How to make a Beacon in Minecraft (2024)

This Minecraft tutorial explains how to craft a beacon with screenshots and step-by-step instructions.

In Minecraft, beacons are one of the many mechanisms that you can make. A beacon can give you status effects such as Haste, Regeneration, Resistance, Speed or Strength.

Let's explore how to make a beacon.

Supported Platforms

A beacon is available in the following versions of Minecraft:

Platform	Supported (Version*)
Java Edition (PC/Mac)	Yes (1.4.2)
Pocket Edition (PE)	Yes (0.16.0)
Xbox 360	Yes (TU19)
Xbox One	Yes (CU7)
PS3	Yes (1.12)
PS4	Yes (1.12)
Wii U	Yes
Nintendo Switch	Yes
Windows 10 Edition	Yes (0.16.0)
Education Edition	Yes (1.0)

* The version that it was added or removed, if applicable.
NOTE: Pocket Edition (PE), Xbox One, PS4, Nintendo Switch, and Windows 10 Edition are now called Bedrock Edition. We will continue to show them individually for version history.

Where to find a Beacon in Creative Mode

Java
PE
Xbox
PS
Nintendo
Win10
Edu

Minecraft Java Edition (PC/Mac)

Here is where you can find a beacon in the Creative Inventory menu:

Platform	Version(s)	Creative Menu Location
Java Edition (PC/Mac)	1.8 - 1.19	Miscellaneous
Java Edition (PC/Mac)	1.19.3 - 1.21	Functional Blocks

Minecraft Pocket Edition (PE)

Here is where you can find a beacon in the Creative Inventory menu:

Platform	Version(s)	Creative Menu Location
Pocket Edition (PE)	0.16.0 - 1.1.3	Decorations
Pocket Edition (PE)	1.2 - 1.20.0	Items

Minecraft Xbox Editions

Here is where you can find a beacon in the Creative Inventory menu:

Platform	Version(s)	Creative Menu Location
Xbox 360	TU35 - TU69	Miscellaneous
Xbox One	CU23 - CU43	Miscellaneous
Xbox One	1.2.5 - 1.20.0	Items

Minecraft PS Editions

Here is where you can find a beacon in the Creative Inventory menu:

Platform	Version(s)	Creative Menu Location
PS3	1.26 - 1.76	Miscellaneous
PS4	1.26 - 1.91	Miscellaneous
PS4	1.14.0 - 1.20.0	Items

Minecraft Nintendo

Here is where you can find a beacon in the Creative Inventory menu:

Platform	Version(s)	Creative Menu Location
Wii U	Patch 3 - Patch 38	Miscellaneous
Nintendo Switch	1.04 - 1.11	Miscellaneous
Nintendo Switch	1.5.0 - 1.20.0	Items

Minecraft Windows 10 Edition

Here is where you can find a beacon in the Creative Inventory menu:

Platform	Version(s)	Creative Menu Location
Windows 10 Edition	0.16.0 - 1.1.3	Decorations
Windows 10 Edition	1.2 - 1.20.0	Items

Minecraft Education Edition

Here is where you can find a beacon in the Creative Inventory menu:

Platform	Version(s)	Creative Menu Location
Education Edition	1.0 - 1.0.18	Decorations
Education Edition	1.0.21 - 1.20.10	Items

Definitions

Platform is the platform that applies.
Version(s) is the Minecraft version numbers where the item can be found in the menu location listed (we have tested and confirmed this version number).
Creative Menu Location is the location of the item in the Creative Inventory menu.

Required Materials to make a Beacon

In Minecraft, these are the materials you can use to craft a beacon:

1 Nether Star3 Obsidian5 Glass

How to craft a Beacon in Survival Mode

1. Open the Crafting Menu

First, open your crafting table so that you have the 3x3 crafting grid that looks like this:

2. Add Items to make a Beacon

In the crafting menu, you should see a crafting area that is made up of a 3x3 crafting grid. To make a beacon, place 5 glass, 1 nether star, and 3 obsidian in the 3x3 crafting grid.

When making a beacon, it is important that the glass, nether star, and obsidian are placed in the exact pattern as the image below. In the first row, there should be 3 glass. In the second row, there should be 1 glass in the first box, 1 nether star in the second box, and 1 glass in the third box. In the third box, there should be 3 obisidian. This is the Minecraft crafting recipe for a beacon.

Now that you have filled the crafting area with the correct pattern, the beacon will appear in the box to the right.

3. Move the Beacon to Inventory

Once you have crafted a beacon, you need to move the new item to your inventory.

Congratulations, you have made a beacon in Minecraft!