advance_time
booleanJava 26.2 & Bedrock 26.32Controls whether the sun and moon move through the sky. When false, time is frozen at whatever value it was when the rule was applied. Use /time set to control the frozen time.
Enable advance_time
Time progresses normally — day and night cycle at the standard rate.
Java
/gamerule advance_time trueBedrock
/gamerule dodaylightcycle trueBedrock uses dodaylightcycle (all-lowercase, no separators).
Disable advance_time
Time is frozen. The sky stays locked at the current time.
Java
/gamerule advance_time falseBedrock
/gamerule dodaylightcycle falseDefault: true. Restore with /gamerule advance_time true
What advance_time does
Controls whether the sun and moon move through the sky. When false, time is frozen at whatever value it was when the rule was applied. Use /time set to control the frozen time.
Frequently asked questions
- How do I freeze time at daytime?
- First set the time: /time set day. Then freeze it: /gamerule advance_time false.
- What happened to doDaylightCycle?
- In snapshot 25w44a it was renamed to advance_time on Java. Bedrock still uses /gamerule dodaylightcycle false (all lowercase).
- Does stopping the daylight cycle prevent hostile mob spawning?
- Not directly — mob spawning depends on block light level. Freezing at night still allows spawning; freeze at day to prevent it.