How to Enable Cheats in Minecraft

What are cheats in Minecraft?

"Cheats" is Minecraft's term for commands -- the slash-prefixed instructions you type into the chat window to change the game world. Commands let you give yourself items, change the time of day, toggle gamerules, teleport, summon mobs, and hundreds of other things.

By default, cheats are disabled in new worlds. This is intentional: enabling cheats disables achievements in Java Edition and certain trophies in Bedrock Edition. If you are playing for the experience and achievements don't matter, enabling cheats is simply a quality-of-life choice.

Java Edition: enable cheats when creating a new world

This is the easiest path. When you create a new world in Java Edition 26.2:

1. Click "Create New World" from the main menu. 2. On the "Game" tab, find the "Allow Cheats" toggle and switch it on. 3. Finish setting up your world and click "Create New World".

Cheats are now permanently enabled for this world. You will see a note on the world selection screen that achievements are disabled.

Java Edition: enable cheats in an existing world

If you forgot to turn cheats on when creating the world, you can enable them temporarily using the Open to LAN feature:

1. Load your world and press Escape to open the pause menu. 2. Click "Open to LAN". 3. Toggle "Allow Cheats" to On. 4. Click "Start LAN World".

Cheats are now active for this session. You will need to repeat these steps each time you load the world -- the setting resets on exit.

Bedrock Edition: enable cheats when creating a new world

On Bedrock Edition 26.32 (Windows, Xbox, PlayStation, Switch, iOS, Android):

1. Tap or click "Play" from the main menu. 2. Select "Create New World". 3. Under the "Game" settings tab, find "Activate Cheats" and toggle it on. 4. Confirm the achievement warning and finish creating the world.

Bedrock Edition: enable cheats in an existing world

Unlike Java Edition, Bedrock lets you enable cheats on an existing world at any time:

1. From the main menu, go to "Play" and find your world. 2. Tap the pencil (Edit) icon next to the world. 3. Under the "Game" tab, toggle "Activate Cheats" to On. 4. Confirm the achievement warning, back out, and load the world.

Cheats are now enabled permanently for that world.

Servers and Realms: using OP to run commands

On a multiplayer server, individual players are granted operator status (OP) rather than the world having cheats enabled globally. If you own the server, grant OP from the server console:

op PlayerName

From inside the game, an existing OP can run:

/op PlayerName

OP players can run all commands without the world needing cheats enabled. On a Realm, the owner is automatically OP and can grant others operator status from the Realm settings screen.

Running your first command

Once cheats are enabled, open the chat with T (Java) or the chat button on your platform (Bedrock), type a forward slash, and start typing a command. Autocomplete suggestions will appear.

For example, to switch to Creative mode, type:

/gamemode creative

Press Enter to run it. If you see a red error message, double-check that cheats are enabled and that the command syntax is correct -- Minecraft is case-sensitive for some arguments.