How to Use Xaero's Minimap and World Map

To use Xaero's Minimap, install the build for your loader and Minecraft release, launch the game, then press `B` to drop a waypoint and `M` to open the world map (the map key belongs to the separate World Map mod). Both mods are Java Edition only and a Java mod never runs on Bedrock. They are mostly client-side, and installing them on the server is optional.

What Xaero's Minimap and World Map do

Xaero's Minimap shows nearby terrain, players, mobs and items in a corner of your screen. It keeps a vanilla look, offers a square or circle shape, and has an automatic cave mode for underground play. It also handles waypoints, which appear both on the minimap and in the world.

Xaero's World Map is a separate mod that adds a self-writing full-screen map of what you have explored. It works in singleplayer, multiplayer and on Realms. The two are split so the minimap stays light. When both are installed, the minimap uses the map textures the world map generates instead of making its own, which improves performance.

Install Xaero's Minimap and World Map on Fabric, Forge, and NeoForge

A Java mod runs only with the loader it was made for, installed for the same Minecraft release. If you are unsure which loader to pick, read Fabric vs Forge vs NeoForge. Current ranges for Xaero's Minimap are below.

• Fabric: 1.16.2 to 26.3. The newest build requires Fabric API.
• Forge: 1.7.10 to 26.3. The newest build requires nothing else. Older Forge builds for 1.12.2 to 1.16.5 require XaeroLib.
• NeoForge: 1.20.2 to 26.3. The newest build requires nothing else.
• Quilt: 1.16.2 to 26.3, using the Fabric build, so Fabric API is required.

World Map has its own ranges. Fabric runs 1.16.2 to 26.3 and its newest build requires Fabric API. Forge and NeoForge each run 1.7.10 to 26.3, and the newest build of each requires nothing else. Quilt uses the Fabric build, 1.16.2 to 26.3. Older builds have different requirements. Open Parties and Claims is optional for both mods.

1. 1.Install your loader for the right release. See How to Install Fabric on Minecraft Java or How to Install Forge and NeoForge.
2. 2.Put the mod's `.jar` file, and the `.jar` of every required dependency, in the `mods` folder inside `.minecraft` (the default game directory).
3. 3.Repeat for World Map if you want the full-screen map. Use the same loader and release as the minimap.
4. 4.Launch the game with the loader's profile. The general steps are in How to Install Minecraft Mods on Java Edition.

Set up and use waypoints

1. 1.Stand where you want the marker and press `B` to create a new waypoint.
2. 2.The waypoint is displayed on the minimap and rendered in the game world.
3. 3.Press `U` to list all waypoints. There you can add, edit, sort and hide waypoints, or view those from other sub-worlds and dimensions.

Waypoints come in local and global kinds. Local ones are affected by the Max WP Draw Distance setting, so you can clear clutter without deleting anything. You can teleport to a waypoint, but only if you have permission for the teleport chat command.

Change the minimap settings

Every key binding lives in the vanilla controls menu. Press `Z` (the default) to enlarge the minimap temporarily. Further settings cover how it behaves when enlarged, such as centering it or fully zooming out.

• Change Position moves the minimap anywhere on screen, even by 1 pixel. Useful next to other UI mods.
• Size and zoom have several options, including an automatic size.
• Shape is square or circle. Lock north stops rotation and shows your direction as an arrow.
• Block colors have two modes: Vanilla (vanilla map colors) and Accurate (block textures and biomes). Biome colors for Vanilla are a separate setting.
• Terrain Depth and Terrain Slopes control map shading.
• Cave mode activates on its own underground and inside buildings. Set the solid roof size to 3x3 or above so standing under logs while chopping wood does not trigger it.
• Entities show as dots in a custom color or as icons, usually heads.

Open and use the world map

Press `M` to open the map screen. Drag with the mouse and zoom with the mouse wheel, like Google Maps. A tooltip lists the controls, and you can rebind many of them. Waypoints from the minimap appear here, and you can create, edit and teleport to them without leaving the screen.

Since World Map 1.14.0, an icon in the bottom right corner opens a waypoint menu. It filters by name, toggles disabled waypoints and switches waypoint sets. Footsteps show your recent path, the Nether and other cave dimensions are supported, and you can export the map as a PNG (it may fail on maps millions of blocks long).

Servers that disable minimap features

Server owners can restrict both mods, so a missing feature is often a rule and not a bug. Both mods have server-side configs with an in-game screen, which can be tied to ranks and permissions through FTB Ranks, Odyssey Roles, LuckPerms and general permission APIs. See How to Use LuckPerms for the permission side. The minimap also has two mod editions, full and fair-play, the latter designed for fair PVP.

• Potion effects switch features off. `xaerominimap:no_minimap`, `xaerominimap:no_entity_radar`, `xaerominimap:no_waypoints` and `xaerominimap:no_cave_maps` cover the minimap, and `xaeroworldmap:no_world_map` covers the world map.
• An item binding can hide the map unless you hold a specific item. For example, `minimapItemId:minecraft:compass` in the config requires a compass in your hotbar or equipped.

Some servers also set their own rules. Hypixel's SkyBlock wiki, for example, says the minimap is not whitelisted there and advises using only waypoints. Check a server's rules before you join.

Fix the map key not working

1. 1.Confirm World Map is installed. The `M` key belongs to it, and the minimap alone does not open a full-screen map.
2. 2.Check the vanilla controls menu, where all the Xaero key bindings are listed, and confirm `M`, `B`, `U` and `Z` are still bound.
3. 3.Match the loader and Minecraft release for both mods, and add any required dependency such as Fabric API.
4. 4.On a server, look for a disabling potion effect or an item requirement like the compass binding above.

Frequently asked questions

Does Xaero's Minimap work on Bedrock?

No. Xaero's Minimap and World Map are Java Edition mods, and Bedrock cannot load mods. On Java you install them through Fabric, Forge, NeoForge or Quilt, using the build made for your loader and Minecraft release.

Do I need World Map to use Xaero's Minimap?

No. The minimap works alone, including waypoints and cave mode. World Map is a separate mod that adds the full-screen map on `M`. Installing both is better, because the minimap then reuses the map textures the world map generates, which improves performance.

Do I need to install Xaero's Minimap on the server?

No. Both mods are mostly client-side and required only on the player's side. Installing them on the server is optional and adds features such as world identification and the server-side configs that control what players can use. Read more in how client-side and server-side mods differ.

How do I teleport to a Xaero's waypoint?

Open the waypoint list with `U`, or the world map with `M`, and choose the waypoint you want. Teleporting works only if you have permission to use the teleport chat command. On a server without that permission, the waypoint still works as a marker you can navigate to on foot.