Searching how to add mods to Minecraft Bedrock almost always means one thing: installing add-ons. Java mods cannot be loaded on Bedrock at all, and Bedrock add-ons cannot be loaded on Java. An add-on arrives as a .mcpack or .mcaddon file that imports when you open it with Minecraft. See Java vs Bedrock if you are not sure which edition you are running. This guide covers getting that file onto Windows, Android, and iOS, then turning the pack on for a world. Console works differently and has its own guide, linked further down.
Minecraft Bedrock behavior packs and resource packs
Add-ons are switched on per world as behavior packs and resource packs. A behavior pack changes how the game plays, mob stats, loot tables, crafting recipes, or entirely new mechanics through the scripting API. A resource pack changes what the game looks and sounds like, textures, models, sounds, and UI.
Bedrock groups both under Add-Ons in the world settings, with separate Behavior Packs and Resource Packs tabs so each half can be seen, ordered, and turned on separately. If you only want new textures and no new mechanics, installing texture packs on Minecraft PE covers the resource-pack-only version of these same steps.
Where to find an add-on
Start with a page dedicated to the add-on itself, like an MCPEDL listing or a CurseForge Bedrock addon page, rather than a generic download aggregator. Both name the creator and list the Minecraft Bedrock versions the pack targets, which a plain download link usually does not. Browse our own list of Bedrock add-ons, including Better Foliage and Better Backpacks, to see what a finished add-on page looks like before you go looking elsewhere.
How to install mods on Minecraft Bedrock PC
On Windows, most .mcpack and .mcaddon downloads import with one click. Manual copying is the fallback for a file that will not open, or for organizing packs by hand.
Open the file directly
- 1.Download the .mcpack or .mcaddon file from the add-on's page.
- 2.If the file downloaded as a .zip, rename the extension to .mcpack or .mcaddon before opening it.
- 3.Double-click the file. Minecraft launches and shows an import notification.
- 4.Open a world's settings and check the Behavior Packs or Resource Packs tab to confirm the pack imported.
Copy the pack in manually
The manual route drops the pack straight into Minecraft's data folder. Press Win+R, paste %appdata%\Minecraft Bedrock\users\shared\games\com.mojang into the Run box, and press enter. The Minecraft mods folder guide covers this same folder across every install type.
- 1.Extract the .mcpack or .mcaddon, both are zip archives, into a folder.
- 2.Move a behavior pack folder into behavior_packs, and a resource pack folder into resource_packs.
- 3.Restart Minecraft so it picks up the new folders.
How to install add-ons on Minecraft PE, Android and iOS
Android
Download the .mcpack or .mcaddon file, then open it from your device's file manager or notification shade. Tap the file and choose to open it with Minecraft, and the game launches and confirms the import the same way it does on Windows.
iOS
iOS handles the file the same way in principle: tap it and open it with Minecraft.
Turning an add-on on for your world
Importing a pack only makes it available. Nothing changes in a world until you turn it on there.
- 1.Create a new world, or open an existing one's settings.
- 2.Open the Resource Packs tab and move the pack from My Packs to Active.
- 3.Open the Behavior Packs tab and do the same for the matching behavior pack.
- 4.Check the add-on's page for a required Experimental toggle, such as Beta APIs or Custom Biomes, and turn it on under Experiments if listed.
- 5.Save and load the world.
Add-ons on console
Xbox has a manual workaround, described in a community wiki tutorial that Mojang does not support. You install an older Minecraft, copy the packs into the com.mojang folders with the Explorer file app, then update Minecraft and enable the packs in settings. It is fiddly. See how to get Minecraft add-ons on Nintendo Switch, Xbox, and PlayStation for the full walkthrough.
If an add-on will not activate
A pack that imports but never shows up as active is almost always a missing dependency, a skipped Experimental toggle, or a resource pack applied without its matching behavior pack. See fix add-ons not working in Minecraft Bedrock for the full troubleshooting steps.
Frequently asked questions
Are Bedrock add-ons the same as mods?
No. Java mods need a loader such as Fabric, Forge, NeoForge or Quilt, and they run only on Java. Add-ons are a separate format that only Bedrock loads, so the two are not interchangeable. A file made for one edition will not work on the other.
Can I install Java mods on Bedrock?
No. A Java mod needs a loader such as Fabric, Forge, NeoForge or Quilt, and Bedrock cannot load it. Bedrock add-ons are a separate format that Java cannot load either. If you want Java-style features on Bedrock, look for an add-on that recreates them, such as Raiyon's Java Combat, which brings Java-style combat to Bedrock.
Why does my add-on say it needs experimental features?
Some add-ons use capabilities Mojang has not finished testing, like Beta APIs, custom biomes, or newer creator camera features, so those stay behind an Experimental toggle in a world's settings. Turn on the exact toggle the add-on's page names, for a new world or an existing one, before its behavior pack will do anything. Worlds with experiments on cannot be uploaded to Minecraft Realms, and any custom behavior pack disables achievements for that world regardless.
Can I use the same add-on on Windows, Android, and iOS?
Yes for Windows and for phones and tablets. The same .mcpack or .mcaddon file imports when you open it with Minecraft, by double-click on Windows or Open with Minecraft on a phone or tablet. Add-ons are Bedrock only, so Java cannot load them. Xbox needs the manual workaround described above.
