How do you change skins in Minecraft? There are a lot of cool skins out there, allowing you to roam this popular open-world crafting game looking like anyone you fancy, Spider-Man? There are skins for that. Master Chief? Reporting in. The sky’s the limit, and you don’t even need any Minecraft mods to get it to work.
First thing’s first, you need to know what version of Minecraft you’re playing on. The differences between Minecraft Java and Bedrock are subtle, but can be quite profound on how you change skins in one of these. The new unified Minecraft launcher makes changing skins with Minecraft Java a lot easier, but for Minecraft Bedrock skins things are a little different, especially if you’re not playing on PC.
You also need to find something to kit out your avatar in the first place. Check out our favourite Minecraft skins to see our top picks of favourite skins, as well as download links as to where to grab the PNG files. You can also try creating your own, if you’re feeling brave. Here’s everything you need to know about changing skins in Minecraft.
How to change skins in Minecraft
To change your skin in Minecraft Java Edition, follow these steps:
- Open the launcher
- Select Minecraft Java Edition
- At the top of the centre section, select ‘skins’
- Either choose a skin already in your library, or click ‘add skin’
- If adding a new skin, you can name it in the text field, and then upload the .PNG file from your computer
- Click ‘Save & Use’ if you want to use it right away, otherwise ‘Save’ will just add it to your library
You can also go on the official Minecraft website and go to the main menu > profile > and then upload a PNG file there.
How to change skins in Minecraft Bedrock
Minecraft Bedrock edition handles the concept of skins differently to the Java edition. On PC it’s still possible to to import PNG files you find online, but there’s also a pretty powerful character editor as well.
To import a skin into Minecraft Bedrock, follow these steps:
- From the launcher, launch Minecraft Bedrock Edition
- Click ‘Profile’ from the main menu
- Choose which skin you want to change, and select ‘Edit Character’
- Go to the second tab on the left-hand side, and click ‘Owned’
- If you have any already imported, you can select them here, otherwise click ‘Import’
- Upload the PNG file like you would for the Java edition
If you’re on console or mobile, you’re stuck with the Bedrock Edition’s character creator. On the bright side, it’s technically more flexible than what you get by simply uploading a skin file as it lets you customise individual elements of your avatar. The issue is many of the better options need to be purchased, or unlocked via achievements.
Related: Check out these great Minecraft builds
Now you know how to change skins in Minecraft, no matter which edition you’re using. Why not take your new well-dressed avatar for a roam online in some great Minecraft servers, or solo by exploring some of the best Minecraft seeds?