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How to Install Texture Packs in Minecraft (Java, Bedrock)

October 1, 2026Ssomar Team
texture-packsresource-packguide2026

To install texture packs in Minecraft Java Edition, open Options, then Resource Packs, then Open Pack Folder, and drop the pack's .zip file in without unzipping it. Back in the game, move the pack from the available list to the selected list, then click Done. On Bedrock Edition, open the .mcpack file and activate it under Settings, Global Resources. On a server, you set a download link in server.properties instead.

This guide covers all three cases in one place, and ends with a checklist for when the pack does not show up. Looking for packs to install? See our list of the best Minecraft texture packs.

Installing a texture pack on Minecraft Java Edition

Texture packs and resource packs are the same thing in Java Edition. The game folder is called .minecraft, and packs live in its resourcepacks subfolder.

Where the resourcepacks folder is

SystemPath
Windows%APPDATA%\.minecraft\resourcepacks
macOS~/Library/Application Support/minecraft/resourcepacks
Linux~/.minecraft/resourcepacks

You rarely need to type these. The in-game button opens the right folder for you.

Step by step

  1. Download the pack. Keep it as a .zip file.
  2. Launch Minecraft, then open Options and Resource Packs.
  3. Click Open Pack Folder.
  4. Copy the .zip into the folder that opens. Do not unzip it: a resource pack can be a zip or a folder, and the zip works as is.
  5. Back in the game, your pack appears in the available list. Move it to the selected list.
  6. Click Done. The game reloads the textures.

The wiki also notes that you can drag and drop a pack onto the resource pack screen.

Pack order: the highest pack wins

If you select several packs, the order matters. The bottom-most pack loads first, and each pack above it replaces or merges the assets it contains. So the pack at the top of the selected list wins any conflict. Put your main texture pack low and small add-ons (a custom GUI, a sword model) above it.

Version warnings

Each pack declares a format number in pack.mcmeta. If it does not match your Minecraft version, the game shows an error or warning on that pack. Download the version made for your game version, or read our guide on how to make a Minecraft texture pack to update the format number yourself.

Installing a texture pack on Minecraft Bedrock Edition

Bedrock packs come as .mcpack (one pack) or .mcaddon (several packs bundled together). Both open with Minecraft.

  1. Download the .mcpack or .mcaddon file.
  2. Open it. On Windows, double-clicking is enough. On mobile, open it from your downloads and choose Minecraft. Minecraft imports the pack automatically.
  3. From the main screen, open Settings, then Global Resources.
  4. Find your pack in My Packs and activate it, so it moves to the Active list.

Menu names can vary slightly between Bedrock versions, so if you do not see Global Resources, look for the resource packs section of Settings. Packs can also be enabled from a world's own settings. Consoles do not let you open files the same way, so check the pack's page for how it is distributed on your platform.

Adding a texture pack to a Minecraft server (Java)

A server does not read your local resourcepacks folder. It sends players a download link, and their game fetches the pack when they join. Everything is configured in server.properties.

resource-pack=https://example.com/packs/my-pack.zip
resource-pack-sha1=0123456789abcdef0123456789abcdef01234567
require-resource-pack=true
resource-pack-prompt=Please accept the server pack to see custom items.
resource-pack-id=00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000

What each key does, according to the Minecraft Wiki:

  • resource-pack: the download URL. Players may choose to download it when joining. The wiki lists a size limit of 250 MiB since Java Edition 1.18.
  • resource-pack-sha1: an optional SHA-1 digest of the pack in lowercase hexadecimal. It is recommended, because it lets the client verify the file.
  • require-resource-pack: if true, players who decline the pack are disconnected. Added in Java Edition 1.17.
  • resource-pack-prompt: a custom message on the prompt screen. Added in Java Edition 1.17.
  • resource-pack-id: an optional UUID that identifies the pack to clients. Added in Java Edition 1.20.3.

Host the pack on a direct link

The URL must lead straight to the file. A share page from a cloud drive, with a preview and a download button, will not work. Test the link in a browser: the download should start immediately.

Calculate the SHA-1

# Linux and macOS
sha1sum my-pack.zip

# Windows (Command Prompt or PowerShell)
certutil -hashfile my-pack.zip SHA1

Paste the result in lowercase. Every time you change the pack, recompute the hash and update the line, and ideally change the file name or URL too, so clients do not keep an old cached copy.

Let a plugin host the pack

If you use ExecutableItems, you may not need any of this by hand. On a 1.20.5 or later server, ExecutableItems can send a resource pack to players itself: enable enableTexturesPack and set texturesPackUrl in its general configuration. For textured custom items, see the ExecutableItems custom textures guide.

Texture pack not working?

Check these causes in order. They cover most failed installs.

  1. Zip inside a zip, or an extra folder. Open the pack. pack.mcmeta must be at the root. If you see a single folder with everything inside, the game cannot read it. Re-zip the contents, not the folder.
  2. pack.mcmeta missing or misplaced. It is the only mandatory file of a resource pack, and it must be in the root.
  3. Wrong folder. Use Open Pack Folder instead of guessing the path. Launchers with separate profiles can use a different game directory.
  4. Pack made for another version. The format number in pack.mcmeta does not match your game. Get the matching download.
  5. The pack needs a mod. Some packs with connected textures or custom item effects were built for a client mod and look plain without it. Check the pack's page.
  6. Pack in the wrong order. Another pack above it overrides its textures. Move it up.
  7. Server: the link is not direct. The client downloads a web page instead of the zip.
  8. Server: wrong SHA-1. The hash does not match the current file, often because the pack was updated and the line was not.
  9. Server: stale cache. Clients can reuse a previously downloaded pack. Change the file name or URL when you update it.

For packs sold with a licence for your own servers, browse our Minecraft texture packs for servers.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is the resource packs folder in Minecraft? In Java Edition it is the resourcepacks folder inside your .minecraft directory: %APPDATA%.minecraft\resourcepacks on Windows, ~/Library/Application Support/minecraft/resourcepacks on macOS, and ~/.minecraft/resourcepacks on Linux. The fastest way to reach it is Options, Resource Packs, then Open Pack Folder, which opens the right directory even with a custom launcher profile.

Why is my texture pack not showing up? Most often the pack is in the wrong folder, or it is a zip inside another zip, so pack.mcmeta is not at the root of the pack. Open the zip: pack.mcmeta must be visible immediately, not inside an extra folder. Also check that the pack was made for your Minecraft version.

Do I need to unzip a texture pack? No. In Java Edition a resource pack can be a .zip file or a folder, and a zip works as is. Leave it zipped in the resourcepacks folder. Only unzip it to inspect or edit the files, and make sure that pack.mcmeta ends up at the root, not one folder deeper.

How do I add a texture pack to a Minecraft server? Upload the pack to a direct download link, then put that link in the resource-pack line of server.properties. Add the pack's SHA-1 in resource-pack-sha1, optionally set require-resource-pack to true, and restart the server. Players are then offered the pack when they join.

How do I install a .mcpack file? On Bedrock Edition, open the .mcpack file with Minecraft and it imports automatically into the game's resource packs. Then go to Settings, Global Resources, and move the pack from My Packs to the Active list. Create or open a world to see the textures applied.

Where do I download texture packs? Take them from the creator's own page or a trusted site, and check the supported Minecraft version before installing. Our list of the best Minecraft texture packs is a good start.

Can I install a texture pack in the middle of a game? Yes in Java Edition. Changing packs in the Resource Packs screen reloads the textures when you click Done.

Is a texture pack the same as a resource pack? In Java Edition, yes. Resource pack is the official name, and texture pack is the older name that players still use.

Sources