Mojang Studios is testing a new Player Locator bar in Minecraft that promises to revolutionize multiplayer experiences by making it easier to find friends in your shared worlds. Currently available in Bedrock beta and preview versions, with Java snapshot support coming soon, this feature represents one of the major additions planned for Minecraft's 2025 game drops.
How The New Player Locator Bar Works
The Minecraft Player Locator bar appears in the same position as your XP bar and displays the location of other players in your world, even when they're behind blocks or otherwise out of your line of sight. Each player joining a multiplayer game receives a unique icon color for easy identification.
One particularly useful feature is the elevation indicator system. When players are significantly above or below your position, arrows will appear above or below their icon on the bar, helping you determine if you need to dig down or climb up to reach them.
Stealth Options For Privacy-Minded Players
For those who prefer to remain hidden in multiplayer sessions, Minecraft provides several ways to avoid appearing on the Player Locator bar:
- Sneaking will temporarily remove you from other players' locator bars
- Wearing a mob head or carved pumpkin makes you invisible to the locator (though at the cost of helmet protection)
- Invisibility potions will hide you from both sight and the locator bar
Additionally, the developers have implemented a "blind spot" mechanic — you won't appear on another player's locator bar when approaching them from behind, allowing for surprise visits (or ambushes).
How Does This Affect The XP Bar?
Since the Player Locator occupies the same screen space as your XP bar, Minecraft prioritizes XP display when you're actively earning experience. The Player Locator will temporarily disappear during these moments, ensuring you don't miss important progression information.
Availability And Implementation Details
The Player Locator bar is currently available for testing in Minecraft Bedrock beta and preview versions as of March 11, 2025. Java snapshot players can expect to see the feature added soon as part of the next major game drop scheduled for later in 2025.
Server administrators and world creators have the option to disable the Player Locator bar entirely. However, individual players cannot currently turn off the feature on their own. This may change based on community feedback during the testing phase.
What Other Features Are Coming In 2025?
The Player Locator bar represents just one component of Minecraft's planned updates for 2025. While Mojang hasn't revealed the full roadmap, this feature follows the first game drop of the year and suggests a continued focus on improving multiplayer experiences and quality-of-life features.
For players interested in testing the Player Locator bar firsthand, the feature is now available in the latest Bedrock beta and preview builds across supported platforms including PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, PC, iOS, Android, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch.