How to Install Datapacks, Add-ons & Resource Packs (Every Platform)

Installing community content is quick once you know where each edition expects the files to live. The instructions below cover the three common file types — Java datapacks (.zip), Java resource packs (.zip), and Bedrock add-ons (.mcpack / .mcaddon) — across desktop, mobile and console.

Java Edition: datapacks (per world)

• ▸Open the Minecraft Launcher, start Java Edition once, then quit.
• ▸Press Win+R (Windows) and type %appdata%\.minecraft, or on macOS open ~/Library/Application Support/minecraft. Open the 'saves' folder and then your world.
• ▸Inside the world folder, open 'datapacks' and drop the .zip in. Do not unzip it.
• ▸Re-enter the world or run /reload. Run /datapack list — your pack should appear in green.
• ▸Not showing up? It's almost always a pack_format mismatch — the pack targets a different game version. Update the pack or the game so the numbers line up.

Java Edition: resource packs (global)

• ▸From the same .minecraft folder, open 'resourcepacks' and drop the .zip in.
• ▸In game, go to Options → Resource Packs and move the pack from the left column to the right ('selected').
• ▸Order matters: packs higher in the list override those below them.

Bedrock Edition: add-ons (.mcpack / .mcaddon)

Bedrock makes this easy because the file extension is registered with the game. On Windows, Android and iOS, simply tap or double-click the .mcpack or .mcaddon and Minecraft opens and imports it automatically. A .mcaddon that contains both a behavior and a resource pack installs both in one step.

• ▸Windows 10/11: double-click the file; Minecraft launches and shows 'Importing'.
• ▸Android: open the file from your Files app or downloads; choose 'Open with Minecraft'.
• ▸iOS/iPadOS: tap the file in Files, then Share → 'Copy to Minecraft'.
• ▸Console (Xbox/PlayStation/Switch): you can't import local files directly — use the in-game Marketplace, or import on a Windows/mobile device signed in to the same Microsoft account and sync via a Realm.

Activating a Bedrock add-on in your world

Importing a pack does not switch it on — you still have to apply it to a world. Create or edit a world, open the Behavior Packs and/or Resource Packs tabs, and tap 'Activate' on your pack. If a behavior pack needs experimental features (many scripted ones do), enable the relevant toggle under the world's experiments section before you play.

Mobile QR & shareable links

Because moving files onto a phone is the fussiest part, good generators give you a direct download link and a QR code. Scanning the code opens the .mcpack straight in the mobile browser, which then hands it to Minecraft — skipping the cable-and-folder dance entirely. That's the fastest path to testing a pack on a phone.