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Spectator mode is one of several Game modes, which allows the player to fly around and observe the world without interacting with it in any possible way. Spectator mode can be enabled by using the command /gamemode spectator or after player's death in Hardcore mode on a multiplayer game or server. In the Java Edition of Minecraft, as of update 1.12, it is also accessible by holding F3 (default) and N. This is only possible in Creative mode and with cheats enabled. However, this is not yet available on Bedrock Edition, but it is only available on Java and Legacy Console Editions.

Usage[]

In spectator mode, players are invisible, can fly, go through blocks and entities alike, and view all entities, including other players.

Invisibility[]

Spectators are completely invisible, except for other players who are also in spectator mode. They are not detected by mobs, do not trigger mob spawning (including from spawners), nor do they prevent mob despawn. Spectators who are affected by the "Glowing" status effect will still be visible in spectator mode by other players, but not by mobs.

Seeing Invisible Entities[]

Spectators can see other spectators and invisible mobs, as well as themselves by pressing F5 (default). Spectators appear as a translucent, disembodied head, and the selected item from the hotbar is also visible. Invisible mobs appear translucent, like when viewing an invisible ally with /scoreboard teams option <team> seeFriendlyInvisibles set to "true".

Highlighting Players[]

Spectators can use the "Highlight Players (Spectator)" control if changed from the default (nothing). This will allow the spectator to see other players as if they have the "Glowing" status effect and if let go, the effect will disappear. Like with the status effect, the color of the outline is affected by a player's scoreboard team.

No Clip[]

Spectators can freely move through any blockentity, or player. When their head is inside a block, they can see through all blocks. They cannot take damage, as all attacks will pass right through them. Ill effects such as being set on fire, drowning, or suffocation also do not affect them. However, it is still possible for them to take damage from the Void or the /kill  chat command. 

Flight[]

Spectators are always flying. They cannot stop flying by landing, as a player will just go through the blocks. The mouse scroll wheel (in the PC version) and the Sprint key affect the flying speed, but slowness and swiftness status effects do not. The maximum speed that can be achieved is 43.556 m/s or 87.111 m/s while sprinting.

User Interface[]

If a player opens their inventory while in spectator mode, they cannot interact with, or use any of the items in it. Likewise, viewing GUIs is possible, but it is not possible to interact with them. If a container uses a loot table to generate its contents, but the loot has not yet been generated, a player in the spectator mode cannot open the container to view its contents. Items in the world also cannot be picked up.

Mob view[]

A spectator can left-click on an entity, to view the world through its eyes. Their position is locked to that of the entity, and their POV moves in accordance with the entity. Viewing oneself while spectating from an entity's point-of-view using F5 (default) shows the entity. Pressing the dismount key (⇧ Shift by default) returns a player to flying mode.

Certain mobs also apply a shader while looking from their point-of-view. This filters how the world is portrayed to the spectator. Similar to the Super Secret Settings, if one presses F4 (default), it removes the filter without dismounting the mob. Below is a table of mobs that have a filter:

Entity Filter
Creeper Green pixelated, tinted vision
Enderman Negative colors
Spider Quintuple vision, slight blurring, high FOV
Cave Spider Same as the spider, with the screen tinted red as well

Teleportation[]

In spectator mode while playing on a server, pressing a number on the keyboard will teleport to a specific player on that server by pressing 1, or to a team member by pressing 2.

History[]

Official release
1.8 January 27, 2014 Dinnerbone tweeted about trying out spectator mode.
14w05a Spectator mode added.
14w06a Added hotkey for player outlines.
14w18a Spectator presence no longer prevents mob despawning.
14w19a The inventory hotbar is replaced with a commands window including the ability to teleport to other players or teams.
14w20a Adjusting the fly speed of spectator mode now works vertically.
1.8.2 1.8.2-pre1 Hostile mobs no longer follow/attack spectators.
1.9 15w51a A spectator is no longer able to open a chest where the loot has not been generated yet.
1.13 17w45a Prior to the flattening, you can use /gamemode 3 and /gamemode sp to toggle spectator mode. That's now removed.

Trivia[]

  • Wearing a pumpkin still inhibits vision, even whilst spectating a mob.
  • Spectator mode allows for viewing the perspective of an ender crystal, a primed TNT block, and any variety of minecart. Likewise, spectator mode allows taking the point of view of any stationary entity (such as paintings and armor stands).
  • If an entity falls out of the world, any spectators taking its perspective will die with it since they are still separate entities and take void damage.
  • All mobs' perspectives can be viewed with the exception of the ender dragon.
  • Mobs without AI cannot be spectated.
  • Getting killed while on mob view makes a player respawn with the same shader view.
  • Commands (including player selectors) can still target spectators, for example: /kill@e.

Video[]

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