How to install Minecraft Mods

Installing a Minecraft mod has never been easier. In the early version of Minecraft, modding the game required copying files directly into Minecraft’s own code, then adjusting a few more files so that the game wouldn’t be confused by the changes. Veteran readers would be familiar with the phrase “delete META-INF” and that’s for a good reason. Now, we don’t have to worry about any of that. All you have to do now is copy the mod file directly into the mod folder.

However, there’s a new problem with installing mods. With so many ways to play with mods, many more launchers have popped up, and each launcher handles files differently. What might work for one launcher might not work with another. So, how do you know how to install a mod?

Let’s go over some of the most popular launchers and how installation works for each one.

Curseforge Launcher

The launcher most modded players will be familiar with. This is the home to many of the most popular modpacks and one of the primary places mods are hosted on. Because of the availability of mods and modpacks, the Curseforge Launcher makes it easy to manage mods, directly interfacing with the website.

Now, there are multiple ways to install a mod using the Curseforge Launcher, that is through the launcher, or with manual installation. As the Curseforge launcher is connected to the website, we can easily add any mod we want.

If we want to install a mod through the launcher and add it to an existing modpack, we will want to make sure the modpack has content management enabled. With it turned off, certain ease-of-use features for modpacks will be disabled, but you can tweak the modpack to your liking. To enable content management, right-click the modpack of choice, click Profile Options, and click the checkbox to enable editing contents.

1. Right-click the profile and hit Profile Options. 2. Click on Allow content management for this profile to enable adding mods.

Now, we can add mods. We can do it two ways: browse for mods and add it to the profile, or by adding extra content to the profile. The fastest way is to click on the profile you would like to add a mod to, then click Add Content. This will show every mod that is compatible with the modpack. Alternatively, if there is one specific mod you want, click on the Browse tab and search for the mod. Click the Install button and we have a mod installed!

1. On the modpack overview, click on the Mods tab and click Add Content. If you are unable to see the Add Content, refer back to enabling content management. 2. Search for the mod you would like and click Install. If you are unable to find the mod, check for spelling errors, if the mod is on Curseforge, or if it is compatible with the game version.

That being said, a mod can be manually added, whether we already had the file downloaded or it was downloaded off another platform. We can do this by right-clicking on the profile of choice and selecting Open Folder. This will take us to a file browser of our profile, and there will be a folder called mods. Copy your desired mod into this folder, and that’s the installation complete! Do note that manual installation requires verifying that the mod does indeed work for this version of the game or mod loader. Otherwise, the mod will not load or cause a crash.

1. Right-click the profile and hit Open Folder. 2. Drag any mod files you have downloaded into the mods folder. Be warned that any mod that is not compatible with the game and loader will not load or will crash the game.

FTB App

The FTB App is an alternative first-party launcher that supports Curseforge modpacks. This launcher also provides support for modpacks exclusive from the FTB Team, increasing the availability of modpacks to a greater variety.

Installing a mod is fairly similar to how the Curseforge launcher handles it, though the steps can be a little different. Just like the Curseforge launcher, modpacks will be locked to a specific list, so to add a mod, it will need to be unlocked. Right-click on the instance and click Settings. Below the Instance Name, click on Unlock instance and this will open the modpack to further modification in the launcher.

1. Right-click on the instance and click Settings. 2. Under the instance name, click Unlock instance. You will receive a warning to confirm this action, click Confirm to accept and unlock the instance.

This time, there is a slight difference between the FTB and Curseforge launcher. Where the Curseforge launcher lets you search and add mods, FTB requires that you go into the modpack settings to add a mod. It is still just as easy, just click on the instance to see the instance overview, then click on the Mods tab. Next to the search bar, click the green plus (+) icon and search for the desired mod and click Install. Now, you have installed a new mod to the modpack!

1. Click on the instance and click the Mods tab. Click on the green plus icon to open the search menu. If this plus icon is not showing up, refer back to unlocking the instance. 2. Search for a mod and click the Install button. 3. Select a version or leave it to use the latest available version, then click Install.

We can also install a mod manually, but caution must be taken when doing it this way as we have to check if the mod is compatible. First, right-click the instance to add a mod to, hover over Open Folder, and click Mods. Newly-created instances may not have the Mods option yet, so if this is not available, click Instance folder. Now, we can copy the downloaded mod into the mods folder, and that is the mod installed!

1. Right-click the instance and hover over Open folder. Click on the Mods option to open the Mods folder. If the Mods option is not available, click Instance folder. 2. Copy the downloaded mods into the mods folder. Be warned that any mod that is not compatible with the game and loader will not load or will crash the game.

Technic Launcher

A classic launcher from the classic days of Minecraft modding. The biggest advantage of the Technic Launcher is that it is the primary way to play Technic modpacks, such as Tekkit and GregTech: New Horizons. Mods can also be added on top of a Technic modpack to further customise the experience.

Do note that the Technic Launcher does not currently have the option to create a blank template modpack. As such, this is best recommended for modifying an existing modpack.

Firstly, we will need to get a modpack installed. This is the easiest step because you can skip it once we have a modpack downloaded. If you have not yet, simply pick a modpack to get started.

Now, we can add a mod. Since adding a mod can’t be done through the launcher, we will have to make sure the file we downloaded is compatible with the modpack. First, we want to open the mods folder. Select the modpack you would like to edit, then in the top-right corner, click Modpack Options. Next to the Install Folder option, click Open and this will take you to the installation folder. Take the downloaded mod file and move it into the mods folder. Just like that, the mod is now installed to a Technic modpack!

1. On the Modpacks tab, click on the installed modpack and click Modpack Options. 2. Click the Open button to open the modpack folder. 3. Copy the downloaded mods into the mods folder.Be warned that any mod that is not compatible with the game and loader will not load or will crash the game.

MultiMC and Prism Launcher

MultiMC and Prism Launcher are both lightweight Minecraft launchers that allow for managing several instances of Minecraft in separate folders. It’s a quick and easy way to manage modpacks with only the basics. It’s a fan favourite for those that want to play modpacks but don’t want a specific launcher.

However, the biggest drawback for these two launchers is that they are “third-party”. This means access to certain mods and modpacks can be limited. Some mods and modpacks on Curseforge must require a manual download. That being said, these launchers are perfect for managing custom modpacks.

Both launchers permit importing a modpack or starting from scratch, so let’s start there. If we have our own modpack we want to customise, install that by using one of the modpack installation options. Alternatively, we can start new with a Vanilla or Custom installation. For Prism Launcher, we can install a mod loader from this page. Otherwise, we can install a mod loader afterwards by going to Edit, and under Version, click the option to install a loader.

1. Click on Add Instance to create a new instance. 2. Create a Custom instance or select a modpack from one of the available import/download options. Search for and select the necessary options for either method and click OK.

Once we have an instance installed, we can add mods to it. There are a few ways this can be done if you are using Prism, but they are generally the same. In both launchers, we will want to click Edit on the desired modpack, then click on the Mods tab. We can then copy the downloaded mod file and drag it into this window, copying the file into the instance’s folder. Alternatively, we can click View Folder and drag the mod file into the mods folder.

If you use the Prism Launcher, there’s another way to add a mod. On the same Mods tab, click Download mods and we can search and pick the mods we want. Do note that mods that disable third-party distribution will not be available, so if you can’t find the mod through the launcher, use the manual mod installation method.

1. Click on the instance and click Edit. 2. On the Mods tab, Click on Download mods to install a mod through the launcher. If this option is not available or a mod cannot be installed this way, download the mod manually and drag the file into the middle window or click View Folder to copy the mod into the mods folder.

Minecraft Launcher (the default launcher)

Maybe this is your first rodeo with mods and you’re not sure you’re ready to commit. That’s alright, because installing mods using the basic Minecraft launcher is possible. This launcher is best for lightweight modding when you just want to throw together a couple of mods. The main drawback is that this launcher isn’t designed with mods in mind, so installation can be a little tricky.

Before we can get started with adding mods, we need to install a mod loader. Many launchers have a way to install a mod loader from the launcher, but with the Minecraft Launcher, this is a manual process. Go to the Minecraft Forge, Fabric, or NeoForge websites and download the installer for the mod loader. Make sure to select the game version the mod is compatible with.

Run the installer that was downloaded and follow the instructions provided. Make sure to install the Client files, and if there is an option to pick a game version, select the desired version. It’s also recommended that the latest version of the mod loader should be installed. Run the installer, and that will create a new installation with the mod loader.

Back in the Minecraft Launcher, click on Minecraft: Java Edition and click on the Installations tab. We will want to make sure that the new mod loader we installed has an installation. If not, click New Installation and under the Version, scroll down until you find the installed mod loader. Click Install and that will make a new installation.

Click on the folder icon next to the Play button and this will open the installation files. Now, we can take the downloaded mod file and move it into the mods folder. If there is no mods folder, a new folder can be created. In the launcher again, click Play and you should now see the mod installed!

1. After installing the mod loader of choice, click Minecraft: Java Edition, then click the Installations tab. 2. Find the installed mod loader and click the folder icon to open the folder. 3. Copy the downloaded mods into the mods folder. You should make certain that the mod downloaded matches the game and loader of choice, otherwise it will crash or fail to load.

Where to from here?

Congratulations! If everything was all done correctly, you now have yourself a modded game, or found out how to customise a modpack. What do you do now? Well, the first thing you should do is play around with your newly-installed mods.