If you’re looking to see distant parts of your Minecraft world more clearly, you might be wondering how to craft telescope in minecraft. This handy item was added in the Caves & Cliffs update and is simpler to make than you might think. It lets you zoom in on faraway terrain, mobs, and builds. This guide will walk you through everything you need, from finding materials to using your new optic tool effectively.
How To Craft Telescope In Minecraft
Before you can start spying on creepers from a safe distance, you need to gather just two specific items. The recipe is straightforward, but one of the components requires a bit of exploration. You won’t find it in your starting area. Here’s what you’ll need to track down first.
Required Materials for the Telescope
You only need two items to make one telescope. Don’t let the simplicity fool you, though. The second material is the tricky part to obtain.
- 2 Amethyst Shards
- 1 Copper Ingot
Finding Amethyst Shards
Amethyst shards come from Amethyst Clusters, which grow inside Geodes. These are large, spherical structures that generate underground. You can find them in any Overworld biome, but they are often under the ocean or embedded in cave walls. Look for a shell of smooth basalt, then a layer of calcite, and finally the inner core of amethyst blocks.
You must mine the final, fully-grown Amethyst Cluster with a pickaxe (any kind will work) to get shards. Budding amethyst blocks are the source, but you cannot mine them; you must wait for the clusters to grow and then harvest them. Using a pickaxe with the Fortune enchantment will yield more shards per cluster.
Obtaining Copper Ingots
Copper is much more common. You can mine copper ore found in the Overworld, usually between heights Y=0 and Y=96. It’s most common around Y=48. When you mine copper ore, you’ll get raw copper. Smelt this raw copper in a furnace to get copper ingots. You can also sometimes find copper ingots in chests within shipwrecks or buried treasure.
The Crafting Recipe Step-by-Step
Once you have your materials, the crafting process is quick. You can use any crafting grid, but the 3×3 grid of a crafting table gives you the space you need.
- Open your crafting table menu to see the 3×3 grid.
- Place the Copper Ingot in the very center square of the grid.
- Take your two Amethyst Shards. Place one shard directly above the copper ingot, in the center of the top row.
- Place the second shard directly below the copper ingot, in the center of the bottom row.
- The telescope will appear in the result box to the right. Drag it into your inventory.
Remember, the pattern is vertical: shard, ingot, shard in a straight line down the middle column. If you place them horizontally, it won’t work. Now you’re ready to use it!
How to Use Your Telescope
Using the telescope is intuitive. First, make sure it’s in your hotbar. Select it so you’re holding it in your hand. Then, simply use the secondary action key (right-click on Java Edition, left trigger on consoles, or tap on mobile). Your screen will zoom in dramatically, and you’ll see a round vignette around the edges of your view.
While zoomed, you can look around smoothly. This is perfect for scouting a fortress from a hilltop or checking if that distant speck is a sheep or a skeleton. Release the use key to return to normal view. It’s a good idea to keep it in an easy-to-access slot when exploring unfamiliar areas.
Practical Uses in Your World
The telescope isn’t just a novelty. It has several practical applications that can help with survival, building, and exploration.
- Safe Mob Observation: Check out hostile mobs from outside their detection range. Identify what’s waiting for you in a dark cave entrance or on a mountain peak before you get close.
- Building and Terraforming: When working on large structures, use the telescope to get a close-up view of details from the ground. It helps you spot uneven lines or blocks that look out of place from a distance.
- Navigation and Scouting: Use it to locate landmarks, villages, pillager outposts, or other points of interest without having to travel blindly. You can also check the lay of the land to plan a safer route.
- Finding Nether Portals: In the Nether, visibility is poor. A telescope can help you spot a fortress balcony or a distant portal platform through the haze and lava glow.
Telescope vs. Spyglass vs. Optifine Zoom
It’s important to note that the item is officially called a “Spyglass” in the game’s inventory and menus. However, almost every player calls it a telescope, and the crafting recipe is named “how to craft telescope in minecraft” because that’s what people search for. They are the same item.
If you’ve used mods like Optifine, you might be familiar with its built-in zoom feature (usually activated by pressing C). The telescope is different. It’s a vanilla Minecraft item that requires resources to craft. The Optifine zoom is a mod feature that doesn’t require an item and often has a different field of view. The telescope’s view has a distinctive circular frame, while mod zooms usually don’t.
Tips, Tricks, and Limitations
To get the most out of your telescope, keep a few things in mind. First, it does not provide night vision or enhanced brightness. If you zoom into a dark area, it will still be dark. Consider carrying a potion of night vision for those situations.
Second, the zoom level is fixed. You can’t adjust it like a real telescope. It’s a set magnification. Also, you cannot use the telescope while holding a map or another item that uses the right-click action. You’ll need to switch to the telescope first.
A fun feature is that you can put the telescope in your off-hand slot. This doesn’t change how you use it, but it looks cool and keeps your main hand free for a tool or weapon. Remember, the telescope is not enchantable. You can’t put Curse of Vanishing on it or anything else, which is actually a good thing—you won’t lose it upon death.
Common Issues and Solutions
Sometimes players run into small problems when trying to make or use their telescope. Here are a few common ones.
- Recipe Didn’t Work: Double-check your crafting pattern. The amethyst shards must be placed in a vertical line with the copper ingot. A horizontal line makes something else.
- Can’t Find Amethyst: Geodes can be elusive. Try exploring large, open caves. Listen for a subtle, tinkling crystal sound, which amethyst blocks make. Using a boat to travel across oceans can also help you spot exposed geodes in sea cliffs.
- Zoom Seems Stuck: If your view remains zoomed in, you might be holding down the use key. Just release it. In very rare cases, a game glitch might occur; simply switching to another item and back or restarting the game will fix it.
FAQs About the Telescope
Can you craft a telescope in Minecraft without copper?
No, you cannot. The recipe specifically requires one Copper Ingot. There is no alternative recipe or substitute material. You must find and mine copper ore to proceed.
How do you make a spyglass in Minecraft?
Making a spyglass is exactly the same process described above. “Spyglass” is the official game name for the item commonly called a telescope. The crafting recipe uses 2 amethyst shards and 1 copper ingot arranged vertically.
What is the telescope crafting recipe in Minecraft?
The recipe is a vertical line of three items in a crafting table: Amethyst Shard in the top middle, Copper Ingot in the center, and Amethyst Shard in the bottom middle. This is the only way to craft it in survival mode.
Can you dye or customize a telescope?
No, you cannot dye, paint, or directly customize the telescope’s appearance. It always looks the same. However, you can rename it using an anvil if you want to give it a special name.
Does the telescope work in the End dimension?
Yes, the telescope works in all dimensions: the Overworld, the Nether, and the End. It can be very useful for observing the End islands from a distance before bridging across, helping you avoid dangerous gaps.
How do you use a telescope in Minecraft on different platforms?
The control varies by platform. On PC (Java Edition), you right-click. On consoles (PlayStation, Xbox, Switch), you press the left trigger (LT or L2). On mobile (Bedrock), you tap and hold on the screen while holding the spyglass. The control is always the “use item” button for your platform.
Enhancing Your Game with the Telescope
Adding a telescope to your toolkit changes how you interact with the world. It encourages careful planning and reduces suprises. For builders, it’s an essential tool for quality control on large projects. For explorers, it’s a safety device. And for everyone, it’s just fun to get a closer look at the beautiful, blocky vistas.
Since it’s so cheap to make once you find a geode, consider making a few. Keep one in your ender chest for emergencies, one at your main base, and one in your travel pack. You’ll never regret having it when you need to check if that movement in the forest is a friendly wolf or a hostile pack of wolves. The small investment of time to find amethyst is absolutly worth the utility the telescope provides.