Nether Portal (block)

Nether Portal

Renewable	Yes
Stackable	Yes (64) ‌ No ‌
Tool	None
Blast resistance	0
Hardness	-1
Luminous	Yes (11)
Transparent	Yes
Flammable	No
Catches fire from lava	No
Map color (Java)	0 NONE

{
    "title": "Nether Portal",
    "rows": [
        {
            "field": "Yes",
            "label": "(link to Renewable resource article, displayed as Renewable)"
        },
        {
            "field": "Yes (64) ‌<sup class=\"noprint nowrap Inline-Template \" title=\"\">[<i><span title=\"This statement only applies to Bedrock Edition\">(link to Bedrock Edition article, displayed as BE)  only</span></i>]</sup><br>No ‌<sup class=\"noprint nowrap Inline-Template \" title=\"\">[<i><span title=\"This statement only applies to Java Edition\">(link to Java Edition article, displayed as JE)  only</span></i>]</sup>",
            "label": "Stackable"
        },
        {
            "field": "None",
            "label": "Tool"
        },
        {
            "field": "0",
            "label": "(link to Explosion#Blast resistance article, displayed as Blast resistance)"
        },
        {
            "field": "-1",
            "label": "(link to Breaking#Blocks by hardness article, displayed as Hardness)"
        },
        {
            "field": "Yes (11)",
            "label": "(link to Light article, displayed as Luminous)"
        },
        {
            "field": "Yes",
            "label": "(link to Opacity article, displayed as Transparent)"
        },
        {
            "field": "No",
            "label": "(link to Flammable article, displayed as Flammable)"
        },
        {
            "field": "No",
            "label": "Catches fire from (link to lava article, displayed as lava)"
        },
        {
            "field": "<span style=\"display: inline-block; white-space: nowrap;\"><span style=\"display: inline-block; background-color:  rgb()\n; border: 1px solid #888; border-radius: 0.3em; width: 1em; height: 1em; vertical-align: -0.36em; margin-right: -0.1em\"><br></span>  0 NONE\n</span>",
            "label": "(link to Map color article, displayed as Map color) <small>((link to Java Edition article, displayed as Java))</small>"
        }
    ],
    "invimages": [
        "Nether Portal.gif"
    ],
    "images": [
        "Nether Portal (EW).gif",
        "Nether Portal (EW) BE.gif"
    ]
}

The nether portal block is the translucent part of the nether portal that teleports the player to and from the Nether.

Obtaining

The nether portal block cannot be obtained as an item even by using the /give command. The item form is completely nonexistent in Java Edition, but it can be obtained through add-ons, external editors or by using bugs in Bedrock Edition.

The nether portal block can be placed using commands such as /fill or /setblock and is generated when lighting a nether portal.

Usage

Nether portal blocks can stably exist only within a nether portal structure, unlike end portal blocks. When the block is updated and detects it is not part of such a structure, it is destroyed. However, using update suppression glitches, it is possible to obtain a standalone portal block without a frame, but the portal is destroyed once it receives an update, i.e. placing a block next to the portal or moving a piston next to or into the portal.

Nether portal blocks can be used to teleport entities between the Nether and the Overworld. When a player in the Overworld or the Nether stands in a nether portal block for 4 seconds, the player is taken to the other dimension. While in the nether portal block, the player can neither open their inventory nor interact with blocks with GUI. The player can step out of a portal before it completes its animation to abort the teleport. However, in Creative mode there is no wait time—the player immediately transfers between dimensions. If there is already an active portal within range (125 blocks) in the other world, the player appears in that portal. Otherwise, a portal is created at or near the corresponding coordinates. If a single portal block is placed using commands, it can still be used to travel to the Nether.

Nether portal blocks make distinctive sounds, and emit the same purple particles produced by endermen, endermites, and ender chests. Portal blocks emit a light level of 11, dimmer than a torch.

Falling block entities can be teleported through a portal, but a piston cannot push a block through.

Much like water or lava, portal blocks cannot be broken by tools except in Creative. However, portal blocks can be destroyed by explosions (even weak ones) and can be replaced by placing water or lava sources in the same block (can also be done by dispensers). If any portal block is destroyed, the whole portal is deactivated as adjacent portal blocks are updated and detect that the portal structure is no longer complete.

While nether portals themselves cannot be lit in the End, a portal block set in the End and in custom dimensions behave exactly like in the Overworld, calculating coordinates in the Nether with the same 1:8 ratio. They teleport players to the Nether in Java Edition, and to the Overworld in Bedrock Edition.

Piston interactivity

Nether portal blocks cannot be pushed by pistons. They also cannot be pushed or pulled by sticky pistons.

Sounds

Generic

Java Edition:

[hide] v t e glass sound type
Sound	Subtitles	Source	Description	Resource location	Translation key	Volume	Pitch	Attenuation distance
	​Block broken	Blocks	Once the block has broken	block.glass.break	subtitles.block.generic.break​	1.0	0.8	16
	​Block placed	Blocks	When the block is placed	block.glass.place	subtitles.block.generic.place​	1.0	0.8	16
	​Block breaking	Blocks	While the block is in the process of being broken	block.glass.hit	subtitles.block.generic.hit​	0.25	0.5	16
	​Something falls on a block	Entity-Dependent	Falling on the block with fall damage	block.glass.fall	subtitles.block.generic.fall​	0.5	0.75	16
	​Footsteps	Entity-Dependent	Walking on the block	block.glass.step	subtitles.block.generic.footsteps​	0.15	1.0	16

Bedrock Edition:

[hide] v t e glass sound type
Sound	Source	Description	Resource location	Volume	Pitch
	Blocks	Once the block has broken	random.glass	1.0	0.8-1.0
	Blocks	When the block is placed	dig.stone	1.0	0.8-1.0
	Blocks	While the block is in the process of being broken	hit.stone	0.4	0.6
	Players	Falling on the block with fall damage	fall.stone	0.4	1.0
	Players	Walking on the block	step.stone	0.3	1.0
	Blocks	Jumping from the block	jump.stone	0.12	1.0
	Blocks	Falling on the block without fall damage	land.stone	0.22	1.0

Unique

Java Edition

[hide]Sounds
Sound	Subtitles	Source	Description	Resource location	Translation key	Volume	Pitch	Attenuation distance
	​Portal whooshes	Blocks	Randomly	block.portal.ambient​​	subtitles.block.portal.ambient​​​	0.5	0.8-1.2	10
	​Portal noise fades	Ambient/Environment	After the player is teleported through a nether portal	block.portal.travel​​	subtitles.block.portal.travel​​​	0.25	0.8-1.2	16
	​Portal noise intensifies	Ambient/Environment	When the player enters a nether portal	block.portal.trigger​​	subtitles.block.portal.trigger​​​	0.25	0.8-1.2	16

Bedrock Edition:

[hide]Sounds
Sound	Source	Description	Resource location	Volume	Pitch
	Blocks	Randomly	portal.portal	0.25	0.8-1.2
	Ambient/Environment	After the player is teleported through a nether portal	portal.travel	1.0	1.0
	Ambient/Environment	When the player enters a nether portal	portal.trigger	1.0	1.0

Data values

ID

Java Edition:

Name	Identifier	Form	Block tags	[hide]Translation key
Nether Portal	nether_portal	Block	hoglin_repellents portals	block.minecraft.nether_portal

Bedrock Edition:

Name	Identifier	Numeric ID	Form	Item ID	[hide]Translation key
Nether Portal	portal	90	Block & Ungiveable Item	Identical	tile.portal.name

Block states

Java Edition:

Name	Default value	Allowed values	[hide]Description
axis	x	x	The portal's long edge runs east–west.
		z	The portal's long edge runs north–south.

Bedrock Edition:

Name	Metadata Bits	Default value	Allowed values	Values for Metadata Bits	[hide]Description
portal_axis	0x1 0x2	unknown	unknown	0	If placed with this state, the portal's long edge runs north–south. If set to it, its direction is tied to that of adjacent portals.
			x	1	The portal's long edge runs east–west.
			z	2	The portal's long edge runs north–south.

History

History of the block itself

[hide]Java Edition Alpha
v1.2.0			preview				Added the nether portal block.
							It currently cannot be destroyed by flowing fluids.
[hide]Java Edition Beta
1.6			Test Build 3				Nether portal blocks no longer have a top face.
[hide]Java Edition
1.0.0			Beta 1.9 Prerelease 6				Nether portal blocks are no longer affected by smooth lighting.
			RC1				It is no longer possible to break portal blocks with water or lava. Both stop before hitting the portal and act as if the portal were a solid block; placing water instead of fire in the portal automatically deactivates the portal anyway.
1.2.1			12w08a				The player can now (again) break a block portal in Creative by punching it. It makes the same sound as glass being destroyed.
1.5			13w02a				Nether portal blocks now use the texture in resource packs: textures/blocks/portal.png.
1.7.2			13w37a				Nether portal blocks now use block data values (later changed to block state) to determine their orientation. Due to these changes, nether portals created in 1.6.4 and earlier have a tendency to close when upgrading.
							Metadata value 1 corresponds to a portal that reaches the west and east sides of the block, and 2 corresponds to one that touches the north and south sides. 0, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, 14 and 15 also appear as north/south and 5, 9 and 13 as east/west, however they appear to be unused.
			13w37b				Nether portal blocks with damage value 3, 7, 11 and 15 now have a vertical post appearance rather than the pane or sheet appearance of other states.
			13w41a				Nether portals, water and ice are now visible through each other.
							This also makes the rear planes visible from the front planes.
			13w42a				Nether portals no longer show their back face.
1.8			14w03a				Nether portal blocks with data values 3, 7, 11 and 15 now appear as north-south connected again.
			14w18a				Nether portals no longer have side faces.
1.13			17w47a				Prior to The Flattening, this block's numeral ID was 90.
			pre5				The block ID of nether portals has been changed to nether_portal.
[hide]Pocket Edition Alpha
v0.12.1			build 1				Added nether portal blocks.
[hide]Legacy Console Edition
Xbox 360	Xbox One	PS3	PS4	PS Vita	Wii U	Switch
TU1	CU1	1.00	1.00	1.00	Patch 1	1.0.1	Added nether portal blocks.
TU25	CU14	1.17	1.17	1.17			Nether portals no longer show their back face.

History of the block's effects

[hide]Java Edition Alpha
v1.2.0			preview				A unique screen effect is shown after traveling through a nether portal, in which the "nausea" effect slows down and the overlay disappears.
[hide]Java Edition Beta
1.6			Test Build 3				The nether portal's screen distortion effect now increases more smoothly. Previously, it would start off extremely subtly before becoming extremely intense.
[hide]Java Edition
1.3.1			12w22a				Zombie pigmen now rarely spawn from portal blocks in the Overworld.
?							trigger.ogg now always plays to completion when using a nether portal.
1.16			20w14a				Hoglins are now scared of nether portal blocks.
			Pre-release 3				Nether portal blocks now have a loot table.
1.20			Pre-release 1				Nether portals no longer produce a screen animation and sound after changing dimensions.
[hide]Pocket Edition Alpha
?							The sounds of nether portals have been updated to match Java Edition.

Nether portal "item"

The following content is transcluded from Technical blocks/Nether Portal.

[hide]Java Edition Alpha
v1.2.0			preview				Nether portals have an unobtainable item form corresponding to its block ID. It can be obtained via inventory editors with numeric item ID 90.
							When placed, nether portal blocks are always in the east-west position. Further updates to the block result in instantaneous deletion.
[hide]Java Edition Beta
1.6			Test Build 3				Nether portal items can be obtained from the newly added debug chests, mainly from the 5th slot of the 4th chest from the left, and the 16th slot of the 7th chest from the left.
			release				Debug chests no longer spawn, preventing Nether portal items from being obtained this way.
1.8			Pre-release 2 ;)				Added pick block functionality. This changes the currently selected slot to any containing a nether portal item, but does not allow it to be obtained if not already in the hotbar.
[hide]Java Edition
1.2.5			pre				Nether portal items can now be obtained via Pick Block in creative.
1.3.1			12w16a				Nether portal items can now be obtained in singleplayer worlds via the /give command using the respective numeric ID.
			12w17a				Nether portals can no longer be obtained with pick block in Creative.
			12w18a				Likely due to the server split in this version, nether portal blocks now take a frame to disappear when updated. As a result, when two nether portal blocks are placed next to each other horizontally with the item, they can be seen to connect.
1.8			14w25a				The direct item form of Nether portals has been removed from the game. It can no longer exist as an item in any way, only as a placed block.
[hide]Pocket Edition Alpha
v0.12.1			build 1				Nether portals have an unobtainable item form corresponding to its block ID. It can be obtained via inventory editors with numeric item ID 90.
							Nether portal blocks, when placed with this item, while always facing a single direction by default, would rotate accordingly if placed next to an existing nether portal block to connect with it.
[hide]Unknown
?							Nether portal blocks no longer align with other placed nether portal blocks and instantly disappear, unless the only surrounding blocks are nether portals, air, and/or obsidian.

Appearances

[hide]Java Edition Alpha
v1.2.0			preview				Nether portal items have an unstable item model that changes depending on blocks that are targeted or in loaded chunks. It uses this model in inventories, when held in first or third person view or as a dropped item.
							Initially the Nether portal item would appear as a full cube like many other blocks, but targeting an existing portal block would cause the item to morph into its shape:
							Having an existing nether portal block within loaded chunks also appears to influence the shape of the nether portal item. For example, if no existing blocks are loaded, the item may appear in its full cube state, but loading a chunk containing an north-south oriented nether portal results in the item automatically becoming north-south.
[hide]Java Edition Beta
1.6			Test Build 3				Block items have changed in this version to be brighter and rotated 90 degrees clockwise from their prior appearances. The "pane" appearance shapes can be seen to have been inverted as a result, with east-west oriented how north-south was previously and vice versa.
1.8			Pre-release				Block items are now far brighter than before.
[hide]Java Edition
1.0.0			RC2				Block items are now more shaded again.
1.3.1			12w22a				Block items have been rotated back to their pre-Beta 1.6 orientations.
1.4.2			12w34a				Block items have been brightened to an almost unnoticeable degree.
1.7.2			13w37b				With the addition of post-shaped nether portals, the item can take on this shape as well.
			13w42a				Nether portal items now appear translucent in the inventory. As a dropped item, in a player's hand, or in an item frame, they still appear opaque.
			13w42b				Nether portal items now appear translucent when dropped or in an item frame.
1.7.4			13w47a				Nether portal items now appear translucent when held, in both first person and third person.
1.8			14w18a				The Nether portal item form is now 2D.
[hide]Bedrock Edition
?							The nether portal item looks like this, and does not shapeshift in response to existing blocks. However, if it is updated, it breaks.

Names

Java Edition

Item (and block) names did not exist prior to Beta 1.0.

• Beta 1.0 - 14w21b: Portal
• (As block name, item does not exist) 14w25a - 17w46a: Portal
• (As block name, item does not exist) 17w47a and onward: Nether Portal

Bedrock Edition

• v0.12.1 alpha build 1 - ?: Portal

Texture generation prior to Java Edition 13w02a and Bedrock Edition v0.15.0

Due to the large number of Atan2 and Sine operations, the nether portal frames are not generated in real time; instead, 32 frames of animation (at a resolution of 16×16) are generated once at startup and stored into an internal animation strip. The random shimmer is the same every time, as the game always uses a random number generator with a seed of 100.

To generate one frame of the nether portal animation:

# assume time is a value from 0 to 1; a value of 1 results in the same
# image as a time value of 0 (excluding the random shimmering effect)
def setup_portal_sprite (time: float, output: Image):
	random = Random(100)
	wide, tall = output.size
	for x in range(wide):
		for y in range(tall):
			n = 0.0
			for dir in range(2):
				# All in this loop is done twice to create two spirals,
				# one of which offset to the topright
				spiral_x = (x - dir * (wide // 2)) / wide * 2.0
				spiral_y = (y - dir * (tall // 2)) / tall * 2.0
				
				spiral_x += 2 if spiral_x < -1 else -2 if spiral_x >= 1 else 0
				spiral_y += 2 if spiral_y < -1 else -2 if spiral_y >= 1 else 0

				mag = spiral_x ** 2.0 + spiral_y ** 2.0
				out_spiral = atan2(spiral_y, spiral_x)

				# Mag is used here to make the arms of the spiral constrict
				# the further from the centre of the spiral they are
				out_spiral += ((time * pi * 2) - (mag * 10) + (dir * 2)) * (dir * 2 - 1)
				
				# `(i * 2 - 1)` reverses the direction of the spiral if is 0
				# `* 0.5 + 0.5` brings the spiral into the range of 0 to 1 rather than -1 to 1
				out_spiral = sin(out_spiral) * 0.5 + 0.5
				
				# make the intensity of the spiral's arms diminish with distance from the centre
				out_spiral /= mag + 1
				
				# divide by two so that the final range is 0 to 1 instead of 0 to 2,
				# as we're generating two spirals
				n += out_spiral / 2

			n += random.range(0.0, 0.1) # make the spirals shimmer slightly at random
			
			r = int(n ** 2 * 200 + 55)
			g = int(n ** 4 * 255)
			b = int(n * 100 + 155)
			output.set_pixel(x, y, r, g, b, b) # blue is used for transparency

Due to internally using a looping animation already, the nether portal is the only one of the procedural textures that is ported 1:1 in the 1.5 resource pack changes. Unlike the water animations, the alpha channel was not made uniform in the 1.15 texture update.

• 

  The dir value shifting between 1.0 and 0.0 to show its effect on a single spiral

• 

  The crude way the spirals are tiled (seen on lines 15 and 16 of the above script)

• 

  Ditto, but zoomed out to show the full extent

• 

  The two spirals joined, shown with and without the tiling effect

• 

  Ditto, but with the final shimmer and colors applied

Issues

Issues relating to "Nether Portal (block)" are maintained on the bug tracker. Issues should be reported and viewed there.

Java Edition

• MC-262114 – Block with complex collisions around an exit nether portal cause more lag than blocks with simple collisions when entities go through them
• MC-278328 – Large entities that arrive in a nether portal can clip into blocks in adjacent unloaded chunks
• MC-167886 – Particles are created when punching nether portal blocks
• MC-188768 – The inside of a boat blocks the rendering of nether portal blocks
• MC-195237 – End portals and end gateways held by endermen or as block display entities are not rendered, but nether portals are
• MC-253561 – Nether portal blocks facing east or west have incorrect rotations after upgrading old worlds
• MC-273945 – Unlike end portals, nether portals do not drop replaced blocks, which can result in major item loss
• MC-101556 – Nether Portal teleport range is too large (equivalent to a full block)
• MC-135198 – Dispenser can't light a Nether portal without a supporting block
• MC-160413 – Item frame or glow item frame in a nether portal doesn't destroy the nether portal blocks
• And 3 other open issues.

Bedrock Edition

• MCPE-137516 – Breaking any colour bed using Nether Portal item and many other unobtainable block items or items will turn that bed into red