Nether Portal (block)

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

Nether Portal

Java Edition

Bedrock Edition

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

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    "title": "Nether Portal",
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            "label": "(link to Renewable resource article, displayed as Renewable)"
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            "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"
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}

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			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			14w18a				Nether portals no longer have side faces.
1.21.5			25w04a				Nether portals now no longer teleport entities if they are within its block space but do not intersect with its hitbox.
[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.

Data history

[hide]Java Edition
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 metadata value 3, 7, 11 and 15 now have a vertical post appearance rather than the pane or sheet appearance of other states.
1.8			14w03a				Nether portal blocks with data values 3, 7, 11 and 15 now appear as north-south connected again.
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.

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-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
• MC-205241 – Powder snow cannot destroy nether portal blocks when placed or dispensed
• And 2 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