How to Make and Use a Beacon in Minecraft

Guide Java Bedrock

Quick answer: Craft a beacon from glass, a nether star and obsidian. Place it on a pyramid of 1 to 4 layers of iron, gold, emerald, diamond or netherite blocks (9 to 164 blocks), then feed it one iron ingot, gold ingot, emerald, diamond or netherite ingot to pick its powers.

What you need

1 nether star (Wither drop)
5 glass + 3 obsidian
164 mineral blocks for a max pyramid (iron recommended)
1 ingot/gem to activate

Step by step

Get 1 nether star from the Wither. Craft 1 beacon with 3 glass across the top row, glass + nether star + glass across the middle row and 3 obsidian across the bottom row.
Build solid square layers under the beacon: 3 by 3 for 1 level (9 blocks); 5 by 5 and 3 by 3 for 2 (34); 7 by 7, 5 by 5 and 3 by 3 for 3 (83); or 9 by 9, 7 by 7, 5 by 5 and 3 by 3 for 4 (164). The widest layer goes at the bottom.
Use iron, gold, emerald, diamond or netherite blocks, alone or mixed. The block type is purely cosmetic.
Keep the beam clear: it deactivates if it intersects any fully opaque block, except bedrock. Stained glass above the beacon colors the beam.
Use the beacon, insert 1 iron ingot, gold ingot, emerald, diamond or netherite ingot, choose the powers and confirm. The item is consumed. Changing powers later requires another payment item.
Speed and Haste are available with 1 level; Resistance and Jump Boost need 2; Strength needs 3. With 4 levels, choose Regeneration as a secondary power or increase your chosen primary power to level II. Expanding the pyramid alone does not automatically upgrade the power level.
If the pyramid breaks, the chosen power returns when you rebuild it, with no new item needed.

Java vs Bedrock

Beam visibility is not the same as effect range. Java and Bedrock both allow mixed mineral blocks in the pyramid. In Bedrock, the beam updates every 80 game ticks (4 seconds).

Versions: Describes the current Java and Bedrock releases. See the edition note above for differences.

Frequently asked questions

How many blocks do you need for a full beacon?

A solid 4-level pyramid uses 164 mineral blocks. If built entirely from iron blocks, that is 1,476 iron ingots, calculated as 164 times 9. This excludes the beacon itself and the item used to select its powers.

Do different pyramid materials give better effects?

No. The block type is cosmetic, and you can mix iron, gold, emerald, diamond and netherite blocks.

Why is my beacon not working?

Its beam is probably blocked by a fully opaque block above it, or the pyramid is incomplete.

What do I feed a beacon?

One iron ingot, gold ingot, emerald, diamond or netherite ingot. It does not matter which.