Shahrukh Sial is a gaming content writer at Sparked Host. He covers game guides, tips, and updates to help players improve their skills and enjoy a better gaming experience.

In the vast and often mysterious Minecraft world, spotting something far away can be tricky. That’s where the spyglass comes in. Introduced in the Caves & Cliffs Part I update, this unique tool allows players to zoom in on distant objects—perfect for exploration, navigation, or simply admiring the landscape from afar.

Let’s dive into what the spyglass does, how to craft it, and the best ways to use it in your game adventures.

What is a Spyglass in Minecraft?

A spyglass is a handheld tool that functions much like a telescope. It gives players the ability to zoom in on distant terrain, mobs, or structures. This is especially useful when you're navigating across large biomes, trying to spot a village, or keeping an eye on potential threats in the Minecraft world.

With just a simple right-click or tap, the spyglass item brings distant objects into clear view, narrowing your field of vision and focusing your point of view.

What Does a Spyglass Do in Minecraft?

The spyglass has two main uses:

  • It zooms in on far-away objects, structures, or terrain features.

  • It helps with navigation and locating mobs or landmarks, making exploration much more manageable.

When Was the Spyglass Added to Minecraft?

The spyglass made its debut in Minecraft 1.17, part of the Caves & Cliffs Part I update. This update introduced both amethyst geodes and copper, which are key components in creating the spyglass.

How To Get a Spyglass in Minecraft

Acquiring a spyglass isn’t too difficult once you know where to find the necessary materials.

How To Make a Spyglass in Minecraft

To craft a spyglass, you’ll need just two resources:

  • 1 Amethyst Shard

  • 2 Copper Ingots

Both materials are relatively accessible once you’ve done a bit of mining and exploration.

How To Craft a Spyglass in Minecraft

Follow these steps to craft your own spyglass:

  1. Open the crafting table.

  1. Place the amethyst shard in the top-middle row.

  2. Place one copper ingot in the middle slot and the second one in the bottom-middle row.

This vertical alignment of materials will produce a spyglass, which you can then drag into your inventory.

To gather the materials:

  • Copper can be mined underground as raw copper and then smelted into copper ingots.

  • Amethyst shards come from amethyst geodes, which are often found between Y-levels 0 and 70 underground. Look for the distinct purple blocks and crystal clusters made of amethyst.

Can You Enchant a Spyglass in Minecraft?

In Survival mode, the spyglass cannot be enchanted. However, if you're in Creative mode, you can use commands to add enchantments to the spyglass for novelty or fun. While these enchantments won’t necessarily improve functionality, they can make for interesting custom gameplay scenarios.

How To Use A Spyglass In Minecraft

Using the spyglass item is straightforward. Once crafted, place it in your hotbar and equip it. On PC, right-click to activate the zoom function. On mobile, tap the action button. Your screen will narrow into a square vignette, allowing you to focus on a specific point in the distance.

This zoom feature doesn’t change your actual location—it simply enhances your vision, much like looking through a telescope.

What Is Spyglass Damping in Minecraft?

Spyglass damping refers to the subtle effect applied when zoomed in. It reduces your camera sensitivity and smooths out movements, making it easier to focus on a single point without wobbling all over the screen.

Additionally, when using the spyglass, a square vignette appears around your screen, limiting your peripheral vision. This enhances the immersive zoom effect and helps direct your attention to the center.

Minecraft Spyglass: What It Is and Why It Matters

The Minecraft spyglass is a unique tool that allows players to zoom in on distant objects for better navigation, structure spotting, or simply admiring faraway views. Introduced in Minecraft 1.17, it’s crafted using 1 amethyst shard and 2 copper ingots, combining two of the game's newer materials. This spyglass item doesn’t offer status effects or durability, but its ability to enhance vision and support exploration gives it high value, especially when paired with a high render distance.

While not as crucial as weapons or armor, the spyglass adds immersion and precision to exploration. Whether you're searching for mobs, scanning for a pirate ship on the sea, or examining structures from afar, the minecraft spyglass serves as a reliable companion. Its use of a square vignette and narrowed FOV provides a realistic telescopic experience, making it both a fun and functional tool in the minecraft world.

Java Edition: Minecraft Spyglass Features and Benefits

In Java Edition, the minecraft spyglass includes subtle enhancements like spyglass damping, which smooths movement and reduces sensitivity while zoomed in. This helps players stay focused on a specific point without the camera jerking around. Combined with the version’s flexible render settings, the spyglass item becomes incredibly useful for high-precision observation and scouting in both creative builds and survival gameplay.

Players in Java Edition can also use commands to experiment with the spyglass, even applying enchantments just for fun. Though these don’t work in survival, they show the version’s modding flexibility. Whether you're creating adventure maps or simply admiring the world from afar, the spyglass fits naturally into the broader mechanics and gameplay style that define the Java Edition of Minecraft.

Bedrock Edition: How the Spyglass Works Across Devices

The Bedrock Edition brings the spyglass to a wider audience by supporting various platforms like mobile, console, and Windows. Though it lacks the same modding flexibility as Java Edition, the spyglass item works the same in terms of function—providing a focused zoom with a square vignette and a slightly reduced FOV. It's a straightforward but useful tool for spotting mobs, terrain, or landmarks in the distance.

Crafting the spyglass in Bedrock Edition also requires 2 copper ingots and 1 amethyst shard, aligned in a vertical row in the crafting grid. Once in your inventory, it becomes especially helpful for exploring vast biomes or hunting for rare structures. While you can't apply enchantments in this version, the spyglass still enhances your ability to explore and interact with the minecraft world effectively.

Tips and Use Cases for the Spyglass

The spyglass might seem like a novelty at first, but it has many practical uses in both Survival and PvP gameplay:

  • Ideal for scouting enemy bases or mobs from a safe distance.

  • Helps you locate rare structures such as Ocean Monuments or Woodland Mansions.

  • Pairs well with a high render distance setting to reveal far-off landmarks while exploring.

  • Useful when navigating through mountainous terrain or trying to track hostile mobs at night.

Whether you’re a casual explorer or a hardcore adventurer, the Minecraft spyglass adds a new level of strategy to your Minecraft experience. It’s easy to craft, fun to use, and offers an extra layer of vision that can make all the difference during your game journey.

If you’re wondering about the Java Edition and Bedrock Edition, both support the spyglass, though some minor UI or interface differences may exist. While the spyglass has no durability, it remains a dependable tool. Be careful though—it won’t protect you from danger, only help you see it coming.

Whether you're playing in the default FOV or a modified one, the fov effect through the spyglass gives you a unique edge. The crafting recipe is simple, and the mechanics of usage are easy to learn.

In Bedrock Edition, it even has different sounds, adding a touch of realism. So if you're planning on completing your exploration toolkit or want to play like a pirate, the spyglass is a must-have.

And finally, whether you're creating content, playing the game, or simply admiring the view, the spyglass is one of the most enjoyable tools to use in all versions of Minecraft.