Total Beginners guide to Minecraft Mods and how to install them (including Forge)
Introduction
You may have heard about Minecraft Mods - what are they and why do you need them? The word “Mods” is short for “modifications” and they are available free to download, and installing them will enhance your game experience.
Mods can do anything! Such as adding new mobs, armour, weapons, vehicles, blocks, food, items, biomes and more! You can even use multiple Minecraft mods at once for even more extra features. Although it may seem very complicated to start playing Minecraft with mods, this guide will walk you through every step about how to install Minecraft mods and you will soon be able to play Minecraft with any mods you want.
You may have heard that some mods are not safe to download or have malware (software that can damage your computer) but as long as you download mods from safe websites such as CurseForge then your computer will be completely fine. But first, you will need to install Forge to be able to start using Minecraft Mods.
Why do I need Minecraft Forge to use Mods
Minecraft Forge is a free add-on for Minecraft which will allow you to install mods to enhance your game experience. You can Download Forge for Free from the official Forge Website. If you do not have forge installed you will not be able to use any mods.
How do I Install Forge to use Mods?
This will guide you if you are a PC user.
Step 1: Open the Website:
Go to Forge's official website by clicking this link: https://files.minecraftforge.net/ It will open in a new tab but do not do anything until you have read the next few steps.
Step 2: Find the Correct Forge Version:
On the left of the screen, there will be a versions list; for this tutorial, we are going to use the 1.15.2 version, but this tutorial will apply to any version of Minecraft you will just need to make sure you change everything from 1.15.2 to your version of choice (If you don't understand what that means don't worry). What you will want to do is click on 1.15 in the versions list and then click on 1.15.2 (don't click on 1.15.1). When you have clicked on the 1.15.2 version then on the left you will see these two boxes:
The one that you will want to use is the recommended one, otherwise you could encounter some issues.
Step 3: Downloading Forge
Make sure you read this part carefully otherwise you could get a virus on your computer if you are not careful! In the box which is titled: “recommended” there will be multiple buttons:
For this tutorial, we will be using the: “Installer” download. Read this next part before you try and install the file onto your computer! The first thing you will want to do is click on the installer button; When you click on it a page like this will appear:
Ignore everything on the page except for the top right where there will be a countdown of five seconds (so the developers get the money from the advert). If the page redirects you to another website then close the page immediately. When the countdown finishes there will be a skip button in the top right corner.
When you click on the skip button, Minecraft Forge will start downloading. When the download is finished you will see this message:
Do not worry as this message appears when you download any .jar or .exe file online. Click the button that says keep so that you can continue downloading the file.
Click on the button circled in red and then click show in folder. When you have done this, the files application should open up:
Step 4: Setting up Forge
Now you just need to set up Forge. First, you need to double click on the file you just downloaded (the forge one). If you cannot find it then in the top right there is a search tool. When you have double-clicked the file (clicked twice quickly while your mouse cursor is on the file) Then you will see this box:
Make sure that the install client button is ticked and then press “OK”. It will then start installing. When it is finished installing you will need to open the Minecraft launcher.
How do I install Minecraft Mods?
Now it is time to start installing mods! The only place you should download mods from is CurseForge. Click on the link below to open up CurseForge once you have read the rest of the section.
When you are on the website you will be able to see almost all of the mods ever created; you can use any if them that you like but for the purpose of this tutorial we will be installing the Iron Chests mod but any mods will work.
You will want to press the download button and it will automatically download. You will want to press the show in folder button again, left-click on the file and then right-click on it and then press cut.
Now you will want to open up Minecraft launcher again and launch the game again; when the game launches you need to press the “mods” button then at the bottom of your screen there will be an: “Open Mods Folder” button; when you press this button it will open up the mods folder. Now close the game and you can put the mods into the folder by going back to the mods folder and pressing right-click on the empty space and then pressing paste:
Now if you open the game again your mods should hopefully be working.