Daylight detector in Minecraft: Everything a player needs to know

Daylight detectors are special blocks in Minecraft that can be used in several ways with the help of day and night cycles in the game. It is one of the lesser-known blocks in the game as not many players use it.

However, if players want to use the day and night cycle in a redstone contraption, this block will come in handy.

A lot of things change when the day-night cycle shifts in the game. Villagers go back to sleep, hostile mobs start spawning, crop growth slows down, etc. If a player crafts and places this block, it will automatically send or stop sending a redstone signal depending on its state.

This way, players can make repeatable redstone contraptions based on the day-night cycle.

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Everything a player needs to know about daylight detectors in Minecraft

How to craft the block

The daylight detector is quite easy to craft as it requires three main items: glass blocks, nether quartz, and any wooden half slabs. Players can easily find nether quartz by mining netherrack quartz ore blocks from the nether and obtaining glass from smelting sand blocks. Wood slabs can be crafted using normal wood planks.

Crafting recipe (Image via Minecraft)

Players will need to place three of each item horizontally on a crafting table slot to obtain the block. Glass blocks need to go on top, nether quartz in the middle, and wood slabs at the bottom. Once the block is crafted and obtained, players can place it anywhere to use it further.

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How does the block work

Once players place the daylight detector directly under the sky, they will not notice anything significant happening, as the block will look normal. This is because it has to be paired with another redstone component block. This can change its behavior with or without the signal.

The block should be placed directly under the sky for it to work properly (Image via Minecraft)

For example, if players place a redstone lamp or a note block adjacent to a daylight detector, they will notice that the block will send a redstone signal during the day and light up the redstone lamp or play the note block once.

When night falls, the block's redstone signal strength will gradually decrease and eventually stop. In this case, if a redstone lamp is connected to it, it will switch off.

A simple alarm made with four note blocks that will play at dawn (Image via Minecraft)

However, the daylight detector's redstone cycle can be completely reversed by right-clicking on it. Once players right-click on the block, it will change its color from yellowish-white to blueish white and will not give out redstone signals during the night instead.

This means that the same redstone lamp will not glow as soon as the block stops detecting any light from the sun.

Inverting the block behavior will make it send redstone signals during the night (Image via Minecraft)

This block will only recognize light from the sun and won't be affected by other light blocks like torches, glowstones, etc. Also, there should be no obstacle between the block and the sky for it to work normally.

This block can also affect the weather as different weather conditions can have different light levels coming from the sky.