How to get and use the debug stick in Minecraft Java Edition

The debug stick (Image via Minecraft)
The debug stick (Image via Minecraft)

The debug stick in Minecraft is a unique item that is exclusive to the game. Most players who play the vast sandbox game will simply select survival or hardcore mode and play it normally. There are some who use creative mode to build huge structures without having to work for all the blocks. However, there are a few players in the community who tinker with the internal commands of the game and tweak it in different ways.

When in creative mode with cheats on, players can enter a plethora of commands and can command blocks to do almost anything in the game. One way to change certain internal settings of the game is by using this stick. Several blocks in the game have different block states, depending on their properties in terms of placement or characteristics. This is where the debug stick comes into play.


How to obtain and use the debug stick in Minecraft Java Edition

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How to obtain it

First, players should note that this can only be obtained in the Java Edition of the game. If players want to get the stick, they must have a specific type of world. The world should be in creative mode, and it should allow cheats to work.

The command used to get the stick (Image via Minecraft)
The command used to get the stick (Image via Minecraft)

Unfortunately, players can't use the stick if they are in adventure or survival mode, as it is technically a cheat tool. Even if players get the stick through cheats, they won't be able to use it in these modes.

Once players are in a creative mode world with cheats on, they can simply type the '/give' command, type their name, and write debug stick. It will automatically pop up in the list of items, and the player can select and hit enter to obtain it. This is the only way to get the stick as it is not even present in the creative mode inventory.


How to use the stick

Nether portal facing direction can be changed (Image via Minecraft)
Nether portal facing direction can be changed (Image via Minecraft)

Once players have a stick with them, they can simply right click on any block to start cycling through its various block states. Essentially, the debug stick changes the block state of any block by cycling through all the states one by one. If a block does not have a block state, it won't change.

When players use the stick on any block, a small message shows up right on top of the hotbar, showing what the stick did to the block. It can also show how a block does not have any state or 'properties.' If a block has an interface or can be used by right-clicking, players will have to sneak and then right-click for the stick to work.

Crop growth or grass block state can be changed (Image via Minecraft)
Crop growth or grass block state can be changed (Image via Minecraft)

For example, suppose players use the stick on a wood log. In that case, it will change the direction the log is facing, i.e., either horizontally on the x axis, horizontally on the z axis, or vertically on the y-axis. Crops that have several states of growth can be changed with the stick.

Doors and trapdoors that can be placed in several directions can be changed. Other than this, several other blocks that have some sort of state or property can be changed with the debug stick.

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