Minecraft Locator Bar Range: Distance, Limits & Commands

Check Java Locator Bar range, try a 150-block limit, and copy transmit/receive commands. Understand smaller dots, hidden players and the −100% modifier.

Last updated: 2026-10-06

Java range & marker calculator

Java 1.21.6+ only. Use the target's transmit range and the viewer's receive range. This checks distance, not every visibility rule.

Distance between players (blocks)Target transmit rangeViewer receive range

Target has a −100% transmit modifier (for example, sneaking)

Effective range: 200 blocks · within distance limit

Default icon at this distance: square (only if visible).

Both players must be in the same dimension, visible under the game rules, and the target within the forward 120° arc (±60°). Custom styles can use different icons.

Generate commands for all current players

/attribute @s minecraft:waypoint_transmit_range base set 200
/attribute @s minecraft:waypoint_receive_range base set 200

Commands change base values only; they do not remove active modifiers. Requires Java cheats / permission level 2. For one player, run @s in their chat; a server console needs a player target or the all-player version.

In Java Edition, players start with a Locator Bar transmit range and receive range of 60,000,000 blocks. That is the attribute limit, not a promise that every player will always appear. The target must pass both range checks, and hiding effects can reduce their transmission to zero. These values are documented in Mojang's Java 1.21.6 release notes.

For a smaller radar, open the range calculator and choose Try 150-block range. It places the target 100 blocks away so you can see an in-range example, then edit the distance and copy the commands. For Bedrock controls, use the Bedrock guide; the Java attribute commands below do not apply there.

What does −100% waypoint transmit range mean?

A −100% transmit modifier reduces the effective transmit range to zero; it does not mean a negative distance or a broken server. Sneaking and other hiding mechanics can apply it. Raising the base range does not cancel a total −100% modifier. Stop sneaking or remove the relevant hiding effect, then check again.

Try −100% transmit in the calculator to compare the base range with hiding active. Generated commands change the base values only. Do not remove modifiers blindly: equipment, game rules or plugins may intentionally hide a player.

The two attributes that control range

Java Edition 1.21.6 added two attributes alongside the Locator Bar:

waypoint_transmit_range — the distance at which an entity displays as a waypoint on other players' Locator Bars.

Default: 0.0
Minimum: 0.0
Maximum: 60000000.0
Player base value: 60,000,000

waypoint_receive_range — the maximum distance from a player to a waypoint at which that waypoint is drawn on their own Locator Bar. Only players have this attribute.

Default: 0.0
Minimum: 0.0
Maximum: 60000000.0
Player base value: 60,000,000

The attribute default of 0.0 and the player base value of 60,000,000 are both correct and are not a contradiction: 0.0 is the fallback for entity types that do not define the attribute, while players ship with the base value already set to the maximum. Players therefore start with both range values at the maximum; hiding and other visibility rules still apply.

Mobs are the reverse. A mob's transmit range starts at 0, which is exactly why mobs do not appear on the bar. Give a mob a transmit range above zero and it starts broadcasting waypoint packets to nearby receivers within that range.

Setting the range with commands

Java 1.21.6 documents these four examples. Run them in chat as a player with command permission:

/attribute @s minecraft:waypoint_transmit_range base set 0

Prevents a player from transmitting — this hides them from everyone.

/attribute @s minecraft:waypoint_transmit_range base set 80

Lets a player transmit up to 80 blocks, hiding them from players further away than that.

/attribute @s minecraft:waypoint_receive_range base set 0

Prevents a player from receiving, which effectively turns off their own Locator Bar without touching anyone else's.

/attribute @s minecraft:waypoint_receive_range base set 120

Lets a player see only Locator Bar dots within 120 blocks.

To restore the default on a player, set the value back to the maximum:

/attribute @s minecraft:waypoint_transmit_range base set 60000000
/attribute @s minecraft:waypoint_receive_range base set 60000000

The /attribute command accepts a single entity. For all players, use /execute as @a run attribute @s ...; a bare /attribute @a is invalid. Apply the rule again for later joins if needed.

A worked example: a 150-block radar server

If you want the Locator Bar to behave like a short-range radar rather than a global tracker, set both sides on every player as they join:

/execute as @a run attribute @s minecraft:waypoint_transmit_range base set 150
/execute as @a run attribute @s minecraft:waypoint_receive_range base set 150

Try the 150-block example, then select Generate commands for all current players before copying if you want these settings applied to everyone currently online. The calculator does not run commands or change your server.

Both sides matter. Transmission and reception are checked independently: a player only appears on your bar if their transmit range covers the distance between you and your receive range covers it too. The effective visibility distance is therefore the smaller of the two.

Range is not the only gate: the 120 degree window

Range decides whether a waypoint exists for you. The bar itself only draws waypoints that fall in a 120-degree forward arc (about ±60 degrees) relative to the camera — roughly the forward arc. Anything behind you exists but is not drawn.

Vertical position is handled separately. If a waypoint sits above or below your camera pitch, the indicator gains a small up or down arrow rather than disappearing. On Bedrock, the vertical threshold started at 30 degrees above or below the viewport and was later changed to follow the player's field-of-view setting.

Icon size thresholds: how far away that dot is

The Locator Bar tells you distance through the icon itself. The icon shrinks in four steps as the target gets further away. The Minecraft Wiki documents the observed thresholds as:

Square: below 179 blocks
Circle: 179 to below 230 blocks
Small square: 230 to below 281 blocks
Small circle: 281 blocks and beyond

Those thresholds come from the default waypoint style, whose official definition is:

{
  "near_distance": 128,
  "far_distance": 332,
  "sprites": [
    "minecraft:default_0",
    "minecraft:default_1",
    "minecraft:default_2",
    "minecraft:default_3"
  ]
}

near_distance and far_distance are optional and default to 128 and 332; far_distance must be greater than near_distance. The three icon transitions are evenly spaced inside that window — 51 blocks apart, starting from 128 — which is why the numbers 179, 230 and 281 look arbitrary until you see the style file.

A resource pack can define its own style in the waypoint_style/ asset directory with different distances and sprites, and an operator can assign it per entity with /waypoint modify <waypoint> style set <style>. That is the only supported way to change the distances at which the icon changes size. The full command reference is on the Minecraft waypoint command page, and the waypoint command generator will assemble the style and color lines for you.

At long range the icon is a small dot, which is exactly when two similar colors become impossible to separate. If your server runs with generous ranges, it is worth putting your regulars through the locator bar color checker once and reassigning any pair that collides.

What zeroes the range without you asking

Several vanilla mechanics work by multiplying waypoint_transmit_range by zero through attribute modifiers, rather than by a separate visibility flag. Knowing this explains a lot of "the locator bar range seems broken" reports:

Sneaking applies minecraft:waypoint_transmit_range_crouch, an add_multiplied_total modifier of -1.0 — the range collapses to zero while crouched and returns when you stand.
Invisibility applies minecraft:effect.waypoint_transmit_range_hide, also add_multiplied_total at -1.0.
Head-slot items apply minecraft:waypoint_transmit_range_hide through the item's attribute modifiers. The qualifying items are the carved pumpkin, skeleton skull, wither skeleton skull, player head, zombie head, creeper head, dragon head, and piglin head.
Spectator mode is handled separately: spectators are only visible to other spectators.

Because these are multiplicative modifiers on the same attribute, they beat any base value you set. Setting a transmit range of 60,000,000 on a sneaking player still hides them.

How the range check actually works

The Locator Bar is not a client-side overlay reading nearby entities. Mojang describes it as a server-authoritative waypoint broadcasting system: waypoints are received by players, and the connections between waypoints and players are managed by the multiplayer server.

That has three practical consequences for range:

Transmission is push-based. An entity with a transmission range above zero sends waypoint packets to nearby receivers within that range. An entity with a transmit range of zero does not broadcast its waypoint. This describes waypoint delivery, not every kind of position information a game client might receive.
Reception is a second, independent filter. Receivers only receive waypoints inside their receive range, and receive nothing at all when that range is zero.
Tracking is separate from drawing. An entity is tracked when its transmit range is greater than zero, or when its waypoint color was explicitly set this session. Tracked entities show in /waypoint list; only ones actually in range and in front of you are drawn on the bar.

Setting your receive range to zero stops incoming waypoints; it does not hide your own dot from other players. To stop broadcasting your dot, change your transmit range. Neither setting should be treated as protection against every tracking method or mod.

Version timeline for the range attributes

Snapshot 25w15a (Java 1.21.6 development) — waypoint_transmit_range and waypoint_receive_range added, behind the Locator Bar experimental data pack.
Snapshot 25w17a — both attributes leave the experiment and the documented defaults settle at 0.0 minimum, 60000000.0 maximum, with players at a base value of 60,000,000.
Java Edition 1.21.6, released 17 June 2025 — first full release containing them.

Range on Bedrock Edition

The Java /attribute examples on this page are not Bedrock commands. Use the Bedrock Locator Bar guide and version selector for the controls that match your game. A Java range value is not a Bedrock visibility guarantee.

If the calculator says in range but the dot is missing

Check whether the other player is hiding and turn toward them before changing the numbers. This calculator compares the entered ranges; it does not inspect your world, game rules, plugins or player state. Use the Locator Bar troubleshooting guide to work through missing dots, and test server-specific settings with another player.

Frequently asked questions

What is the maximum Locator Bar range in Minecraft? In Java Edition, 60,000,000 blocks is the maximum value both waypoint attributes accept and the base value players start with.

How do I limit the Locator Bar to a certain number of blocks? Set waypoint_transmit_range (how far you broadcast) and waypoint_receive_range (how far you can see) with /attribute. The effective distance between any two players is the smaller of the two.

How do I turn off just my own Locator Bar without affecting anyone else? /attribute @s minecraft:waypoint_receive_range base set 0. This is different from the gamerule, which clears waypoints for everyone in the world.

Does the Locator Bar range depend on render distance or simulation distance? For Java, check the transmit and receive attributes first. The calculator does not model your server's view distance, plugins or entity tracking settings. For Bedrock, follow the version-specific guide linked above.

Why do mobs never appear no matter how close they are? Their waypoint_transmit_range is 0 by default. Set it above zero and they will transmit like a player.

Can I tell distance from the bar itself? Yes, roughly, from the icon size — the four steps break at 179, 230 and 281 blocks under the default style.

Does the bar show players behind me? No. Only waypoints within 120 degrees of your camera facing are drawn, though they still exist and reappear as you turn.