Turn Off the Locator Bar in Minecraft Java
Use the locator_bar or locatorBar gamerule to hide the Java Edition player strip. The name changed in 1.21.11, and the old name fails if you type it on a new build.
Current for Java Edition 1.21.6 and later.
Run a gamerule. On 1.21.11 and newer the name is locator_bar. On 1.21.6 through 1.21.10 it is locatorBar. The names are case-sensitive, so the old one does nothing on a new build.
The command that actually works
Cheats or operator permission must be on. Then:
- Open chat.
- Type one line, matching your version.
- Press Enter. The experience bar comes back as the permanent HUD strip.
| Version | Command | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 1.21.11 and newer | /gamerule locator_bar false | This is the current Java name |
| 1.21.6 to 1.21.10 | /gamerule locatorBar false | The first release name, still required on those builds |
| Snapshot 25w15a only | /gamerule useLocatorBar false | That snapshot used a third spelling |
Turn it back on with true and the same name.
If the command says the rule does not exist
You typed the name from a different version, or you are not in Java Edition. Bedrock uses a different switch. That path is on Turn Off the Locator Bar on Bedrock. A hosted world needs console access; that path is on Turn Off the Locator Bar on a Server.
If you only want to vanish from other people
Leaving the bar on and hiding yourself is a different job: sneak, wear a mob head or carved pumpkin, or use Invisibility. Those steps live on How to Hide from the Locator Bar.
After you turn it off
The strip is gone for everyone in that world until someone turns the rule back on. Marker colors do not matter while the bar is off. When you turn it back on, Java still paints each player from their UUID. Check a color on the Locator Bar Color Checker.