/time
Changes or queries the in-game time. Can set time to specific values or named periods (day, night, noon, midnight).
Overview
Changes or queries the in-game time. Can set time to specific values or named periods (day, night, noon, midnight). In vanilla Minecraft Java Edition it is one of the time & weather commands, first added in Beta 1.3.
It is invoked as /time [of <clock>] <add|set|query|pause|resume|rate> [<value>] and accepts one required argument (<action>) and 2 optional arguments ([clock] and [value]).
One Minecraft day = 24000 ticks = 20 real-time minutes. Java Edition accepts four keywords: day=1000, noon=6000, night=13000 and midnight=18000; sunrise (23000) and sunset (12000) exist only on Bedrock. The time argument also takes units, so /time add 0.5d is the same as /time add 12000. Since Java 26.1 the command runs on world clocks, and the Nether has none, so there you write /time of minecraft:overworld set day.
The clock stops while the world is frozen with /tick freeze. To stop it for good, set the advance_time game rule to false (doDaylightCycle before Java 1.21.11).
set jumps to an absolute time and resets the day counter; add advances time while preserving the running day total.
Timelines on the Overworld clock drive the moon phase, the villager schedule and the start of pillager patrols, so moving the clock with set or add moves all of them.
Syntax & Arguments
/time [of <clock>] <add|set|query|pause|resume|rate> [<value>]The full syntax is /time [of <clock>] <add|set|query|pause|resume|rate> [<value>]. Angle brackets < > mark required arguments and square brackets [ ] mark optional ones; a vertical bar | between words means you pick exactly one of those literals. You must always supply <action>. The arguments [clock] and [value] may be omitted, in which case the documented default applies.
- clock
- Optional, of type a resource. The world clock to use, written after of, such as of minecraft:overworld. Leave it out and the clock of the dimension the command runs in is used. Only the Overworld and the End have one, so in the Nether you have to name it.
- action
- Required, of type a literal. add and set change the clock, query reads it, pause and resume stop and restart it, and rate changes how fast it runs. Pause, resume and rate arrived with world clocks in Java 26.1.
- value
- Optional, of type a time. For add and set, ticks or a time with a unit (set also takes day=1000, noon=6000, night=13000 or midnight=18000). For query: gametime, time, or a timeline such as day, with repetition after it for the number of cycles. For rate, a multiplier from 0.00001 to 1000. pause and resume take no value.
Parameters
| Name | Type | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| clock | resource | Optional | The world clock to use, written after of, such as of minecraft:overworld. Leave it out and the clock of the dimension the command runs in is used. Only the Overworld and the End have one, so in the Nether you have to name it. |
| action | literal | Required | add and set change the clock, query reads it, pause and resume stop and restart it, and rate changes how fast it runs. Pause, resume and rate arrived with world clocks in Java 26.1. |
| value | time | Optional | For add and set, ticks or a time with a unit (set also takes day=1000, noon=6000, night=13000 or midnight=18000). For query: gametime, time, or a timeline such as day, with repetition after it for the number of cycles. For rate, a multiplier from 0.00001 to 1000. pause and resume take no value. |
Examples
The 4 examples below are ready to copy and adapt. For instance, /time set day sets the time to dawn (1000 ticks). Each example varies the arguments to show a different real use of /time; read the note under every snippet to see exactly what changes.
/time set daySets the time to dawn (1000 ticks).
/time add 24000Advances the time by one full Minecraft day (24000 ticks).
/time query dayShows how far into the current day the world is, in ticks from 0 to 23999. Before Java 26.1 this number came from /time query daytime.
/time query day repetitionShows how many full days have passed, the number that /time query day gave before Java 26.1.
Permission Level & Requirements
/time sits at permission Level 2 - Game Master / Cheats, which means it needs permission level 2, the level cheats grant to single-player worlds and that operators hold by default.
In a single-player world you must have "Allow Cheats" turned on (or open the world to LAN with cheats) before it will run; on a multiplayer server the player needs to be an operator at the matching level.
This reference describes the Java Edition 1.21 form of the command; Bedrock Edition may use slightly different argument formats.
Common Mistakes
- Expecting /time set day to jump to tick 0. The day keyword is 1000; type /time set 0 if you need the very start of the day count.
- Not realizing /time set resets the day counter, use /time add to preserve the day count.
- Typing /time query daytime from an older tutorial. Java 26.1 removed it, and /time query day now gives that number.
Notes
One Minecraft day = 24000 ticks = 20 real-time minutes. Java Edition accepts four keywords: day=1000, noon=6000, night=13000 and midnight=18000; sunrise (23000) and sunset (12000) exist only on Bedrock. The time argument also takes units, so /time add 0.5d is the same as /time add 12000. Since Java 26.1 the command runs on world clocks, and the Nether has none, so there you write /time of minecraft:overworld set day.
Related Commands
If /time is part of your toolkit, the commands below are the ones you will most often reach for alongside it: /weather, /gamerule, and /tick. They cover closely related tasks, so the links above jump straight to each one.
/weather
/gameruleFrequently Asked Questions about /time
What does the /time command do in Minecraft?
Changes or queries the in-game time. Can set time to specific values or named periods (day, night, noon, midnight). It belongs to the time & weather command group and was first added in Java Edition Beta 1.3.
What is the correct syntax for /time?
/time [of <clock>] <add|set|query|pause|resume|rate> [<value>]. The required argument is action, and the optional ones are clock and value.
What permission level does /time need?
It requires permission Level 2 - Game Master / Cheats. On a server the player must be an operator at that level, or have cheats enabled in single-player.
What is a common mistake when using /time?
Expecting /time set day to jump to tick 0. The day keyword is 1000; type /time set 0 if you need the very start of the day count.
Can you give an example of /time in use?
Yes. /time add 24000: advances the time by one full Minecraft day (24000 ticks).
How many ticks are in a Minecraft day?
24000 ticks, which is roughly 20 minutes of real time. /time set day is 1000 ticks (dawn), noon is 6000 and midnight is 18000.
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