How to make Ice in Minecraft

This Minecraft tutorial explains how to craft ice with screenshots and step-by-step instructions.

In Minecraft, ice is an item that you can not make with a crafting table or furnace. Instead, you need to find and gather this item in the game. Gathering ice is a bit tricky in Minecraft because you need to mine it with a tool that is enchanted with Silk Touch.

ice

Let's explore how to add ice to your inventory.

Supported Platforms

Ice is available in the following versions of Minecraft:

Platform	Supported (Version*)
Java Edition (PC/Mac)	Yes
Pocket Edition (PE)	Yes
Xbox 360	Yes
Xbox One	Yes
PS3	Yes
PS4	Yes
Wii U	Yes
Nintendo Switch	Yes
Windows 10 Edition	Yes
Education Edition	Yes

* The version that it was added or removed, if applicable.
NOTE: Pocket Edition (PE), Xbox One, PS4, Nintendo Switch, and Windows 10 Edition are now called Bedrock Edition. We will continue to show them individually for version history.

Where to find Ice in Creative Mode

Minecraft Java Edition (PC/Mac)

Here is where you can find ice in the Creative Inventory menu:

Platform	Version(s)	Creative Menu Location
Java Edition (PC/Mac)	1.8 - 1.19	Building Blocks
Java Edition (PC/Mac)	1.19.3 - 1.20	Natural Blocks

Minecraft Pocket Edition (PE)

Here is where you can find ice in the Creative Inventory menu:

Platform	Version(s)	Creative Menu Location
Pocket Edition (PE)	0.14.1 - 1.1.3	Building Blocks
Pocket Edition (PE)	1.2 - 1.20.0	Nature

Minecraft Xbox Editions

Here is where you can find ice in the Creative Inventory menu:

Platform	Version(s)	Creative Menu Location
Xbox 360	TU35 - TU69	Building Blocks
Xbox One	CU23 - CU43	Building Blocks
Xbox One	1.2.5 - 1.20.0	Nature

Minecraft PS Editions

Here is where you can find ice in the Creative Inventory menu:

Platform	Version(s)	Creative Menu Location
PS3	1.26 - 1.76	Building Blocks
PS4	1.26 - 1.91	Building Blocks
PS4	1.14.0 - 1.20.0	Nature

Minecraft Nintendo

Here is where you can find ice in the Creative Inventory menu:

Platform	Version(s)	Creative Menu Location
Wii U	Patch 3 - Patch 38	Building Blocks
Nintendo Switch	1.04 - 1.11	Building Blocks
Nintendo Switch	1.5.0 - 1.20.0	Nature

Minecraft Windows 10 Edition

Here is where you can find ice in the Creative Inventory menu:

Platform	Version(s)	Creative Menu Location
Windows 10 Edition	0.14.1 - 1.1.3	Building Blocks
Windows 10 Edition	1.2 - 1.20.0	Nature

Minecraft Education Edition

Here is where you can find ice in the Creative Inventory menu:

Platform	Version(s)	Creative Menu Location
Education Edition	0.14.2 - 1.0.18	Building Blocks
Education Edition	1.0.21 - 1.17.30	Nature

Definitions

Platform is the platform that applies.
Version(s) is the Minecraft version numbers where the item can be found in the menu location listed (we have tested and confirmed this version number).
Creative Menu Location is the location of the item in the Creative Inventory menu.

How to get Ice in Survival Mode

You can add ice to your inventory in Survival mode by mining ice with a tool that has been enchanted with Silk Touch.

1. Find a Block of Ice

First, you need to find a block of ice in your Minecraft world. You can find blocks of ice in frozen ponds in the snow biome.

This is what a block of ice looks like:

ice pickaxe

2. Hold a Tool with Silk Touch

To mine for ice, you need to dig up the ice with a tool that has been enchanted with Silk Touch. You can use any type of tool such as pickaxe, shovel, or axe:

In this example, we are going to use an iron pickaxe that is enchanted with Silk Touch.

3. Mine the Ice

The game control to mine the ice depends on the version of Minecraft:

For Java Edition (PC/Mac), left click and hold on the block of ice.
For Pocket Edition (PE), you tap and hold on the block of ice.
For Xbox 360 and Xbox One, press and hold the RT button on the Xbox controller.
For PS3 and PS4, press and hold the R2 button on the PS controller.
For Wii U, press and hold the ZR button on the gamepad.
For Nintendo Switch, press and hold the ZR button on the controller.
For Windows 10 Edition, left click and hold on the block of ice.
For Education Edition, left click and hold on the block of ice.

ice dropped

The ice block will break and a smaller block of ice will float on the ground.

TIP: Normally when you mine the block of ice, the ice will shatter and you won't get any drops. However, when you mine the block of ice using a tool enchanted with Silk Touch, you will get the block of ice itself as the drop.

4. Pick up the Ice

Make sure you pick up the ice before it disappears.

ice gathered

Once you pick up the ice, it will appear in your hotbar.

ice