How to Break Bedrock in Minecraft

Last Updated: May 25, 2021

In Minecraft, Bedrock is supposed to be unbreakable. It lines the bottom of the overworld and top and bottom of the Nether. In creative mode, you can easily break bedrock the same as you would any other block. In Survival Mode, the only way to break bedrock is to find glitches in the game to exploit to break bedrock. Unfortunately, Mojang keeps patching these exploits out of the game. This wikiHow teaches you how to break bedrock in Minecraft 1.14. This only works in Minecraft Java Edition.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Switching to Creative Mode

1
Start a game of Minecraft. Click or tap the icon that resembles a grass block on your device. This launches a Minecraft on your device.
- Note: When switching to Creative Mode, you will not gain any more achievement points or trophies for your game.
2
Click Play. It's the green button at the bottom of the Minecraft launcher (Java Edition) or the button at the top of the page (Windows 10, Mobile, Xbox, Nintendo Switch).

Advertisement
3
Click Single Player or Multiplayer (Java Edition only). If you are playing the Java Edition of Minecraft, click multiplayer or singleplayer to see a list of saved games.
4
Click a survival mode game. Click or tap a survival game to load the game in survival mode.
- On the Playstation 4 Edition of Minecraft, you can select Creative Mode on the menu before loading your game.
5
Open the menu. To open the menu, press Esc on PC and Mac. Tap the icon with two vertical lines at the top of the screen on mobile. Press the Menu button on Xbox One, and press the + button on Nintendo Switch.
6
Select Settings. It's in the menu on the Minecraft Bedrock Edition (Windows 10, mobile, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch).
- On Minecraft: Java Edition, select Open to LAN.
7
Click or tap the toggle switch next to "Activate Cheats". This will allow cheats in your game.
- On Minecraft: Java Edition, click Allow Cheats.
8
Click or tap Continue. This will allows cheats in your game.
- On Minecraft: Java Edition, click Start LAN World
9
Return to your game. Click the back arrow and then click Resume Game to return to your game from the menu.
10
Open the chat. To open the chat, press T on PC or Mac. Tap the icon that resembles a chat bubble at the top of the screen on mobile. Press the right button on the D-pad on Xbox One and Nintendo Switch.
11
Type /gamemode creative and press ↵ Enter. This switches your game from Survival to Creative mode. In creative mode, you have unlimited resources and can break any block easily (including bedrock).
12
Click or press the left trigger on the block you want to break. In creative mode, you should be able to easily destroy bedrock.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Building a Bedrock Smasher (Advanced/Java Edition Only)

1
Place a block on top of the piece of bedrock you want to break. It can be any block. This serves as a marker to mark the block you want to break.
- This method only works in Minecraft Java Edition 1.14.
2
Place a piston on one side of the marker block. Place the piston on its side so that the head of the piston is against the marker block.
3
Place a sticky piston perpendicular to the other piston. Again make sure the head of the piston is facing the marker block.
4
Remove the marker block. Now that the pistons are set, go ahead and break the marker block. You should have two pistons with the heads perpendicular over the block you want to break.
5
Add 5 obsidian blocks to the left of the piston. Obsidian is found where lava meets water in caves. You need a diamond pickaxe to mine obsidian.
6
Place 5 more obsidian blocks perpendicular at the end of the last obsidian block. You should have a total of 10 obsidian blocks forming an L-shape. The heads of the pistons should be facing the large edge of the inside of the L.
7
Place a lever outside the last obsidian block. The lever should go outside the L on the last obsidian block at the end.
8
Place an activator rail on the other end of the block with the lever. The activator rails are the minecart tracks that are powered with redstone.
9
Place 10 redstone repeaters along the outside of the obsidian blocks. The redstone repeaters should be placed on the outside of the obsidian blocks shaped like an L, starting with the obsidian block next to the lever and continuing all the way to the obsidian block next to the piston.
10
Set the redstone repeaters to their max setting. To set each redstone repeater to their maximum setting, right-click each redstone repeater 3 times.
11
Connect the two sets of redstone repeaters with redstone. Place redstone in the corner area in between the two sets of redstone repeaters outside the obsidian blocks to connect the two sets of redstone repeaters.
12
Place a minecart with TNT on the activator rail. Use a crafting table to craft a minecart and TNT. Then use the crafting table to craft a minecart with TNT and place it on the activator rail.^{[1]
X
Research source}
13
Place a stone block behind the piston next to the obsidian blocks. This will ensure that the piston extends.
14
Activate the lever and get to safety. This will activate the TNT in the minecart giving you a short time to get to safety before it explodes. The obsidian blocks will shield the redstone repeaters from the blast. The redstone repeaters will delay the time until the piston extends. It should extend as the minecart explodes. This should destroy the head of the piston leaving you with a headless piston.
- Do not turn the lever after the explosion. If you do, it will reset the piston and you will have to repeat the detonation once again.
- On occasion the blast may destroy the entire piston. If this happens, you will need to set a new piston and try again.
15
Place a redstone block on top of the headless piston and turn the lever off. The redstone block will keep the piston extended when you turn the lever off. After placing the block, turn the lever off.
16
Use redstone to connect the redstone repeaters to the other piston. You can either break the block behind the headless piston, or you can place redstone around it. Place redstone on the ground to connect the last repeater to the second piston.
17
Place another minecart with TNT on the activator rail. Craft another minecart with TNT and place it on the activator rail. This time you're going to blast the head off the second piston.
18
Activate the lever and get to safety. This will detonate the minecart with TNT and blast the head off the second piston. Be sure to stand back a safe distance.
19
Place a block of redstone on top of the second piston. This will prevent the piston from retracting and resetting when you turn off the lever.
20
Turn off the lever and remove the repeaters and obsidian blocks. Once you have two headless pistons extended. You can remove the redstone repeaters and the obsidian blocks. They are no longer needed.
21
Place a piston over the block you want to break. The head should extend facing upwards.
22
Stack 4 blocks next to the piston facing up. Stand next to the piston and stack four solid blocks below you.
23
Remove all but the top block. Use a pickaxe to delete all but the top block. You should have one block floating in the air.
24
Place a piston below the top block. The head of the piston should be facing down towards the ground.
25
Hold shift and place another piston below the piston facing down. You will need to hold shift to duck and place another piston under the piston you just placed. Again, the head of the piston should be facing down.
26
Place a redstone block next to the piston on top. This will cause that piston to extend with the piston below it attached. You'll have a piston with the head against the ground.
27
Remove the top block, top piston, and the redstone block attached to it. The top piston and redstone block are no longer needed. Go ahead and remove them.
28
Place a cobblestone block on the floor next to the piston. Place a solid block on the ground next to the piston facing down across from the piston facing up.
29
Place three slime blocks in an L shape after the cobblestone block. The last slime block should be to the left of the rest of other blocks and pistons.
30
Place a sticky piston next to the cobblestone block. The head of the sticky should be facing the slime blocks.
31
Place four solid blocks behind the sticky piston. You can use cobblestone or any other solid block.
32
Place two redstone comparators and two redstone repeaters in front of solid blocks. While facing the blocks place the comparators and repeaters in front of the solid blocks in the following order from left to right: Comparator, repeater, comparator, repeater.
33
Place two more redstone comparators and repeaters in front of the other ones. While facing the redstone comparators and repeaters you just laid down, place two more redstone comparators and repeaters in the following order: Repeater, repeater, comparator, comparator.
34
Place redstone in front of the redstone comparators and repeaters. Place redstone on the ground in front of the front row of redstone comparators and repeaters so that they are connected.
35
Place a lever next to the redstone. You can place it on the floor or any location that is connected to the redstone circuit.
36
Use redstone to connect the two headless pistons to the lever. If the two headless pistons aren't still connected. Place some redstone on the ground to connect the two headless pistons to the lever.
37
Activate the lever. This will power the redstone circuit and extend the sticky piston, connecting it to the green slime.
38
Remove the redstone blocks from atop the two headless pistons. While the redstone circuit is still active. Remove the redstone blocks from atop the two headless pistons.
39
Deactivate the lever. This will deactivate the circuit and retract the sticky piston and resetting the two headless pistons. If all works well you should end up with a hole in the bedrocks where the piston facing up was located.
- This is not guaranteed to work every time. If it does not work. Unfortunately, you will have to do it all over again.

Community Q&A

Question

Can I collect bedrock?

Community Answer

No, you cannot collect bedrock.
Question

Can I destroy bedrock with a maxed-out diamond pickax for a day and blown up with 10,005 pieces of TNT?

Community Answer

No. Bedrock can not be weakened by anything, so it would be a waste of time with the pickax; the TNT wouldn't do anything, so that would just be a waste of materials.
Question

Is it true that there's another layer if I go in the nether and shoot an Eye of Ender at the top?

Community Answer

Yes, but bring the materials to build another Nether portal or else you cannot get back.