3 Ways to Download & Install Shaders for Minecraft: Pocket Edition

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Add shaders to Minecraft and make the game more beautiful

Written by Travis Boylls

Last Updated: January 24, 2026 Fact Checked

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• Using Vibrant Visuals
|
• Downloading from Marketplace
|
• Downloading from the Internet
|
• Video
|
• Q&A

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Minecraft has been known for its simple, blocky graphics. However, if you want to improve the visuals, there are many options to do so, even on mobile devices, although not all devices may be supported. Vibrant Visuals is a recent upgrade to Minecraft that improves the visuals. You can also download texture packs and shaders from the Marketplace or the internet. This wikiHow article teaches you how to download, install, and activate shaders on Minecraft on mobile devices.

Download Shaders for Minecraft on Mobile Devices

You can activate Vibrant Visuals in the Video settings if it is supported by your device. You can also purchase texture packs and shaders from Minecraft Marketplace. Alternatively, you can download “.mcpack” files from various websites online. Open the file and select Minecraft to install the file automatically.

Steps

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Using Vibrant Visuals

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1. 1
   Make sure your device is compatible with Vibrant Visuals. Vibrant Visuals is a free graphics upgrade to Minecraft that improves the visuals. It adds shadows, infinite clouds, reflective waters, and volumetric lighting. Vibrant Visuals is only supported on higher-end devices with a good processor. The following are the requirements for Vibrant Visuals:

   • Android: Devices running on an Adreno 640, Mali-G68, Mali-G77, Xclipse 530 CPU or higher.
   • iPhone & iPad: Devices running on an A12 or M1 chip or higher
2. 2
   Open the Settings menu. To do so, tap Settings on the title screen. Alternatively, you can open the Settings menu in-game by tapping the Pause menu at the top of the screen. Then tap the icon that resembles three slider bars to open the Settings menu.
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3. 3
   Tap Video. You’ll need to scroll down in the panel on the left side. Tap Video, which is next to an icon that resembles a computer monitor.
4. 4
   Select “Vibrant Visuals” as the graphics mode. Use the drop-down menu below “Graphics Mode” to select “Vibrant Visuals.”

   • If this option is greyed out, your device may not be compatible, or you may be using conflicting add-ons. Try disabling any other texture packs you may have.
5. 5
   Select the graphics settings. Tap Favor Visuals below the drop-down menu to automatically set the graphics settings to favor graphical fidelity over performance. If you find there is too much lag with these settings, select Favor Performance instead. You can also tap Custom and then tap Vibrant Visuals Options. You can adjust the following options:

   • Shadow quality: This adjusts the quality of the shadows.
   • Cloud range: This adjusts how far clouds are drawn in the distance.
   • Volumetric fog quality: This adjusts the quality of light shining through fog.
   • Reflections: This adjusts the quality of reflections on water.
   • Bloom Intensity: This adjusts how intense the halo effect around lights and light reflections are.
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Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Downloading from Marketplace

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1. 1
   Open Minecraft. Tap the Minecraft app icon, which resembles a grass block, on your Home screen or apps menu to launch Minecraft.
2. 2
   Tap Marketplace. It’s the third option on the title screen. There are a number of texture packs and shader upgrades you can download from the Minecraft Marketplace. You can download packs for Android or iOS.
3. 3
   Search for shaders and texture packs. To do so, tap Search in the upper-right corner. Then enter the name of a shader or texture pack you want to download. The following are some texture packs with shader packs you can try:

   • Realsim
   • Prizma Visuals
   • Ultra Realism
   • Realism Shades
   • Realism VFX
   • TrueRealism HD
   • Realism Craft
   • Realistic Biomes
   • Realism Fields+Forests
   • Realism World
   • Perfect Realism
   • Seasons Realism
   • Classic Shadows
   • Vibrant Realism
4. 4
   Purchase a shader pack. When you see a shader pack that looks good, tap on it. Then you can either tap the price tag button to purchase is with your Google or Apple Account, or tap the gold coin tag to purchase it with gold coins.

   • Shaders and texture packs may not be available on devices that don’t have a good processor.
5. 5
   Activate the shader pack. Use the following steps to do so:

   • Tap Settings on the title screen.
   • Tap Global Resources.
   • Tap My Packs.
   • Tap Activate next to the pack you want to use.
6. 6
   Activate a shader pack for a specific world. Use the following steps to do so:

   • Tap Play on the title screen.
   • Tap Edit next to the world you want to activate the shader pack for.
   • Tap Resource Packs in the menu to the left.
   • Tap Owned in the panel on the right.
   • Tap Activate next to the shader pack you want to use.
   • Play the game.
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Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Downloading from the Internet

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1. 1
   Search for shaders for Minecraft online. There are several websites you can use to download shaders and other mods for Minecraft. The following are a few:

   • mcpecentral.com
   • www.curseforge.com
   • mcpedl.com
2. 2
   Download a shader pack for Minecraft. Make sure the shader pack is for Minecraft: Bedrock Edition and not Minecraft: Java Edition. When you find a shader you want to download, tap the download link to download it.

   • Some download links may take you to third-party hosting sites that contains intrusive ads and pop-ups. Be careful not to click on any of these links as they may contain malware downloads.
   • Some shader packs with advanced graphics may require a high-end device with a good processor to run. They may not be supported on budget low-end to high-end devices.
3. 3
   Open a file manager app. iPhone and iPad have the Files app. Most Android devices come Files by Google as the default file manager. Samsung Galaxy devices come with My Files. You can open one of these in the Apps menu on your device.

   • If you don’t have a file manager app, you can download Files by Google or a third-party file manager app from the Google Play Store.
4. 4
   Make sure the file is a “.mcpack” file. In some cases, you may download a zip file containing an mcpack file. If so, simply unzip the file to retrieve the mcpack file within. In some cases, you may download a “.mcpack.zip” file. If this is the case, tap and hold the file to select it. Then tap the icon with three dots (⋮) at the bottom of the screen. Then tap Rename. Then remove the “.zip” at the end of the file.
5. 5
   Open the mcpack file. Simply tap the “.mcpack” file you downloaded to open it. You will be asked what program you want to open with.

   • Some shader packs may require you to install another mod or app first. If there is a Readme file for the pack, be sure to read it for instructions on how ot install the pack.
6. 6
   Select “Minecraft” as the program. You should see Minecraft as one of the app options to open the file with. Select Minecraft and then tap Always or Just Once at the bottom of the screen. This will launch Minecraft. You should see “Import Started” at the top of the title screen. When the import is finished, it should say “Import successful.”
7. 7
   Activate the shader pack. Use the following steps to do so:

   • Tap Settings on the title screen.
   • Tap Global Resources.
   • Tap My Packs.
   • Tap Activate next to the pack you want to use.
8. 8
   Activate a shader pack for a specific world. Use the following steps to do so:

   • Tap Play on the title screen.
   • Tap Edit next to the world you want to activate the shader pack for.
   • Tap Resource Packs in the menu to the left.
   • Tap Owned in the panel on the right.
   • Tap Activate next to the shader pack you want to use.
   • Play the game.
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Community Q&A

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• Question

  How can we disable shaders in Minecraft PE?

  

  ILikeSlugs

  Community Answer

  In Minecraft PE, go to the resource packs section. Click on "active" and then find the shader you're using. Click on it and select "deactivate".

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