Freeze the world
/tick freezeMobs, redstone and block updates stop; players can still move and look around.
/tick command in Minecraft
The /tick command controls the game loop. It changes how many ticks run each second, freezes the world, advances it tick by tick or runs ticks as fast as possible. Builders use it to debug redstone, mapmakers for slow motion and admins to measure server performance.
Syntax
/tick freeze/tick query/tick rate <rate>/tick sprint (stop|<time>)/tick step [stop|<time>]/tick unfreeze// In single player with cheats on, you have level 4, so it works there too.
All 9 forms
- /tick freeze
- /tick query
- /tick rate <rate>
- /tick sprint stop
- /tick sprint <time>
- /tick step
- /tick step stop
- /tick step <time>
- /tick unfreeze
/tick freeze/tick freeze/tick query/tick query/tick rate/tick rate <rate>| Argument | Expects | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| rate | Number1 to 10,000 | Target ticks per second, from 1 to 10000. The normal value is 20. |
/tick sprint/tick sprint (stop|<time>)| Argument | Expects | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| time | Duration (ticks, or 10s, 2d)at least 1 | How much game time to run at full speed; 1d runs 24,000 ticks as fast as the machine allows. |
All 2 forms
- /tick sprint stop
- /tick sprint <time>
/tick step/tick step [stop|<time>]| Argument | Expects | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| timeoptional | Duration (ticks, or 10s, 2d)at least 1 | How many ticks to advance while frozen. Without it, the game advances a single tick. |
All 3 forms
- /tick step
- /tick step stop
- /tick step <time>
/tick unfreeze/tick unfreezeExamples
Advance a single tick
/tick stepMoves the frozen game forward by exactly one tick.
Advance one second
/tick step 20Runs 20 ticks, one second of game time, then freezes again.
Run the game in slow motion
/tick rate 5The game runs at a quarter of its normal speed.
Back to normal speed
/tick rate 20Restores the standard 20 ticks per second.
Run a full day at maximum speed
/tick sprint 1dCalculates 24,000 ticks as fast as possible, then reports the speed reached.
Check the server performance
/tick queryShows the target rate, the average time per tick and percentiles of recent ticks.
Build your commandFill in the fields, then copy the command.
Command generatorFreeze and step
/tick freeze stops mobs, block updates and redstone, while players can still move and look around. /tick step then advances one tick at a time, or more with a number. It only works on a frozen game, otherwise you get "Unable to step the game - the game must be frozen first". /tick unfreeze resumes everything.
Rate and sprint
/tick rate sets the target speed. Below 20 the game runs in slow motion. Above 20 it goes faster if the hardware keeps up, and query reports "The game is running, but can't keep up with the target tick rate" when it does not. /tick sprint runs a set amount of game time as fast as possible and reports the speed reached, which helps to test a long contraption.
Permission and limits
/tick needs permission level 3, one more than command blocks, so a Command Block cannot run it. The tick rate changes everything at once, unlike /time, which only moves the clock. To speed up crops alone, the lighter option is random_tick_speed with /gamerule. For a detailed performance report, /perf records several seconds of profiling.
✓ Checked in Java Edition 26.3 · updated 2 November 2026
/tick: FAQ
Does /tick rate change the time of day?
Yes, indirectly. The clock moves on with each tick, so a higher tick rate makes days pass faster. Use /time rate to change only the clock.
How do I get back to normal speed?
Run /tick rate 20 and, if the game is frozen, /tick unfreeze. 20 ticks per second is the normal speed of Java Edition.
How do I use /tick?
In single player with cheats on, or on a server as an operator or from the server console: /tick freeze.
Who can use /tick?
Server operator, level 3. In single player with cheats on, you have level 4, so it works there too.
Since when does /tick exist?
It is in the official command tree since Java Edition 1.20.3.
Related commands
/waypointCheats/timeCheats/weatherCheats/gameruleCheats/difficultyCheats/locateCheats/seedCheats/setworldspawnCheats