This article is about the placeholder block. For the unknown element, see Element § ???. For the Minecraft Dungeons mission, see MCD:???.
| Renewable | No |
|---|---|
| Stackable | No |
| Tool | Any tool |
| Blast resistance | 0 |
| Hardness | 0 |
| Luminous | No |
| Transparent | No |
| Flammable | No |
| Catches fire from lava |
No |
| Note block instrument | Default (Harp) |
Unknown is a placeholder block exclusive to Bedrock Edition that generates in place where blocks have an invalid ID or invalid component in their behavior files. If the block has a unique model, it takes the shape of that model.
Obtaining
Breaking
The unknown block drops nothing when broken, and breaks instantly with any tool.
- incorrect tool, drops nothing
- correct tool, drops nothing or something other than the block itself
- correct tool, drops the block itself
- italicized can be instant mined
Natural generation
Loading a block with an incorrect ID in any world results in it being replaced by an unknown block, although it retains its ID. The ID is not retained upon being broken. It is often caused by corruption or force opening a world of a higher version than the client, as the game does not recognize the ID of newer blocks.
Examples of the unknown block naturally generating include placing an add-on and then removing the add-on from the world, or placing an Minecraft Education-exclusive block and loading the world on a vanilla version.
Behavior
The unknown block breaks instantly, and is able to be placed if it has been converted to the unknown identifier. If it still retains the invalid identifier, such as when obtained via pick block, it cannot be placed, though it flashes briefly on the client. Like ice, it has low friction, but only for the player. When the player moves on it, the movement stutters, teleporting the player slightly forward or backward. When attempting to drop the item from the hotbar, it plays the sound but remains in the inventory triggering the pick up item animation. The item can be disposed by dropping it from the inventory or destroying it in the Creative inventory.
Sounds
 normal sound type | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sound | Closed captions | Source | Description | Identifier | Translation key | Volume | Pitch |
| Block broken | Blocks | Once the block has broken | dig | subtitles | 1.0 | 0.8–1.0 | |
| Block placed | Blocks | When the block is placed | place | subtitles | 1.0 | 0.8–1.0 | |
| Block breaking | Blocks | While the block is in the process of being broken | hit | subtitles | 0.27 [sound 1] | 0.5 | |
| Footsteps | Players | Falling on the block with fall damage | fall | subtitles | 0.4 | 1.0 | |
| Footsteps | Players | Walking on the block | step | subtitles | 0.3 | 1.0 | |
| Footsteps | Blocks | Jumping from the block | jump | subtitles | 0.12 | 1.0 | |
| Footsteps | Blocks | Falling on the block without fall damage | land | subtitles | 0.22 | 1.0 | |
- ↑ MCPE-169612 – Many blocks make slightly different sounds to stone
Data values
ID
| Name | Identifier | Numeric ID | Form | Item ID[i 1] | Translation key |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Unknown | unknown | 560 | Block & Ungiveable Item[i 2] | Identical[i 3] (Numeric: -305) |
tile |
History
| Pocket Edition Alpha | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| v0.11.0 | build 1 |  A placeholder block was added to represent blocks with invalid IDs, replacing the functionality formerly used by info_update. | |||||
| Bedrock Edition | |||||||
| ? | The placeholder block now displays the name "Unknown". | ||||||
| 1.16.100 | beta 1.16.100.59 | "Unknown" can now be placed with commands, and be obtained by breaking. | |||||
| 1.20.30 | Preview 1.20.30.20 | Unknown blocks can no longer be placed via commands. | |||||
| 1.20.80 | Preview 1.20.80.21 |  The texture of the unknown block has been changed and can’t be obtained by breaking. | |||||
