How To: Change your characters on Minecraft Pocket Edition without Jailbreaking - Macenstein

How To: Change your characters on Minecraft Pocket Edition without Jailbreaking

UPDATE: With iOS 6 Apple has locked down the app directory, and this will no longer work. iExplorer is working on a solution but for now ether stick with iOS 5 or ask Mojang to allow us to import skins.

For fans of Minecraft, the Pocket Edition for the iPhone is a mixed blessing. On the one hand you can play your favorite game anywhere you go… on the other, there are a ton of missing features. Luckily, most of these features seem to be gradually making their way into the game via a series of updates, however one feature that is still not available is the ability to change the way your character looks via custom skins.

Iron man

Good thing Iron Man can fly!

Luckily, there IS a workaround, if you’re willing to do a little work, and it doesn’t even require jailbreaking! (Of course, there’s always the chance you might screw something up, so don’t blame me if you can’t follow directions and ruin your iPhone).

Here’s how to do it:

Step 01: Download and install iExplorer from Macroplant. It’s an awesome utility that allows you to explore and modify your iPhone/iPad’s contents, just like the Finder. It costs $34.99, but the demo version will let you do what you need to do if you are a cheapskate, but you can use it for so many things (like to view & Save Voicemails, Photos, videos, Address Book Contacts, Calendar, Reminders, Notes, Text Messages, and so much more) you may want to buy it eventually.

Step 02: Search for and download a skin you’d like to use. I use the site minecraftskins.com, but there are others. Once you’ve found your skin, hit the DOWNLOAD TO YOUR COMPUTER button (not the big green DOWNLOAD button)

Minecraft Pocket Edition change characters

Minecraft Pocket Edition change characters

Step 03: If you have Minecraft running on your iPhone, quit it, then plug your iPhone in to your computer, and Launch iExplorer.

Minecraft Pocket Edition change characters

Step 04: In the left-hand column of iExplorer, you should see a list of items on your iPhone. Choose APPS, and then scroll down to find Minecraft PE.

Minecraft Pocket Edition change characters

Step 05: Now Open that folder, and look for the folder called “minecraftpe.app“.

Minecraft Pocket Edition change characters

Step 06: Inside that folder, you will find a file called “char.png”. This the the default Stevie skin. What you want to do is drag that file from the iExplorer window to your desktop to make a copy. Better yet, do what I did, and make a new folder on your hard drive somewhere called “MineCraft Skins“, and drag the file there. It’s always a good idea to have the original saved somewhere safe in case you miss the old skin.

Minecraft Pocket Edition change characters

Step 07: Now, rename that file to “char_orig.png” or any name you’ll remember. Next, drag the skin you downloaded from Minecraftskins.com (it might be in your downloads folder) into your new Minecraft Skins folder.

Minecraft Pocket Edition change characters

Step 08: OK, so now comes the only sort of scary part. What you want to do now is go back into iExplorer, select the “char.png” file, and hit COMMAND DELETE (or right click on it and choose “Delete”). You will be prompted that it’s a bad idea to delete files if you don’t know what you are doing.

Minecraft Pocket Edition change characters

Step 09: OK, so now you are missing the “char.png” file, and you will need to replace it. Simply go back to your Minecraft Skins folder on your desktop, select your new downloaded skin, and rename it “char.png” (all lowercase).

Step 10: Drag it back into the “minecraftpe.app” folder in iExplorer. This almost always works on the first try for me, but I have had occasions where the file did not look like it copied over, but it did indeed. So if it doesn’t show up, don’t panic. Try launching Minecraft, and see if your skin worked. If not, quit it (and force quit it from the iPhone tray), and just keep dragging in your new char.png file until it does.

Adventure Time Minecraft Finn

Finn and Jake

This one's actually a bit of a cheat. It is a double-sided skin, so Finn is on the back of Jake.

So, that’s it. And now that you’ve done all that hard work, here are the things I should have mentioned at the top. First, unfortunately, this only changes the default skin on YOUR iPhone, so if you join a LAN game, your friends will still see you as Stevie, not your cool new Batman skin or whatever you downloaded. Likewise, since everyone in the game gets the Stevie skin by default, if you are playing a LAN game you will see everyone else as your new character, in addition to yourself. Thus, the multiple Iron Men and Finn’s seen above. Still, it’s pretty funny to watch these characters run around, fly, and get eaten by Zombies, and there are literally thousands of skins to choose from, and you can even take these skins into Photoshop and make your own! So get customizing!

(Oh, and I have no idea if your skins will stick through an app update, but once you’ve done this once it only takes about 2 minutes to do again).

Comments
75 Responses to “How To: Change your characters on Minecraft Pocket Edition without Jailbreaking”
  1. Rob says:

    Nice, now I can make a skin of my boss and watch him get eaten by zombies!

  2. Nick/Sirius? says:

    Can’t wait till I get some freakin GRASS so I can FARM! And I can’t wait till the expand maps.

  3. g says:

    tried a few different skins. Wouldnt work for me. Execute it exactly as stated. One odd thing, in iExplorer, when i delete the original it goes away. But when i drag in the new one it asks if i want to overwrite, which is a sign that iExplorer isn’t actually deleting the file. Not sure what to do about it. Seems like an iExplorer problem.

  4. Josefphh says:

    Minecraft Is awesome

  5. Joko says:

    When will there be a huger bar and buckets

  6. Minecrafter1732 says:

    When I try to delete the original char.png it says done but its still there. and its not my new skin ’cause i turn on Minecraft PE and it hasnt changed.

    • Amyrose says:

      Is it version 0.6.0?

      • Random342 says:

        Maybe, I tried this but didn’t work for me?
        I don’t know about you guys but I think I’ll stick with old Stevie.

      • taylor says:

        i have 0.6.1 so im not sure

        • KevinDragon says:

          Unfoutunately after a ton of research, Minecraft v0.6+ will not allow allow you to modify minecraft right now. I tried on windows 7/Xp/8 AND MAC. All doesn’t work. I drag the files to overwrite but the iphone rejects it and does’t allow it to overwrite. I think the reason why is just the IOS6 and the new v0.6.1 IOS 6 doesn’t work well with minecraft. D:. I am sorry guys to dissapotint us all but minecraft cannot be midified with IOS 6. so DONT UPDATE THE IOS 6 or ur scewed

          • MineTheWorld69 says:

            Oh yay there’s finally a benefit of me not updating!!!

          • SharkyDiver says:

            Darn!! I was watching some videos and it found out that the videos were from iPhone 3’s and stuff. 🙁

  7. Very nice tutorial. Thank you. Jailbreaking is no good! 😀

  8. Aguy says:

    Theres a coblestone sword in creative? You can’t get that on IOS?

  9. Campbell says:

    Dose it work on iPads?

  10. Danny says:

    I tried doing it and it only left me with a green person for all those who come onto my game and making me look normal to everyone. What happened, what did I do wrong? someone please tell me how to ether fix it or get it working right

  11. Flint Cole says:

    Please help char.png is not deleting.???? If it is because I have updated my iPod please say so.

  12. Ben says:

    Actually if you want a skin go to the App Store get skin creator and send your made skin to the data base and wait until the next update.

  13. Adrian says:

    It Doesnt Work Still Plz Helpp Me.Does It Work In 0.5.0 ?

  14. Amyrose says:

    Love it and I’m in Australia

  15. klevin says:

    i dont have the same image of the char.png should i still go on

  16. brad says:

    it wont let me delete the char.png file please help

  17. david says:

    it won’t let my iPhone connect to the computer

  18. Jordan says:

    I have an I pad how do you do this with an I pad ????????:(

  19. Connor says:

    Will it work on IOS 6.1.2

  20. chris says:

    yeah so i click delete file and it doesnt delete it?

  21. reyhan says:

    it wont let me delete the char.png please help

  22. Antonio says:

    It wont let me delete the char nor install a new 1 wat do i do n i jst got the game 2day

  23. Dave says:

    When i look for the iexplorer it says theres no demo version

  24. KSWG says:

    It won’t delete for me. I click “ok” and it just stays there.

  25. kakker says:

    Evidently, Apple has changed how file permissions work for the Apps folder, so iExplorer is no longer able to delete files such as “char.png” in iOS 6 and iOS 7. I have not been able to find a work around, so I would gather that the method described on this page is no longer valid. 🙁

  26. BLACK_HEART_28 says:

    Interesting I’m going to try that I’m going to do slender man or herobrine to scare my brother. :’D

  27. Roman says:

    You have to close the app by clicking the home button twice

  28. keana says:

    hi, uhmm.. i did your instructions and the delete message popped up and clicked DELETE and nothing happened it’s still there. I tried dragging it to the desktop and tried dragging it to trash/ and nothing happened. i promised my brothers that i will get their skins changed as soon as possible. and they know that i would never break a promise. PLEASE HELP!

  29. nathan says:

    i have 0.8.1 all u do is make a skin, name it char.png, put the skin that u made in the skin folder, press overwright and YOUR DONE! “yay”

  30. nathan says:

    it works with all versions

  31. Ken says:

    There are many reasons that is making new char.png be the Steve char.png.

    1. The old datas have the char.png of Steve.
    2. Your skin is foreign. If you have PE, Maybe you have XBOX or Desktop Skin.
    3. You haven’t permission to replace the data with any of your tricks.
    4. Maybe your renamed and selected skin is old (Steve) skin.
    5. You are a trying people.

  32. D34thB34stTXB132 says:

    This is the real thing. Changing skin and texturepack is only for iOS 5 and below. iOS 6 and above you need jailbreak. 🙁

  33. joshCokel says:

    i cant delete it! but i use mac
    help me

  34. Ilona says:

    same like joshCokel plz help !!!!

  35. Gertie says:

    Hi! I don’t have the minecraftpe.app folder showing on my iExplorer window.. mine only has Documents, Library, Storekit ( but on has 1 file inside which is the “receipt” something on it) and lastly is Temp. what should I do? please help! thanks!

  36. _tiggitiger_ says:

    Hey so the folder caller Minecraft.app it’s there…I mean it actually does not exist. What do i do??

  37. Watermellon223 says:

    HELP for some reason my minecraft Pe has no folder called minecraftpe.app where do I put my skin then????????? I’m using iPad 4

  38. XxGuyxX says:

    now it works with the 0.11.0 update

  39. I’m using iPod 4 iOS. 6 it won’t work

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