Redstone Torch

A redstone torch is a non-solid block that produces a full-strength redstone signal on all sides adjacent to it, except for its attached block, and can power the block directly above it. It deactivates while the block it is attached to is powered.

Obtaining[]

In Java Edition, the inactive redstone torch cannot be obtained as an item. In Bedrock Edition, it can be obtained via inventory editing.

Breaking[]

A redstone torch can be broken instantly using any tool, or without a tool, and drops itself as an item.

A redstone torch is removed and drops as an item if:

• its attachment block is moved, removed, or destroyed
• water or lava flows into its space
• a piston pushes it or moves a block into its space

Natural generation[]

A single redstone torch is found inside each igloo. In ancient cities, multiple redstone torches can be found integrated into circuitry.

Crafting[]

Ingredients	Crafting recipe
Redstone Dust + Stick

Usage[]

Crafting ingredient[]

Redstone torches can be used to craft activator rails, redstone comparators, and redstone repeaters.

Name	Ingredients	Crafting recipe
Activator Rail	Iron Ingot + Stick + Redstone Torch	6
Redstone Comparator	Redstone Torch + Nether Quartz + Stone
Redstone Repeater	Redstone Torch + Redstone Dust + Stone

Redstone component[]

Redstone torches can be used to power blocks and transmission components such as redstone dust, activate mechanism components such as pistons, or invert redstone signals like a NOT Gate.

Placement

To place a redstone torch, use the Place Block control while aiming at the surface to which the redstone torch should be attached.

A redstone torch can be attached to:

• the top or side of any full solid opaque block (stone, dirt, blocks of gold, etc.), including full-block mechanism components (command blocks, dispensers, droppers, note blocks, and redstone lamps)
• the top only or side only of certain block. SeeOpacity/Placement.

Redstone torches cannot be attached to the bottoms of any blocks.

Attempting to attach a redstone torch to an invalid surface can cause it to "snap" to a valid surface adjacent to the same space. For example, if a fence is on the ground, attempting to attach a redstone torch to the side of the fence causes the redstone torch to be attached to the top of the ground next to the fence instead.

Activation

A redstone torch is active unless the block it is attached to is powered. Effectively, a redstone torch inverts the signal applied to its attachment block: power level 0 is changed to 15 and power levels 1 to 15 are changed to 0 (for an alternative that produces a greater range of output power levels, consider a redstone comparator in subtraction mode).

Walls, fences, glass, slabs, hoppers, and stairs cannot be powered so redstone torches attached to them cannot be deactivated.

A redstone torch takes 1 redstone tick (2 game ticks, or 0.1 seconds barring lag) to change state and usually does not respond to 1-tick fluctuations of power.

Behavior

While active, a redstone torch:

• powers adjacent redstone dust to power level 15, including beneath the redstone torch if it is attached to the side of a block
• powers adjacent redstone comparators or redstone repeaters facing away from the redstone torch to power level 15
• strongly powers a full solid opaque block above the redstone torch to power level 15 (but not next to or below it)
• activates adjacent mechanism components, including above or below, such as pistons, redstone lamps, etc.
• produces "reddust" particles

A redstone torch never affects the block it is attached to, even if it is a mechanism component. For example, a redstone torch attached to a redstone lamp does not activate the lamp.

A redstone torch experiences "burn-out" when it is forced to change state (by powering and de-powering the block it is attached to) more than eight times in 60 game ticks (three seconds, barring lag). After burning out, a redstone torch produces a "smoke" particle and a hiss similar to an extinguished fire, deactivates, and then ignores attempts to change its state until the number of state changes in the last 60 game ticks drops to fewer than eight—after that it re-activates when it receives a block update (an adjacent block changing its state) or a redstone update that would not normally deactivate the redstone torch. There is no limit on how often a single redstone torch can burn out.

Sounds[]

Generic[]

Java Edition:

Sound	Subtitles	Source	Description	Resource location	Translation key	Volume	Pitch	Attenuation distance
	Block broken	Blocks	Once the block has broken	block.wood.break	subtitles.block.generic.break	1.0	0.8	16
	Block placed	Blocks	When the block is placed	block.wood.place	subtitles.block.generic.place	1.0	0.8	16
	Block breaking	Blocks	While the block is in the process of being broken	block.wood.hit	subtitles.block.generic.hit	0.25	0.5	16
	None[sound 1]	Entity-Dependent	Falling on the block with fall damage	block.wood.fall	None[sound 1]	0.5	0.75	16
	Footsteps	Entity-Dependent	Walking on the block	block.wood.step	subtitles.block.generic.footsteps	0.15	1.0	16

Bedrock Edition:

Sound	Source	Description	Resource location	Volume	Pitch
	Blocks	Once the block has broken	dig.wood	1.0	0.8-1.0
	Blocks	When the block is placed	dig.wood	1.0	0.8
	Blocks	While the block is in the process of being broken	hit.wood	0.23	0.5
	Players	Falling on the block with fall damage	fall.wood	0.4	1.0
	Players	Walking on the block	step.wood	0.3	1.0
	Players	Jumping from the block	jump.wood	0.12	1.0
	Players	Falling on the block without fall damage	land.wood	0.18	1.0

Unique[]

Java Edition:

Sound	Subtitles	Source	Description	Resource location	Translation key	Volume	Pitch	Attenuation distance
	Torch fizzes	Blocks	When a redstone torch burns out	block.redstone_torch.burnout	subtitles.block.redstone_torch.burnout	0.5	1.8-3.4	16

Bedrock Edition:

Sound	Source	Description	Resource location	Volume	Pitch
	Blocks	When a redstone torch burns out	random.fizz	1.0 [verify]	2.0 [verify]

Data values[]

ID[]

Java Edition:

Name	Identifier	Form	Block tags	Translation key
Redstone Torch	redstone_torch	Block & Item	wall_post_override	block.minecraft.redstone_torch
Redstone Wall Torch	redstone_wall_torch	Block	None	block.minecraft.redstone_wall_torch

Bedrock Edition:

Name	Identifier	Numeric ID	Form	Item ID[i 1]	Translation key
Redstone Torch	redstone_torch	76	Block & Giveable Item[i 2]	Identical[i 3]	tile.redstone_torch.name
Unlit Redstone Torch	unlit_redstone_torch	75	Block & Ungiveable Item[i 4]	Identical[i 3]	tile.unlit_redstone_torch.name

Block states[]

Java Edition:
Floor:

Name	Default value	Allowed values	Description
lit	true	false true	If the torch is lit.

Wall:

Name	Default value	Allowed values	Description
facing	north	east north south west	The direction the top of the torch is facing.
lit	true	false true	If the torch is lit.

Bedrock Edition:

Name	Metadata Bits	Default value	Allowed values	Values for Metadata Bits	Description
torch_facing_direction	0x1 0x2 0x4	west	west east north south top	1 2 3 4 5	The face of the block that the torch is attached to. If the torch is a wall torch, the top of the torch faces opposite to this direction.[1]
			unknown	0	Unused

History[]

Java Edition Alpha
v1.0.1					Added redstone torches.
					Redstone torches currently make flame particles.
v1.0.2_01					Redstone torches now signal into blocks only above or beside them.
v1.1.0					Redstone torches can no longer be placed on tree leaves, but only in fancy mode.
v1.2.0_02					Redstone torches no longer duplicate in multiplayer.
Java Edition Beta
1.2_01					Redstone torches acting proper weird when placed has now been fixed.
1.3					Redstone torches are now used to craft redstone repeaters.
1.6.6					Redstone torches can now be placed on glowstone.
1.7					Redstone torches can now be placed on the top of fences.
1.7.3					A redstone torch duplication bug when using pistons has now been corrected.
Java Edition
?					Redstone torches no longer produce both redstone torch particles and redstone dust particles when broken.
1.2.1		?			'Burn-out' time of redstone torches has now been reduced from 100 ticks to 60 ticks.
		12w07a			Redstone torches can now be placed on the top of glass.
1.3.1		12w25a			Redstone torches can now be placed on upside-down slabs and stairs.
1.4.4		1.4.3			Redstone torches now have a bottom texture, visible on wall torches or torches placed on top of glass.[2]
1.5		13w01a			Redstone torches can now be used to craft redstone comparators and activator rails.
?					Redstone torches can now be placed on the side of jack o'lanterns.
1.8		14w07a			Redstone torches placed on walls are now rotated cuboids rather than a parallelpiped. Their top texture now also rotates accordingly.
		14w25a			Burnt-out redstone torches no longer randomly fix themselves.
					Redstone torches are now incorrectly affected by directional shading.
		14w33c			Redstone torches are no longer affected by ambient occlusion.
1.9		15w43a			A redstone torch now generates as part of igloos.
1.13		17w47a			The different block IDs have been split up and merged into redstone_torch for on the ground, and redstone_wall_torch for on a wall.
					A lit block state has been added for redstone torches.
					Prior to The Flattening, these blocks' numeral IDs were 75 and 76.
		17w48a			Redstone torches can now be placed on the top of jack o'lanterns.
1.14		18w43a			The texture of redstone torches has now been changed.
		19w12b			Redstone torches can now be placed on ice, glowstone and sea lanterns.
1.19		22w13a			Redstone torches now generate in ancient cities.
Pocket Edition Alpha
v0.13.0		build 1			Added redstone torches.
v0.15.0		?			File:Redstone Wall Torch (N) BE2.png File:Redstone Wall Torch (E) BE2.png File:Redstone Wall Torch (W) BE2.png The back faces of redstone torches now render.[needs testing]
Pocket Edition
1.0.0		alpha 0.17.0.1			A redstone torch now generates as part of igloos.
Bedrock Edition
1.10.0		beta 1.10.0.3			The texture of redstone torches has now been changed.
Legacy Console Edition
TU1	CU1	1.0	Patch 1	1.0.1	[verify] Added redstone torches.
TU43	CU33	1.36	Patch 13		A redstone torch now generates as part of igloos.
		1.90			File:Redstone Wall Torch (N) LCE2.png File:Redstone Wall Torch (E) LCE2.png File:Redstone Wall Torch (W) LCE2.png The texture of redstone torches has now been changed. Whether anything happened to the unlit torch is unknown.
New Nintendo 3DS Edition
0.1.0					[verify] Added redstone torches.

Unlit redstone torch "item"[]

The following content is transcluded from Technical blocks/Unlit Redstone Torch.

Java Edition Alpha
v1.0.1					Unlit redstone torches have an unobtainable item form corresponding to its block ID, which uses the inactive texture. It can be obtained via inventory editors with numeric item ID 75.
Java Edition Beta
1.6		Test Build 3			Unlit redstone torch items can be obtained from the newly added debug chests, mainly from the 17th slot of the 3rd chest from the left, and the 1st slot of the 7th chest from the left.
		release			Debug chests no longer spawn, preventing unlit redstone torch items from being obtained this way.
1.8		Pre-release 2 ;)			Added pick block functionality. This will change the currently selected slot to any containing this otherwise-unobtainable redstone torch item, but will not allow it to be obtained if not already in the hotbar.
Java Edition
1.2.5		pre			Pick Block now returns the actually obtainable redstone torch item.
1.3.1		12w16a			Unlit redstone torch items can now be obtained in singleplayer worlds via the /give command using the respective numeric ID.
1.7.2		13w37a			The direct item form of unlit redstone torches has been removed from the game. It can no longer exist as an item in any way, only as a placed block.
?					Added BlockStateTag, which allows to obtain all valid block states of respective block. This tag allows to obtain many technical blocks otherwise cannot be obtained, including unlit redstone torch.
Bedrock Edition
?					Unlit redstone torches probably exist as an item.

Names[]

Java Edition

Item names did not exist prior to Beta 1.0.

• Beta 1.0 - 13w36b: Redstone Torch

Trivia[]

• In Minecraft Earth, the icon in the inventory shows an unlit redstone torch.

Issues[]

Issues relating to "Redstone Torch" are maintained on the bug tracker. Report issues there.

Gallery[]

Renders[]

• 

  Redstone Torch

• 

  Unlit

• 

  Redstone Torch (BE)

• 

  Unlit (BE)

• 

  Redstone Wall Torch

• 

  Unlit

• 

  Redstone Wall Torch (BE)

• 

  Unlit (BE)

In other media[]

• 

  Several characters carrying redstone torches.^[3]

• 

  Official replica of a redstone torch.

References[]