Red Sand

Red Sand

Renewable	Yes
Stackable	Yes (64)
Tool
Blast resistance	0.5
Hardness	0.5
Luminous	No
Transparent	No
Waterloggable	No
Flammable	No
Catches fire from lava	No
Map color (JE)	15 COLOR_ORANGE

{
    "title": "Red Sand",
    "rows": [
        {
            "field": "Yes",
            "label": "(link to Renewable resource article, displayed as Renewable)"
        },
        {
            "field": "Yes (64)",
            "label": "Stackable"
        },
        {
            "field": "<span class=\"sprite-file\" style=\"height:32px;width:32px;--vertical-align:middle\">(link to File:SlotSprite Shovel Required.png article, displayed as 32x32px|link=Shovel|alt=|class=pixel-image|)</span>",
            "label": "Tool"
        },
        {
            "field": "0.5",
            "label": "(link to Explosion#Blast resistance article, displayed as Blast resistance)"
        },
        {
            "field": "0.5",
            "label": "(link to Breaking#Blocks by hardness article, displayed as Hardness)"
        },
        {
            "field": "No",
            "label": "(link to Light article, displayed as Luminous)"
        },
        {
            "field": "No",
            "label": "(link to Opacity article, displayed as Transparent)"
        },
        {
            "field": "No",
            "label": "(link to Waterlogging article, displayed as Waterloggable)"
        },
        {
            "field": "No",
            "label": "(link to Flammable article, displayed as Flammable)"
        },
        {
            "field": "No",
            "label": "Catches fire<br>from (link to lava article, displayed as lava)"
        },
        {
            "field": "<span style=\"display: inline-block; white-space: nowrap;\"><span style=\"display: inline-block; background-color: rgb(216, 127, 51); border: 1px solid #888; border-radius: 0.3em; width: 1em; height: 1em; vertical-align: -0.36em; margin-right: -0.1em\"><br></span> 15 COLOR_ORANGE</span>",
            "label": "(link to Map color article, displayed as Map color) <small>((link to Java Edition article, displayed as ''JE''))</small>"
        }
    ],
    "invimages": [
        "Red Sand"
    ],
    "images": [
        "Red Sand.png"
    ]
}

Red sand is a variation of sand found exclusively in badlands biomes.

Obtaining

Breaking

Red sand can be broken without tools, but a shovel is the fastest way of obtaining it.

Block
Hardness	0.5
Tool
Breaking time (sec)[A]
Default	0.75
Wooden	0.4
Stone	0.2
Copper ​	0.15
Iron	0.15
Diamond	0.1
Netherite	0.1
Golden	0.1
Options
Efficiency	000
Haste	001 1JEBE

Legend

• 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

Red sand generates naturally in Badlands biomes and variants, always in a single layer. Unlike sand, there is no red sandstone that supports it below.

Mob loot

An enderman holding a red sand block drops the block upon death.

Trading

Wandering traders sell 4 red sand for one emerald. This is the only renewable method of obtaining red sand. Due to its low spawning rate and limited number of trades per spawn, it is more practical to obtain it through other means.

Usage

If the supporting block below a block of red sand is removed, it falls until it lands on the next available block. More specifically, the red sand block turns into a "falling block" entity, which is affected by gravity; when the falling block lands on a block with a solid top surface, it becomes a block again. More information about the falling block entity is available in the main article listed above.

If falling red sand lands and covers the head of a mob or the player, the mob or player buried in it continuously receives suffocation damage. If falling red sand lands in the space occupied by a non-solid block (such as torch, rail, or redstone dust) or a block less than a full block tall (such as slab or soul sand^[1]), the red sand drops and turns into an item. If it falls onto a cobweb, it falls slowly until it has gone through completely; if it touches the ground while still inside the cobweb, the red sand becomes an item. Red sand that falls onto a lifting bubble column floats on top of the water until the bubble column is blocked or removed.

Though TNT does not break any blocks if it explodes underwater, if sand (including red sand), concrete powder (in one-block-deep water only), or gravel falls and covers the TNT before it explodes, blocks are broken as normal. This trick can be used to collect blocks underwater, or break into underwater structures such as the ocean monument without mining.

Crafting ingredient

Name	Ingredients	Crafting recipe	Description
Red Sandstone
TNT	Gunpowder +		It is possible to use any combination of sand and red sand.

Smelting ingredient

Name	Ingredients	Smelting recipe
Glass	+ Any fuel	0.1

Construction

Red sand can be used in the construction of airlocks and mob suffocation traps. Because red sand falls, it can also be used for construction underwater while the player remains above the surface of the water.

Farms

Cactus can only be placed on red sand or sand, and can also be used for farming bamboo, sugar cane and kelp.

Turtle eggs

A turtle egg can hatch on red sand, but not any other non-sand block.

Note blocks

Red sand can be placed under note blocks to produce "snare drum" sound.

Ambience

Red sand emits sandy ambient noises independent from the current biome if there is a sand, red sand, terracotta or stained terracotta block 8 blocks away in 3 of the 4 horizontal directions. The central red sand block must have access to the sky (i.e. should not be covered by any opaque or light-filtering block). The 3 other required blocks can be placed at different Y levels from the central block, but must be located on the world surface (must not have any non-air blocks above them).

Additional windy ambient sounds play if the red sand block is located in a desert, badlands, wooded badlands, or eroded badlands biome, provided it still meets the conditions described above.

If all the conditions for the respective ambient sounds are met, on each tick a red sand block has an ¹⁄₁₆₀₀ chance to play a sandy noise and an ¹⁄₁₀₀₀₀ chance to play a windy sound.

Sounds

Generic

Java Edition:

v t e sand sound type
Sound	Subtitles	Source	Description	Resource location	Translation key	Volume	Pitch	Attenuation distance
	​Block broken	Blocks	Once the block has broken	block.sand.break	subtitles.block.generic.break​	1.0	0.8	16
	​Block placed	Blocks	When the block is placed	block.sand.place	subtitles.block.generic.place​	1.0	0.8	16
	​Block breaking	Blocks	While the block is in the process of being broken	block.sand.hit	subtitles.block.generic.hit​	0.25	0.5	16
	​Something falls on a block	Entity-Dependent	Falling on the block with fall damage	block.sand.fall	subtitles.block.generic.fall​	0.5	0.75	16
	​Footsteps	Entity-Dependent	Walking on the block	block.sand.step	subtitles.block.generic.footsteps​	0.15	1.0	16

Bedrock Edition:

v t e sand sound type
Sound	Source	Description	Resource location	Volume	Pitch
	Blocks	Once the block has broken	dig.sand	1.0	0.8-1.0
	Blocks	When the block is placed	dig.sand	1.0	0.8-1.0
	Blocks	While the block is in the process of being broken	hit.sand	0.23	0.5
	Players	Falling on the block with fall damage	fall.sand	0.4	1.0
	Players	Walking on the block	step.sand	0.15	1.0
	Blocks	Jumping from the block	jump.sand	0.05	1.0
	Blocks	Falling on the block without fall damage	land.sand	0.14	1.0

Unique

Data values

ID

Java Edition:

Name	Identifier	Form	Block tags	Item tags	Translation key
Red Sand	red_sand	Block & Item	bamboo_plantable_on enderman_holdable sand mineable/shovel	sand	block.minecraft.red_sand

Bedrock Edition:

Name	Identifier	Alias ID	Numeric ID	Form	Item ID[i 1]	Translation key
Red Sand	red_sand	sand / 1	-949	Block & Giveable Item[i 2]	Identical[i 3]	tile.sand.red.name

Falling block entity

Falling Block

Hitbox size	Height: 0.98 blocks Width: 0.98 blocks

{
    "title": "Falling Block",
    "rows": [
        {
            "field": "Height: 0.98 blocks<br>Width: 0.98 blocks",
            "label": "(link to Hitbox article, displayed as Hitbox size)"
        }
    ],
    "invimages": [],
    "images": []
}

History

Java Edition
1.7.2			13w39a				Added red sand.
1.8			14w27b				Red sand's textures now rotate randomly, making beaches and deserts look less uniform.
1.10			16w20a				Falling dust particles for unsupported red sand have been added.
1.14			18w43a				The texture of red sand have been changed.
			18w47a				The texture of red sand has been changed, once again.
			19w05a				Added wandering traders, which sell red sand, making red sand a renewable resource.
1.16			Pre-release 3				Turtle eggs can now hatch on red sand.[2]
1.21.5			25w05a				Sand, red sand and terracotta of any color have a chance of playing ambient sounds when surrounded by any one of them on at least 3 sides 8 blocks away.
1.21.6			25w15a				Ambient sand sounds no longer require sky access to play. Slightly decreased the chance for them to play. They now play in all biomes equally.
							Red sand no longer makes ambient wind sounds (.block.sand.wind).
Pocket Edition Alpha
v0.9.0			build 1				Added red sand.
			build 2				Red sand no longer turns into regular sand when falling.
v0.14.0			build 1				Red sand can now be used to craft red sandstone.
Bedrock Edition
1.10.0			beta 1.10.0.3				The textures of red sand have been changed.
1.11.0			beta 1.11.0.4				Red sand can now be bought from wandering traders.
1.21.70 Experiment Drop 1 2025			Preview 1.21.70.20				Sand, red sand and terracotta of any color have a chance of playing ambient sounds when surrounded by any one of them on at least 3 sides 8 blocks away.
1.21.90			Preview 1.21.90.21				Ambient sand sounds no longer require sky access to play. Slightly decreased the chance for them to play. They now play in all biomes equally.
							Red sand no longer makes ambient wind sounds (.block.sand.wind).
Legacy Console Edition
Xbox 360	Xbox One	PS3	PS4	PS Vita	Wii U	Switch
TU31	CU19	1.22	1.22	1.22	Patch 3	1.0.1	Added red sand.
TU46	CU36	1.38	1.38	1.38	Patch 15		Falling dust particles for unsupported red sand have been added.
			1.90				The textures of red sand have been changed.
			1.91				Red sand can now be bought from wandering traders.
							Red sand can now be smelted in a blast furnace.
New Nintendo 3DS Edition
0.1.0							Added red sand.

Data history

Java Edition
1.8			14w06a				Red sand now uses the newly-implemented model json file models/block/cube.json; previously the geometry was defined in the game code itself.
			14w10a				Sand with numerical metadata variants 2 through 15, which are inaccessible through normal gameplay, now have no model rather than appearing identical to sand.
			14w25a				Sand and its variant are now defined via block states rather than by numerical metadata. Prior to this version, the numerical metadata variants of sand were as follows: DV Description 0 Sand 1 Red Sand 2-15 Inaccessible "boring" variants of sand
			14w26a				Sand with metadata values 2 through 15 have now been completely removed from the game.
1.13			17w47a				The different block states for the sand ID have been split up into their own IDs.
							Prior to The Flattening, this block's numeral ID was 12.
Bedrock Edition
1.21.20			Preview 1.21.20.22				The different block states for the sand ID have now been split up into their own IDs.
							Prior to this version, the block state variants of sand were as follows: Name Default value Allowed values Description sand_type normal normal Sand red

Issues

Issues relating to "Red Sand" are maintained on the bug tracker. Issues should be reported and viewed there.

Gallery

• 
  Naturally generated red sand in a badlands biome.

See also

• Explained physics of falling blocks.
• Desert
• Sandstone

References

Navigation

v t e Blocks
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Unused Bedrock Edition only Chalkboard BE & edu only Camera Block Chiseled Purpur tile.client_request_placeholder_block.name Deprecated Anvil tile.deprecated_purpur_block_2.name Glowing Obsidian tile.info_update.name tile.info_update2.name Invisible Bedrock Nether Reactor Core tile.reserved6.name Stonecutter (old) Unknown
Unimplemented All editions Blue Berries Branches Copper Button Colored Planks Coral Slab Dead Dirt Slab Empty Barrel Fish Barrel Furniture Paeonia Sand Layer Sculk Jaw Spike Block Wax Block
Joke April Fools 2013 Block of Coal Etho Slab Tinted Glass Torch (Burnt-out) April Fools 2016 USB Charger Block April Fools 2020 An Ant Box of Infinite Books Cursor Funky Portal Leftover Swaggiest stairs ever April Fools 2022 How did we get here? April Fools 2023 Cheese Copper Sink Filled Copper Spleaves Golden Chest Other Portal Packed Air Pickaxe Block Place Block April Fools 2024 Baked Potato Bricks Expired Charred Big Brain Block of Amber Block of Potato Peels Corrupted Floatater Floatato Frying Table Gravtater Pedestal Peelgrass Block Corrupted Poison Farmland Poison Path Poisonous Mashed Potato Poisonous Potato Block Compressed Double Compressed Triple Compressed Quadruple Compressed Poisonous Potato Cutter Poisonous Potato Head Block Poisonous Potato Headpiece Poisonous Potato Ore Deepslate Potato Battery Potato Bud Potato flower Potato Fruit Potato Leaves Potato Pedicule Potato Portal Potato Refinery Potato Sprouts Potato Stem Planks Slab Stairs Door Trapdoor Button Pressure Plate Sign Hanging Sign Fence Fence Gate Potone Copper Ore Diamond Ore Gold Ore Iron Ore Lapis Lazuli Ore Redstone Ore Resin Ore Powerful Potato Strong Roots Taterstone Terre de Pomme Vicious Potato Weak Roots April Fools 2025 Dimension Control Mine Travelling Block Mine Revisitor Mine Crafter Mob Trophy Shimmering Door Sky Trophy
Extreme metadata variants All editions Directionless Hopper Seamless Stone Slab Six-sided Hay Bale Six-sided Piston Java Edition only Faceless Furnace Faceless Jack o'Lantern Green Shrub Potted Inaccessible "Boring" Blocks Invisible stairs Misaligned torch Redstone Nether portal post Overripe Melon Stem Attached Overripe Pumpkin Stem Attached Overgrown Cocoa Overeaten Cake Overgrown Wheat Crops Potted non-flower block Snowy Dirt Coarse Strange buttons Bedrock Edition only Bell Stand Diorite Bell Granite Bell Polished Six-sided Bone Block Six-sided Purpur Pillar Six-sided Quartz Pillar Smokeless Campfire

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