AFK on Survival is an automatic system. If you stand still for long enough in certain Survival areas, you get a countdown and are then moved to the AFK area, a quiet world away from everyone. For the network-wide explanation see AFK.
When it applies#
| Where you are idle | What happens |
|---|---|
| Survival overworld (outside spawn), Nether and End | Nothing. The system is switched off in the main worlds, so you are never moved |
| Spawn, the PvP world and the resource worlds | You are moved to the AFK area when idle |
| The AFK area itself | You stay there until you leave |
How it works#
- You are idle when you do not move, click, open an inventory or take damage. Turning your head does not count as moving.
- After about 10 to 15 minutes of idling the game flags you as AFK. The server checks every 5 minutes and flags anyone who has been idle for at least 10 minutes.
- A warning shows on screen: "You will be marked as AFK in 10s!" with "Move or interact to avoid being marked as AFK." It counts down each second.
- Move or interact during the countdown and nothing happens.
- If you do nothing, you are teleported to the AFK area.
Coming back#
Run /afkback (or click the link in the chat message "You were moved to the AFK area."). It teleports you back to where you went AFK.
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Return spot kept | 12 hours. After that you have no AFK location to return to |
| One use | The saved spot is cleared when you use it. A failed teleport restores it so you can try again |
| Safe spot | Searches within 8 blocks sideways of the old position for somewhere safe |
| Message | Meaning |
|---|---|
| "You have no AFK location to return to!" | Nothing saved, or it expired |
| "Couldn't find a safe location near where you went AFK." | The old spot is unsafe now |
If you lose the saved spot, use /spawn or one of your homes. See Homes and Teleports.
The AFK area#
- The AFK area is its own world, separate from the overworld. See Spawn, PvP World and AFK Area.
- Players in the AFK area are hidden from each other.
- You stay in the AFK area until you leave it. Run
/afkbackto return.
Tips#
- Being AFK in the main worlds is not penalised by this system, but other players and your claim settings still apply. Keep your base claimed. See Land Claims.
- Standing at spawn while idle will move you. Go back with
/afkback.
See also#
- AFK for AFK across the network
- Survival Worlds for the worlds