After overwhelmingly winning the Mob Vote 2022, Sniffer is finally a part of Minecraft and it's bringing a bunch of game-changing mechanics to the game. You get a giant friendly mob that can find rare seeds for you which grow into exclusive plants. It is nothing like any other Minecraft mob in terms of functionality, breeding, and especially spawning. With that, here is everything you need to know about the Sniffer in Minecraft and how to make the most out of it.
Sniffer in Minecraft
Note: Our guide goes over the experimental features of the upcoming Minecraft 1.20: Trails & Tales update. All the mechanics, features, and textures are bound to change in the final release.
What is Sniffer in Minecraft
- Health: 14 Points (7 Hearts)
- Type: Passive
- Drop: 1-3 experience points and a moss block
- Healing: 2 health points with each meal of torchflower seeds
- Variant: Snifflet (Baby)
- Item Interaction: Lead, torchflower seeds
Sniffer is an upcoming passive mob of Minecraft 1.20 alongside other features including archaeology, armor trims, and more. It is the first "ancient" mob of Minecraft and one of the only few mobs that don't spawn naturally in the game.
As a passive mob, the Sniffer is neutral and peaceful toward all other mobs and players. It doesn't attack you even if you hit it first and instead, just tries to run away. But you will want to keep it close as Sniffer can find ancient seeds. It uses its nose to sniff out exclusive seeds from the ground of the overworld.
You can then use these seeds to grow rare plants across your world, the likes of which don't exist in any Minecraft biome. This unlocks a whole new variety of plants, farms, and decorations that you shouldn't miss while creating a base in the best Minecraft survival servers.
Where Does Sniffer Spawn
As per the official announcements, the Sniffer doesn't spawn naturally in the world of Minecraft. Instead, you have to either find its egg inside an ocean ruin or a suspicious sand block. This fits with the overall theme of the Trails & Tales update which treats Sniffer as an ancient mob returning to the overworld after centuries.
Unfortunately, that's all we know about Sniffer's spawning at this point. The final concept of its discoverable egg is yet to be revealed. So, make sure to bookmark our page and stay tuned. Though, there still are other reliable ways to meet the sniffer.
How to Get Sniffer in Minecraft 1.20
Follow these steps to unlock Sniffer in your Minecraft world:
1. First, download the latest version of Minecraft Preview or Minecraft Snapshot/Pre-release. The Minecraft Preview is a separate app that allows you to test upcoming features of Minecraft. Meanwhile, Java players can find the latest snapshots in the launcher itself, within the installations section.
2. Next, launch Minecraft and click on the "Single Player" option.
3. Then, click on the "Create New World" button.
4. After that, go to the experiments section on the Bedrock edition and more options in the Java on Java edition to turn on the "Minecraft 1.20" features. Please note that on the newer Java snapshots, such experiments are turned on by default.
5. Finally, turn your "Game Mode" to creative and click on the "Create New World" button.
Spawn Egg of Sniffer
Now that you are inside a Minecraft world that has features of the Trails & Tales update, let's spawn the Sniffer.
1. First, press "E" or your dedicated inventory key to open the creative inventory.
2. Then, search for "Sniffer" in the search bar. The game will show you the Sniffer spawn egg as an item. Use your action key to pick it up and place it inside your inventory.
3. Finally, while holding the Sniffer spawn use, right-click or use your secondary action key to spawn the Sniffer. Since you are in creative mode, you can spawn as many Sniffers as you want. Using the egg in a smaller space might spawn a Snifflet.
Command to Spawn Sniffer in Minecraft
If the creative inventory route feels like a hassle, you can also spawn the Sniffer using the commands in Minecraft. To do so, simply, open your chat box and execute the following command in it:
/summon minecraft:sniffer
As soon as you hit the "send" key, a Sniffer will appear in front of you. But, if the command doesn't work then you need to turn on cheats in your Minecraft world. The option for the same is available within the world settings on the Bedrock edition and LAN settings in Java Minecraft.
How to Use Sniffer in Minecraft
The best part about the Sniffer's functionality is that you don't have to do anything to make it work. If it isn't trapped, the Sniffer randomly roams around the overworld and occasionally tries to sniff and dig out ancient seeds for you.
The Sniffer can dig seeds from the following compatible blocks in Minecraft:
- Dirt
- Grass Block
- Podzol
- Coarse Dirt
- Rooted Dirt
- Moss Block
- Mud
- Muddy Mangrove Roots
As you might notice, all of these blocks are the ones on which regular plants generally grow in Minecraft. However, when it comes to growing the Sniffer seeds in Minecraft, the farmland blocks are your only option. You can use a hoe on blocks like dirt to turn them into farmland blocks.
Once you sow the ancient seeds on the farmland blocks, it takes the around 10-20 minutes to grow into beautiful plants. Though, unlike regular plants, these plants won't drop their seeds when broken. So, you have to rely heavily on the Sniffer to get more of these rare plants.
How to Breed Sniffer
As you know at this point, the Sniffer is a great functional mob for finding ancient seeds. However, putting all the work on a single Sniffer can leave you waiting for hours before getting any good results. So, let's figure out how to breed Sniffers to easily create a family of them:
1. First, get two Sniffers in Minecraft using the above-mentioned methods and let them roam freely around the compatible blocks.
2. Next, wait for the Sniffers to dig out at least 2 torchflower seeds.
3. Finally, feed one torchflower seed to each of the Sniffers. This will make them go into "love mode" and drop a Sniffer egg. You can breed the Sniffers again after a five-minute cooldown.
4. Then you just have to place the Sniffer egg on a solid surface and wait for it to hatch. When it cracks a Snifflet (baby Sniffer) will spawn.
FAQ: Sniffer in Minecraft
Which type of seeds can the Sniffer find?
Currently, the Sniffer only digs out torchflower seeds. But you can expect a bunch of other seeds to appear as the Minecraft 1.20 update develops further.
How do you tame a Sniffer?
While the Sniffer is a peaceful and functional mob, it can't be tamed or turned into a pet. Though, you can still use a lead to tie it to a fence and prevent it from moving.
Will the Sniffer be rideable?
By default, the Sniffer can't be ridden by the players in vanilla Minecraft. Though, you can use the "ride" command to make yourself or any other mob ride the Sniffer.
Meet the Sniffer in Minecraft Today
Now that you know all the basic mechanics of Sniffer in Minecraft, it's time to take it to a new level. One of the best ways to do so is by inviting your friends over to the best Minecraft 1.20 servers and experimenting with a bunch of Sniffers. Though, before you hop onto the server, make sure to change your Minecraft skin to stand out in the crowd. With that said, it's about time you go and meet the Sniffer. But before you go, do bookmark this guide to stay up to date on all the changes to this upcoming mob.