The first step to using mods is to install a mod loader, which is the software that allows the game to load mod files, and without a mod loader no mods will work. If you're looking to play with modern versions of the game (1.13+), I would recommend using Fabric as it is supported by more recent mods. Upon running the installer, there will be a few options on the window. First, ensure the "client" tab is selected. If there are specific mods you want to play, you should double-check what versions they support to know which Minecraft version you should install Fabric for. Some mods only support specific versions of Minecraft, so it's a good idea to make sure you're installing the right version. Set the "Minecraft Version" setting to the version you have decided, and leave the other options as default. Then click Install.
Once Fabric itself is downloaded and installed, you will also need to download the "Fabric API" mod which is required for most other Fabric mods to work. Simply download this from a site like Modrinth or CurseForge and drop it into your %appdata%/.minecraft/mods folder.
Obtaining mods
As mentioned above, sites like Modrinth and CurseForge are a great place to obtain mods. I personally prefer Modrinth because the interface is better organized (in my opinion) but CurseForge is a good option as well. Both platforms use a similar process for downloading mods: once you have selected the mod you want, click the "download" button in the upper right, then in the game version dropdown select the version of Minecraft you chose in the Fabric installer, and select Fabric under the "mod loader" or "platform" box. Once you get the .jar file, add it to your %appdata%/.minecraft/mods folder.
A few quick notes about mods
* When installing mods manually, please be aware that not all mods are compatible with each other. If your game starts crashing at launch, I would recommend removing all mods and adding them back one at a time to determine which mods are conflicting. Mods may also have known conflicts written on their Modrinth/CurseForge page to read before downloading.
* Keep in mind that mods contain additional code for the game, and while rare there have been cases of malware being contained within Minecraft mods. Again, these instances aren't particularly common but it's just something to keep in mind.
Resource packs (formerly known as "texture packs")
Resource packs are much simpler to install than mods, and finding them is as simple as doing a Google search for "minecraft resource packs". Resource packs are also available on Modrinth -- simply mouse over the "Discover content" header at the top and click on Resource Packs. One I like to use is VanillaTweaks, a customizable resource pack that provides small improvements to the game's original graphics, such as making sounds quieter, adding indicators above fully grown crops, etc. Resource packs will come in a .zip file - you don't need to extract this file, simply put it in %appdata%/.minecraft/resourcepacks and then select it from the Options menu in-game.
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Setup
The first step to using mods is to install a mod loader, which is the software that allows the game to load mod files, and without a mod loader no mods will work. If you're looking to play with modern versions of the game (1.13+), I would recommend using Fabric as it is supported by more recent mods. Upon running the installer, there will be a few options on the window. First, ensure the "client" tab is selected. If there are specific mods you want to play, you should double-check what versions they support to know which Minecraft version you should install Fabric for. Some mods only support specific versions of Minecraft, so it's a good idea to make sure you're installing the right version. Set the "Minecraft Version" setting to the version you have decided, and leave the other options as default. Then click Install.
Once Fabric itself is downloaded and installed, you will also need to download the "Fabric API" mod which is required for most other Fabric mods to work. Simply download this from a site like Modrinth or CurseForge and drop it into your %appdata%/.minecraft/mods folder.
Obtaining mods
As mentioned above, sites like Modrinth and CurseForge are a great place to obtain mods. I personally prefer Modrinth because the interface is better organized (in my opinion) but CurseForge is a good option as well. Both platforms use a similar process for downloading mods: once you have selected the mod you want, click the "download" button in the upper right, then in the game version dropdown select the version of Minecraft you chose in the Fabric installer, and select Fabric under the "mod loader" or "platform" box. Once you get the .jar file, add it to your %appdata%/.minecraft/mods folder.
A few quick notes about mods
* When installing mods manually, please be aware that not all mods are compatible with each other. If your game starts crashing at launch, I would recommend removing all mods and adding them back one at a time to determine which mods are conflicting. Mods may also have known conflicts written on their Modrinth/CurseForge page to read before downloading.
* Keep in mind that mods contain additional code for the game, and while rare there have been cases of malware being contained within Minecraft mods. Again, these instances aren't particularly common but it's just something to keep in mind.
Resource packs (formerly known as "texture packs")
Resource packs are much simpler to install than mods, and finding them is as simple as doing a Google search for "minecraft resource packs". Resource packs are also available on Modrinth -- simply mouse over the "Discover content" header at the top and click on Resource Packs. One I like to use is VanillaTweaks, a customizable resource pack that provides small improvements to the game's original graphics, such as making sounds quieter, adding indicators above fully grown crops, etc. Resource packs will come in a .zip file - you don't need to extract this file, simply put it in %appdata%/.minecraft/resourcepacks and then select it from the Options menu in-game.