Mod Menu | Browse and Configure Mods In-Game

Anyone running a heavily modded game knows the ritual. You forget which of your forty mods changed something, so you alt-tab to the mods folder, squint at jar file names, and guess. Mod Menu replaces that with a proper Mods button on the title screen and in the pause menu. You get the full list of everything your loader loaded, with versions and authors one click away, plus quick access to config screens where mods offer them. More than 120 million downloads later, it is still actively maintained as of July 2026.

The Mods Screen: Search, Badges, and Filters

The Mods screen lists every mod your loader actually loaded, with its version, authors, license, and links. On the title screen the button sits below Realms by default, and the Modded line in the bottom-left corner becomes a live count of your loaded mods. You can open the screen three ways: the title screen button, the pause menu (it replaces the Feedback and Report Bugs slot by default), or the Open Mod Menu key bind, which ships with no key assigned.

The search bar filters on mod names and badge keywords, handy once your list gets long. Mod Menu also hides library mods from the main view by default, so dependency jars do not bury the mods you actually play with. Entries carry badges such as Library, Client, and Deprecated. The Client badge is added automatically to mods marked client-only, while authors flag the other two themselves.

Two buttons save you the file explorer trip entirely: Open Mods Folder and Open Configs Folder. You can even drop a jar onto the Mods screen, and Mod Menu will offer to copy it into your mods folder. You still need to restart the game before the new mod loads.

Config Screens and Update Notifications

The headline feature for most players is the Configure button. When a mod provides a config screen, Mod Menu puts it one click away, so you can change settings mid-session instead of quitting to the title screen. Config screens are optional for authors, so not every mod has one. When a config screen crashes on open, Mod Menu tells you the problem sits in that mod, not in Mod Menu, and links to its issue tracker.

Some mods also need a config library to build their screens at all. If a Configure button is missing or does nothing, installing Cloth Config usually fixes it. Our Cloth Config guide explains how the two mods work together.

Mod Menu also watches for updates. It hashes your installed jar and compares it against the latest published file for that mod, filtered to your loader and game version. If the hashes differ, you get a prompt that an update is available. The check covers mods hosted on the same platform as Mod Menu itself, plus mods that provide their own update sources. You can turn the checker off in the settings.

Button Placement and Mod Menu Settings

Almost everything about the button itself is configurable. On the title screen you can keep it below Realms (the default), replace Realms entirely, place it adjacent so Realms shrinks, or shrink it to a small unlabelled icon. In the pause menu you can replace the Feedback slot, insert the button without removing anything, or use an icon instead.

Mod authors get hooks too. Names, summaries, and descriptions can be translated through language keys without touching code. Custom links can appear on a mod's entry, and module-style mods can group their pieces under a single parent entry. All of Mod Menu's own features are deeply configurable as well.

How to Install Mod Menu

1. Install a supported loader first. Mod Menu runs on Fabric and Quilt for Minecraft: Java Edition, and there is no version for Forge or NeoForge. Our Fabric install guide covers the full setup, and Quilt players can use our Quilt Loader guide instead.
2. Download the Mod Menu build that matches your game version from the official project page. Builds are version-specific, so a jar for one release will not load on another. The download table on this page lists the current builds.
3. Drop the jar straight into your mods folder. Keep it loose rather than inside a subfolder, and note that files renamed to .jar.disabled are deliberately skipped. If your launcher uses instances, each instance has its own mods folder.
4. Install Fabric API as well. Current Mod Menu builds list Fabric API and Text Placeholder API as required dependencies. If you are missing it, our Fabric API post covers what the library does and how to add it.
5. Launch the game through the Fabric profile, not the vanilla one. Launching the wrong profile is the most common reason the Mods button never shows up.

Mod Menu FAQ

Does Mod Menu work on servers?

No. Mod Menu is a client-side mod. It changes menus and screens on your own game, so there is nothing to install on the server, and the project does not support server-side use.

How do I fix a missing Configure button?

Two usual causes. The mod's author never built a config screen, which is entirely optional. Or the mod needs a config library such as Cloth Config that you have not installed. Installing Cloth Config fixes the second case.

Does Mod Menu affect FPS?

It works at the menu and UI layer. It does not render your world or tick entities, and it is not a performance mod. For actual FPS gains, you want optimization mods instead.

Is Mod Menu still maintained?

Yes. The latest release landed in July 2026, and the project is actively maintained.

Once it is in, the Mods button becomes the front door to your whole setup. If you are still assembling a modded instance from scratch, our full mod installation guide covers loaders, folders, and the troubleshooting basics.