Minecraft recovery compass: How to make one and what it does

Wondering what the Minecraft recovery compass is used for? Or perhaps you just want to know how to make one? The recent 1.19 update introduced the long-awaited Deep Dark biome and the Warden mob, but it's not all doom and gloom—the Wild Update also adds frogs, tadpoles, and the cute Allay, a mob chosen by players during 2021's Minecraft live poll.

With so many new things to explore, you'd be forgiven for overlooking the recovery compass. It's certainly handy to have, though, especially if you're thinking of venturing into the Deep Dark or going on any other potentially dangerous adventures. So if you're ready to find out more, here's how to make a Minecraft recovery compass, and, more importantly, what it does.

What does the recovery compass do in Minecraft?

The Minecraft recovery compass points you towards the location of where you last died, making it much easier to recover your items. The compass will only work in the same dimension as where you met your end, so if you were in the Nether, you'll need to get back there before it will work.

Hopefully, it's an item you won't need too often. Even so, it's useful to have one put aside in case of any mishaps, and can save you a bunch of running around as you try to locate your possessions. You'll just have to hope that whatever killed you isn't still lurking around.

How to make a recovery compass in Minecraft

The recovery compass is craftable and you need the following items to make one:

Echo Shard x8
Compass x1

If you're lucky, you can find a regular compass in a random chest, otherwise you'll need to craft one with iron ingots and redstone dust. Echo Shards might be a bit more tricky to locate as they have a chance to spawn inside chests in the new Ancient City structures in the Deep Dark.

Once you have the items you need, head to your crafting table, pop the compass in the middle with the eight Echo Shards surrounding it to craft the recovery compass. And that's it. At the very least, it should take some of the stress out of trying to find and recover your items should the worst happen.

Sarah started as a freelance writer in 2018, writing for PCGamesN, TechRadar, GamingBible, Red Bull Gaming and more. In 2021, she was offered a full-time position on the PC Gamer team where she takes every possible opportunity to talk about World of Warcraft and Elden Ring. When not writing guides, most of her spare time is spent in Azeroth—though she's quite partial to JRPGs too. One of her fondest hopes is to one day play through the ending of Final Fantasy X without breaking down into a sobbing heap. She probably has more wolves in Valheim than you.