Deselect
by jolkert
Deselect lets a player press a key to empty the hand without clearing or moving any hotbar slot, so the hotbar layout stays intact.
What it does
Holding an item in the hand can get in the way of actions that need an empty hand, such as placing a bed, walking around a base or taming a horse. Deselect adds a key that empties the hand while leaving every hotbar slot as it was. The idea follows the empty-hand key found in Starbound.
The mod is a server-required, client-optional mod: the server has to run it, and clients without it can still join and use the features. Players who install it on their side get the same key. Deselect requires Fabric API on Fabric. It is open source under the GNU General Public License v3.0 only, and public links exist for the source code and the issue tracker, where bugs can be reported.
Files are published for Fabric and NeoForge, with the 1.20.1, 1.21.1, 1.21.4, 26.2 and 26.3 game versions available. The 1.21.1 build is the long-term-support line and is the version the author plans to keep receiving updates on both loaders, while the latest Fabric file targets 26.3 (2.0.3, released 2026-09-21).
Key features
Empty-hand key
One press empties the hand, and the selected item is not removed from the hotbar or the inventory.
Hotbar layout kept
The hotbar stays arranged as the player set it, so no items need to be moved back after an action.
Server-side control
The server decides whether the feature is active, so clients without the mod can still use the server.
Bug reports
Problems can be reported through the project's issue tracker on Codeberg.
Compatibility
Latest build for each game version and loader.
Only full game releases are shown. This mod publishes no snapshot builds.
Requirements
Dependencies declared by the latest file for each loader.
Required 1
Use cases
Who it’s for: Players who often need an empty hand during building, farming or taming, and server owners who want the option available without asking every client to install a mod.
How it compares
Empty Hand Keybind - Hold Onto THIS is NeoForge-only for 1.21.1, is licensed under the MIT License, and is not open source. Rewrite's Villager Helper is a Fabric mod for 26.1 – 26.2 under a custom license, and is not open source. Hotbar Totems is a Fabric server-side only mod for 1.20 – 26.2 that is open source under the MIT License, and does not cover the empty-hand action.
| Mod | Loaders | Game versions | Environment | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deselect | Fabric and NeoForge | 1.20.1 – 26.3 | Server required, client optional | 2026-09-21 |
| Empty Hand Keybind - Hold Onto THIS | NeoForge | 1.21.1 | Client and server | 2026-07-05 |
| Rewrite's Villager Helper | Fabric | 26.1 – 26.2 | Client and server | 2026-06-25 |
| Hotbar Totems | Fabric | 1.20 – 26.2 | Server-side only | 2026-08-14 |
Questions
Does Deselect need Fabric API?
Do clients need Deselect to join a server that runs it?
Which loader and version should a server use?
In the catalog
Deselect is one of 29,952 Game mechanics mods on ModsFinder, and one of 19,630 Game mechanics mods for Fabric. 8,071 mods support Minecraft 26.3.
More from jolkert
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What the author says
Have you ever wished that you could press a button to have an empty hand without removing anything from your hotbar? Ever thought it felt weird to be carrying some kind of item in your hands while you go to bed and walked around your base, and wished you could keep your hands empty without having to constantly…
Official listing
- Modrinth page
- modrinth.com/mod/deselect
- Owner
- jolkert
- Published
- 2024-09-01
- Updated on Modrinth
- 2026-09-21
- Facts verified
- 2026-10-15