Stenographer
With Stenographer installed, the game switches to English automatically each time Minecraft starts, so players no longer need to edit the options file by hand.
What it does
Stenographer sets the game language to English right after launch. It was written for players whose launcher or locale settings leave the game in another language, or in a language code that some launchers do not recognize. A specified country can be applied as part of the locale.
The mod is built around one mixin class and is light on resources. It changes the game language only when the active language is not English and the locale does not match, and it does nothing when a language already matches. Players who want the English interface back after a launcher change do not have to rewrite the game options.
Stenographer is client-side only, so only the client needs it and servers run without it. It is released under the GNU General Public License v3.0 only and is open source. Builds are published for Fabric and Quilt across 13 release versions, 1.18 – 1.20.4, with 3.1.0 for 1.20.4 as the latest file.
Key features
Automatic English locale
The game language is set to English as soon as Minecraft starts, without any manual change in the options screen.
Launcher language code fix
Corrects language codes that some launchers set incorrectly, so the game loads a locale it can read.
Single mixin design
The whole mod is one mixin class, which keeps it small and quick to start.
Uninstall to disable
Removing the mod file turns the behavior off, and the game returns to the language it was using before.
Compatibility
Latest build for each game version and loader.
1.20.x5 of 5 versions with builds
1.19.x5 of 5 versions with builds
1.18.x3 of 3 versions with builds
Only full game releases are shown. This mod publishes no snapshot builds.
Use cases
Who it’s for: Players on Fabric or Quilt who run the game through launchers that set the language incorrectly, and players who want the English interface on every start without touching the options file.
How it compares
Better Locale is also client-side only and open source, released under the Apache License 2.0. It runs on Fabric, Forge, NeoForge and Quilt for 1.19 – 1.21.5, so it covers more loaders and versions than Stenographer. Language Translator is client-side only and open source under the GNU Lesser General Public License v3.0 only, for Fabric and Quilt on 1.20 – 26.3, which matches Stenographer's loaders but not its version range. Language Whitelist is client-side only, released under the MIT License and open source, and it works on Fabric, Forge, NeoForge and Quilt for 1.16.5 – 26.2.
| Mod | Loaders | Game versions | Environment | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stenographer | Fabric and Quilt | 1.18 – 1.20.4 | Client-side only | 2024-04-05 |
| Better Locale | Fabric, Forge, NeoForge and Quilt | 1.19 – 1.21.5 | Client-side only | 2026-01-07 |
| Language Translator | Fabric and Quilt | 1.20 – 26.3 | Client-side only | 2026-10-04 |
| Language Whitelist | Fabric, Forge, NeoForge and Quilt | 1.16.5 – 26.2 | Client-side only | 2026-07-29 |
Questions
Does Stenographer need to be installed on the server?
Which loaders does Stenographer support?
Can Stenographer be turned off without uninstalling it?
In the catalog
Stenographer is one of 36,990 Utility mods on ModsFinder, and one of 25,772 Utility mods for Fabric. 13,907 mods support Minecraft 1.20.4.
More from Kessoku Tea Time
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What the author says
Due to some bad locale settings made by some launchers, Stenographer has to fix the language code by the specified country you are in. For many players, it is just a waste of time to change the game language to their locales every time they launch Minecraft, as modifying the game options file is quite a hassle.
Official listing
- Modrinth page
- modrinth.com/mod/stenographer
- Owner
- Kessoku Tea Time
- Published
- 2022-12-22
- Updated on Modrinth
- 2024-04-05
- Facts verified
- 2026-10-15