tool-switch
by lakshade
When a block is struck, Tool Switch swaps the hotbar to the tool that suits it, then returns to the slot the player had selected before mining.
What it does
Tool Switch picks the tool that suits the block a player starts breaking. It covers pickaxes, axes, shovels, hoes and shears, and it selects from the hotbar so the swap happens without an inventory action. When the block breaks, the original hotbar slot is restored, and continuous mining does not cause the hotbar to flicker between slots.
If the player changes slots by hand during mining, the manual choice is respected and the automatic return does not override it. Enchantments are considered as well: Silk Touch is preferred over Fortune, and the Efficiency level of each candidate tool is taken into account when choosing.
Tool Switch is a Fabric mod for 26.1.2 only. It is client-side only, so servers do not need it and players can join without installing anything. It is released under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license and is not open source. The mod has no dependencies beyond Fabric itself.
Key features
Automatic tool selection
A suitable tool for the block being mined is chosen as soon as breaking starts, from the hotbar.
Return to the original slot
After the block is mined, the hotbar goes back to the slot that was selected before the swap.
Respects manual changes
If the player picks a different slot during mining, that choice stays in place.
Enchantment-aware choice
Silk Touch is preferred over Fortune, and Efficiency levels are considered when comparing tools.
Compatibility
Latest build for each game version and loader.
Only full game releases are shown. This mod publishes no snapshot builds.
Use cases
Long mining sessions
Players digging through stone, ore and dirt can keep the same tool-free hand movements without rechecking the hotbar.
Who it’s for: Players and builders who dig often in survival and want tool changes to happen automatically, while keeping vanilla gameplay otherwise.
How it compares
LetMyToolsLive is a Fabric mod for 26.1 – 26.1.2 with the same client-side only environment, under the MIT License and not open source. Auto Tool Mod is a Fabric mod for 1.21.4 – 26.1.2, also client-side only, and it is open source under the GNU General Public License v3.0 or later. HotbarBumpers is open source under the MIT License, a Fabric client-side mod for 26.2 – 26.3, so it targets newer builds than Tool Switch.
| Mod | Loaders | Game versions | Environment | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| tool-switch | Fabric | 26.1.2 | Client-side only | 2026-06-29 |
| LetMyToolsLive | Fabric | 26.1 – 26.1.2 | Client-side only | 2026-07-04 |
| Auto Tool Mod | Fabric | 1.21.4 – 26.1.2 | Client-side only | 2026-04-15 |
| HotbarBumpers | Fabric | 26.2 – 26.3 | Client-side only | 2026-09-28 |
Questions
Does Tool Switch need Fabric API?
Does Tool Switch have to be installed on the server?
Which Minecraft versions does Tool Switch support?
In the catalog
tool-switch is one of 8,499 Technology mods on ModsFinder, and one of 4,201 Technology mods for Fabric. 15,189 mods support Minecraft 26.1.2.
More from lakshade
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What the author says
Never stop mining to search for the right tool again. Tool Switch automatically selects the best tool from your hotbar when you start breaking a block and seamlessly switches back to your previously selected slot once you're finished.
Official listing
- Modrinth page
- modrinth.com/mod/tool-switch
- Owner
- lakshade
- Published
- 2026-06-29
- Updated on Modrinth
- 2026-06-29
- Facts verified
- 2026-10-15