Useful Spyglass
With Useful Spyglass installed, looking at a mob or player through a spyglass shows details such as name, health, armor and hostility on screen.
What it does
The mod adds an information overlay to the spyglass view. Aim the spyglass at a mob or a player and the screen shows its name, health, armor and whether it is hostile. It also adds a unique enchantment for the spyglass. Required dependencies are Fabric API on Fabric and Forge Config API Port on Forge and NeoForge, and the code is open source under the GNU General Public License v3.0 only.
Servers that run it need every player to install it too. Files are published for Fabric, Forge and NeoForge for the 1.18.2 – 1.21.1 range, with 1.0.2 as the latest build on each loader. An overlay from another installed mod can replace the built-in one, and this can be switched off in the config.
Key features
Precision zoom
Holding a spyglass in the offhand and crouching during a ranged attack gives zoom, and projectiles gain perfect accuracy and extra damage.
Adjustable cooldown
The precision cooldown is 4 seconds by default, and the server-side config sets it along with the enchantment options.
Display settings
The client-side config adjusts how blocks and entities are shown, and where the heads-up display sits.
Enchantment descriptions
When a companion mod for enchantment details is installed, each enchantment's details appear in-game.
Gallery
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 2
Use cases
Surveying mobs from range
A player can check a mob's health and hostility before approaching it, without walking closer first.
Modpack builds
The mod may be included in any Modrinth modpack, and its settings can be tuned per server.
Who it’s for: Players who use spyglasses for scouting and ranged combat, and server owners who want to set cooldowns and enchantment options for their players.
How it compares
Spyglass:OneClickZoom is a client-side only zoom mod for Fabric, Forge and NeoForge, released under the MIT License and not open source, with files for 1.20.1 – 26.1.2. Better Spyglass runs on client and server, is open source under the MIT License and has files for 1.20.1 – 1.21.1 on the same three loaders. Useful Spyglass also needs both sides for its server-side options, while Spyglass:OneClickZoom needs only the client.
| Mod | Loaders | Game versions | Environment | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Useful Spyglass | Fabric, Forge and NeoForge | 1.18.2 – 1.21.1 | Client and server | 2026-06-06 |
| Spyglass:OneClickZoom | Fabric, Forge and NeoForge | 1.20.1 – 26.1.2 | Client-side only | 2026-06-06 |
| Better Spyglass | Fabric, Forge and NeoForge | 1.20.1 – 1.21.1 | Client and server | 2026-04-28 |
Questions
Does Useful Spyglass need Fabric API or Forge Config API Port?
Does the server need Useful Spyglass installed?
Can an overlay from another mod replace the default one?
In the catalog
Useful Spyglass is one of 17,631 Equipment mods on ModsFinder, and one of 8,894 Equipment mods for Fabric. 32,366 mods support Minecraft 1.21.1.
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What the author says
This mod allows players to view information on mobs when viewing them through a spyglass, such as name, health, armor, and hostility.
Official listing
- Modrinth page
- modrinth.com/mod/useful-spyglass
- Owner
- BrokenK3yboard
- Published
- 2023-03-21
- Updated on Modrinth
- 2026-06-06
- Facts verified
- 2026-10-15