To enhance the Minecraft experience through mods, installing mod loaders like Forge and Fabric is essential. This guide focuses on installing Fabric for Minecraft 1.21.
To download Fabric, visit the official downloads page and click on the “Download universal jar” button. After downloading, locate the Fabric installer file, double-click to open it, and ensure Java is installed on your PC. Select the current Minecraft version and click the Install button. A pop-up will inform you about the Fabric API mod, which is necessary for running other mods. To download the Fabric API, visit the CurseForge page, find the latest release file, and download it.
To install Fabric mods, identify the desired mods from curated lists and ensure you have the Fabric API downloaded. Visit platforms like CurseForge to find mods, selecting the latest Fabric file in the Files tab. Open the Minecraft Launcher, check the Modded box in the Installations tab, and ensure the Fabric loader is listed. If not, create a new installation using the Fabric loader. Access the main Minecraft folder by clicking the folder icon next to the Fabric installation, and create a "mods" folder if it doesn't exist. Drag and drop the downloaded mods into this folder.
After adding mods, return to the Minecraft Launcher, select the Fabric loader in the Play section, and click “Play.” There is no dedicated section for installed mods, so create a new world to verify functionality. Notifications will appear for incompatible mods or those requiring additional installations.
You cannot run Fabric and Forge together as each operates independently, requiring a choice between the two.