Minecraft: Here’s How To Fix the ‘Invalid or Corrupt’ Skin Error

Skins are just one way to personalize your game experience in Minecraft, but they are surely one of the few that can make the game feel more personal for every individual. You can even go as far as to create your own skins nowadays, but what if you can’t use the skin? How do you fix the well-known invalid or corrupt skin error in Minecraft?

Checking the skin version

You will be introduced to a skin file when you download the skin. This file will most likely be a .png file but might also appear as a .json and a .zip file. If that’s the case, the skin should be compatible with all versions of Minecraft. If not, the skin file name should have the version of Minecraft that it’s made for written on the file.

So, if this is the issue with your skin, you’ll have two options: switch to a version of the game that matches the skin or switch to a version of the skin that matches the game version. Of course, this solution is only applicable to Java Edition users.

Uploadable skin sizes

The only skin size that Minecraft will read and accept is 64×32 pixels. You might experience an invalid or corrupt skin error any smaller or larger than that. You can simply hover over the file to check your skin size, and the size should appear. If it’s any lower or larger than what’s recommended, you can go ahead and change it in a photo editor like Photoshop.

If you don’t have Photoshop, follow these steps to change the file size:

1. Head over to your web browser of choice and search for ‘Pixlr online photo editor.’
2. Click on it to enter the interface.
3. You’ll have the option to enter an advanced photo editor or a beginner-friendly editor. Go with the second option, named Pixlr X.
4. Once you open it, go ahead and click on ‘Open Image.’ Then, choose your skin as the option you want to edit.
5. On the sidebar of the editor, find the ‘Crop & Rotate’ option and click on it.
6. Go ahead and click on ‘Select Aspect’ and switch to size.
7. Then, in the width box, enter 64, and in the length box, enter 32.
8. Once you’re done, hit apply and save the cropped .png file.
9. Make sure to save it as a .png file again.

Why the skin error might appear

In the past, the error existed in the first place because of the version of Minecraft you were running, and there really wasn’t anything you could do to help fix the issue. One version that had this issue was version 1.16.201 on Pocket Edition Minecraft.

If you’re running this version, make sure to update your game, but other than that, here are some other reasons why the error might appear.

The reason behind the error might be simpler than you think. The skin file might be corrupt, so you should try adding a new one. To avoid getting corrupt skins, your safest bet is to download skins from reliable sources. Usually, this means that you’ll have to pay for the skin via the Minecraft official site.

Another reason might be that your skin file has an invalid character in its name. Characters like dashes, question marks, and ampersands are all illegal characters, so make sure to remove them if your skin file contains any.

Invalid or corrupt skin errors: Minecraft PE, Bedrock, and Java

The version of Minecraft that is most prone to this issue is Minecraft Pocket Edition. Java and Bedrock Edition for consoles are less prone to it, but one of the solutions I already mentioned should work for both. Choose the solution that applies to the version of Minecraft you’re playing.

Now, let’s see how to properly set up a skin for Minecraft Pocket Edition, just in case there’s something wrong with the way you do it:

1. Download a skin or make one yourself from a reputable source: Curseforge, Planet Minecraft, and MCPEDL are some of the trustworthy sites to download from. Make sure to remember where you saved the skin
2. Check the file name and the skin size. If the file is free of illegal characters and the file size is 64×32 pixels, you can proceed.
3. Go into Minecraft on your phone and head to the dressing room.
4. From there, you can buy skin from the marketplace or upload a custom skin. Go ahead and choose the upload custom skin option.
5. Search for the skin file and tap on it to upload the skin.
6. Exit the game and reopen it just in case the changes take effect properly.
7. Start the game and open your inventory to make sure your skin is applied.

Minecraft skins not showing to other players

There are several reasons why skins might not be visible to other players in multiplayer. To get the easiest reason out of the way, make sure that the option to show skins in the options menu isn’t toggled to ‘hide server skins’

Another reason people might be unable to see your skin is if the option ‘only allow trusted skins’ is toggled on. To disable this, go to Settings in the main menu and head to Profile. Your friends may also have the option enabled, so they should disable it as well.

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