How to Change Your Skin in Minecraft PE (Android, iPhone)

Quick answer: To change your skin in Minecraft PE (Pocket Edition), first save a 64×64 skin PNG to your phone or tablet. Open Minecraft, tap Dressing Room, then Edit Character, Classic Skins, Owned and Import. Tap Choose New Skin, pick the PNG from Downloads, Files or Photos, choose Classic or Slim arms and confirm.

Step by step

Download a skin. Tap Download on a skin in your phone's browser. Android saves it in Downloads; iPhone and iPad save it in the Files app.
Open the Dressing Room. Start Minecraft and tap Dressing Room on the main screen.
Go to Classic Skins. Tap Edit Character if you see it, then the Classic Skins tab (the hanger icon).
Tap Import. Under Owned, tap Import, then Choose New Skin.
Pick the PNG. Find the skin in Downloads, Files or Photos and tap it.
Choose arms and confirm. Pick Classic (wide) or Slim arms to match the skin. Your new skin is equipped.

Is Minecraft PE the same as Bedrock?

Yes. Minecraft: Pocket Edition is the old name of Minecraft on phones and tablets. Since the Better Together Update in 2017 it has been part of Bedrock Edition, simply called Minecraft, so the phone, tablet, Windows and console versions share the same Dressing Room. The difference on a phone is only how you save and pick the skin file.

How do I save a skin on Android?

Open the skin's page in your browser (for example any skin in our skin gallery) and tap Download.
The PNG lands in your Downloads folder. You can check it in the Files app.
In Minecraft, the Import button opens the Android file picker: go to Downloads and tap the skin.

How do I save a skin on iPhone or iPad?

Tap Download on the skin. Safari asks to download the file: it goes to the Files app, in Downloads.
Use the Download button, not a long-press on the picture: the picture on the page is a front view, while the download is the real skin file.
In Minecraft, Import opens a picker where you can browse Files (and Photos, if you saved the PNG there).

Tip: the small 64×64 skin file looks like a strange flat pattern, not a character. That is normal: it is the unfolded layout of the body.

Which phones and tablets can import skins?

Device	Import a PNG skin?
Android phones and tablets	Yes
iPhone and iPad	Yes
Xbox, PlayStation, Switch	No (Character Creator and Marketplace only)

Can I make a skin on my phone?

Yes. Our skin editor works on a touch screen with a live 3D preview, and the AI skin generator makes four finished skins from one sentence. Both save a 64×64 PNG straight to your phone, ready for the steps above. For a blank start, open a skin template in the editor.

Import button missing or skin not showing?

Update Minecraft from the Play Store or App Store; very old versions had a different skin screen.
Make sure you are in Classic Skins, not the Character Creator tabs. Import sits under Owned.
Other players may see a default skin in worlds with Only Allow Trusted Skins turned on.
Pick the right arm model (Classic or Slim), or the arms show odd pixels.

Questions people ask

Is Minecraft PE free to change skins?

Yes. Importing your own PNG skin costs nothing. Only Marketplace skin packs cost Minecoins.

Where do downloaded skins go on iPhone?

Downloads from Safari go to the Files app, in the Downloads folder. Minecraft's Import picker can open that folder.

Why is my PE skin black or broken?

The file is probably not a 64×64 PNG, or you picked the wrong arm model. Download the PNG again and choose the arm model it was made for.

Will my friends see my custom skin?

Usually yes. In worlds with Only Allow Trusted Skins turned on, other players may see a default skin instead.

Sources

Checked against these pages on 2026-10-01.

Related guides

Ready to make yours? Describe a skin and the AI draws 4 options, or paint one pixel by pixel.

Make a skin with AI Open the skin editor

How to change your skin in Minecraft PE