Pocket Edition v0.5.0 alpha

v0.5.0 alpha was a major update to Minecraft: Pocket Edition that was released on Android and iOS on November 15, 2012^[1]^[2] and on an unknown date on Fire.^[3] It added notable features, such as melons, paintings, glowstone, the Nether reactor as well as other changes and fixes.

Additions[]

Blocks[]

Version exclusive: Nether reactor core

Used to create a Nether reactor.
Can be crafted with 3 diamonds and 6 iron ingots.

Version exclusive: Glowing obsidian

Light-emitting block that is created from the conversion of blocks that make up a Nether reactor.
Drops regular obsidian when mined.

Glowstone

A light-emitting block that can be crafted with 4 glowstone dust.

Melons

A fruit block that grows from a fully-grown melon stem.

Cobwebs

Are currently unobtainable.

Signs

Are currently unobtainable.
Cannot be written on.

grass_carried

Used to store the inventory icon for grass blocks.
Is not obtainable by normal means.

Items[]

Melon seeds

Can be used to grow melon plants.

Melon slices

A food item that can be eaten by the player.

Mobs[]

Zombie pigmen

Undead, hostile mobs that spawn from nether reactors.

Non-mob entities[]

Paintings

Decorative entities that hang on walls.

Gameplay[]

Version exclusive: Nether reactor

Created by placing cobblestone and blocks of gold in a 3×3 area around a nether reactor core.
On initialization, a nether spire generates around it. The blocks used for the reactor, excluding the core, are replaced with glowing obsidian over the next few seconds, starting with the cobblestone.
After initialization, three zombie pigmen are spawned in, and a 45 second spawn cycle begins. The following items are able to spawn during this cycle:
- Glowstone dust
- Cacti
- Sugar cane
- Brown mushrooms
- Red mushrooms
- Melon seeds
- Arrows
- Bones
- Books
- Bows
- Bowls
- Doors
- Feathers
- Paintings
- Beds
Once the spawn cycle ends, the time of day is set to night, and the reactor is replaced with a 3×3×3 box of obsidian containing the core.

Version exclusive: Nether spire

A huge structure consisting of obsidian that generates when a Nether reactor is activated.
Holes form on the outside of it once the Nether reactor's spawn cycle ends.

Sneaking

Slows the player down and prevents them from falling off of blocks.
Currently only available on the Xperia PLAY gaming console.

Changes[]

Blocks[]

Beds

Are now easier to get out of.
- Added a Leave Bed button that lets the player exit the bed.
Version exclusive: Now restore health when slept in.

Farmland

Now turns back to dirt if the player or any mob falls onto it from 1 block or more.

Sugar cane

Can now be grown on sand.

Mushrooms

Are now able to spread.
Can now only be generated or placed in areas with low light, making them significantly less common.

Grass block

Inventory icon changed from to .

Items[]

Glowstone dust

Is now obtainable in Survival mode via the nether reactor.
Can be used to craft glowstone.

Apples

Now restore 4 instead of 2 when eaten.

Bread

Now restores 5 instead of 2 when eaten.

Mushroom stew

Now restores 8 instead of 4 when eaten.

Raw chicken

Now restores 2 instead of 1 when eaten.

Cooked chicken

Now restores 6 instead of 3 when eaten.

Raw beef

Now restores 3 instead of 1 when eaten.

Steak

Now restores 8 instead of 4 when eaten.

Raw porkchops

Now restore 3 instead of 1 when eaten.

Cooked porkchops

Now restore 8 instead of 4 when eaten.

Mobs[]

Zombies

Version exclusive: Have new animations.

Skeletons

Version exclusive: Have new animations.

Gameplay[]

Distance fog

Now covers 10% of the render distance instead of 50%.

Health bar

Version exclusive: is now displayed at the top-left of the screen instead of above the hotbar.

Hotbar

The name of the selected item or block is now displayed over it.

Creative inventory

Additions:

Fixes[]

39 issues fixed
From released versions before 0.5.0

MCPE-1 – Trapdoors can't be crafted in survival
MCPE-2 – No description at Smooth stone in crafting bench
MCPE-4 – The player can't leave their bed when sleeping
MCPE-6 – No explosion sound when Creepers explode
MCPE-7 – Seeds drop below grass block when using hoe
MCPE-11 – Survival bugs: Crop tiles survives farmland destroyed underneath them
MCPE-14 – When destroying the top half of a bed in creative mode, it gives a bed back as a resource
MCPE-17 – TNT, Flint and Steel and Stone Bricks aren't available in the creative mode inventory
MCPE-18 – Grass block not available in Creative mode inventory
MCPE-20 – Food not restoring the right number of hearts
MCPE-23 – Door Duplication
MCPE-27 – Not possible to activate peaceful mode
MCPE-29 – Trapdoors can be placed on transparent blocks like flowers, saplings, glass, etc.
MCPE-30 – Placing door on a farmland will create a floating half-door
MCPE-34 – Xperia Play: The player can't eat or charge the bow
MCPE-46 – Torch can be placed on side of fence
MCPE-51 – Bed: Respawn at the wrong height?
MCPE-57 – Multiplayer infinity bone meal
MCPE-93 – Players sleeping in a bed can be pushed off the bed
MCPE-105 – The player can't exit their bed with split touch controls
MCPE-115 – Breaking block with torch on it
MCPE-134 – Can't sleep with my bed like this(picture included)
MCPE-160 – Lava can burn the player even if the lava is several blocks away
MCPE-172 – Stone bricks: Missing description
MCPE-189 – Missing Fence Sound Effect
MCPE-190 – Farmland and other plants bug
MCPE-216 – Steel and flint don't take damage
MCPE-218 – Bed: Should sleep when pressing the bottom end
MCPE-237 – Extra Feathers For Player 2
MCPE-269 – Using an item can sometimes attack animal/player when not facing them
MCPE-272 – Animals sometimes never respawn in a map
MCPE-303 – Sleeping at the edge of the map causes the player to spawn really high in the sky after the player dies
MCPE-345 – Torches Jumping off Fences
MCPE-370 – Trapdoor placement bug
MCPE-382 – Player 1 places torches on ground, but player 2 sees them on the wall
MCPE-387 – Stuck when walking down side of fence when reaching closed gate
MCPE-408 – Sugarcane is unable to be placed on sand
MCPE-422 – Crash when loading saved world
MCPE-491 – Disappearing trapdoors