Documentation

Client Docs

How to install, configure, and get the most out of Leather Client.

Installation

Download the installer for your platform from the downloads page, then run it.

Windows

Run leather-setup.exe. Windows SmartScreen may appear — click More info then Run anyway. This is a false positive; Leather is safe.

macOS

Open leather.dmg, drag Leather to your Applications folder, then double-click to launch. If macOS blocks it, go to System Settings → Privacy & Security and click Open Anyway.

Linux

For AppImage: make it executable with chmod +x leather.AppImage then run it. For .deb: install with sudo dpkg -i leather.deb.

First Launch

On first launch, Leather will ask you to log in with your Microsoft account. This is used to verify your game license. After that, your session is remembered and you won't be asked again.

Tip: If you're connecting to a local or development server, you can use Offline Mode to connect without active internet authentication.

Auto-Login

When you connect to a server running the auth bridge plugin, Leather authenticates you automatically. There's no password to type and no login screen.

Auto-login is enabled by default. You can toggle it per-server in the server list settings.

Back Papers™

Back Papers are Leather's cosmetic system — visual attachments that appear on your character's back. Unlike other client cosmetics that modify player model geometry, Back Papers run as a separate render pass, which means:

  • Zero impact on your frame rate
  • They don't conflict with shaders or resource packs
  • Other Leather Client users can see them; vanilla players cannot

To equip a Back Paper, go to Cosmetics → Back Papers in the client menu and select one from your collection.

Offline Mode

Offline mode allows you to connect to servers configured for LAN or private development (online-mode=false). This is useful for testing or playing on local networks.

To enable: go to Settings → Account → Offline Mode and toggle it on. You'll be prompted to enter a username.

Note: Offline mode only works on servers explicitly configured for local or private play. Standard public servers will require a valid online session.

Performance

Leather is tuned for performance out of the box. A few settings worth knowing:

Render Distance Override Forces a client-side render distance independent of the server's view-distance setting. Lets you see farther on servers with low view-distance. Default: off
Entity Culling Skips rendering entities that are behind walls or outside your field of view. Significant FPS gains in crowded areas. Default: on
Frame Rate Cap Caps your FPS to reduce GPU load. Useful on laptops or to reduce heat. Default: unlimited

Settings Reference

All settings are stored in leather/config.json in your Leather data directory. You can edit this file directly or use the in-client settings menu.

Data directory locations:
Windows: %APPDATA%\leather
macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/leather
Linux: ~/.config/leather

FAQ

Is Leather Client allowed on servers?

Leather Client is a performance and quality-of-life client. It doesn't include any gameplay-modifying features like auto-clickers, killaura, or X-ray. Whether it's allowed on a specific server is up to that server's rules.

Will other players see my Back Papers?

Only players also using Leather Client will see Back Papers. Vanilla players will see your character normally.

Does Leather work with mods?

Yes, Leather Client fully supports Fabric, Forge, NeoForge, and its own Leather Companion Mod out of the box.

How do I update Leather?

The client checks for updates on launch and will notify you when a new version is available. Click the update prompt to download and install automatically.