Custom Skins Guide (Ely.by / LittleSkin)

This guide will explain why custom skins (from services like Ely.by or LittleSkin) might not show up by default in XMCL compared to other loaders, how skin rendering works in Minecraft Java, and how to configure it correctly.

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How Minecraft Java Skin Rendering Works

Normally, Minecraft Java obtains your skin from the official Mojang session server. The process follows this sequence:

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Why Skins Do Not Show in XMCL by Default

In other launchers like Legacy Launcher or ElyPrism:

• Legacy Launcher automatically modifies the game's internal authlib.jar or runs a silent Java agent. It queries Ely.by's skins for any offline (local) accounts by name, bypassing security.
• ElyPrism is a fork of Prism Launcher pre-configured specifically for the Ely.by ecosystem.

XMCL is a clean, open-source launcher. It never modifies your game files or redirects traffic to third-party skin servers without your authorization.

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How to Set Up Custom Skins in XMCL

You can set up custom skins using one of the two methods below.

Method 1: Add a Third-Party Account (Recommended)

Instead of using a simple offline/local account name, add your official Ely.by or LittleSkin account to the launcher. This enables Authlib-Injector automatically:

1. Click on the Accounts icon in the launcher sidebar.
2. Click Add Account.
3. Choose Ely.by or Yggdrasil (for LittleSkin, enter their Yggdrasil API URL: https://littleskin.cn/api/yggdrasil).
4. Sign in with your account credentials.
5. In your instance settings, make sure Disable Authlib Injector is turned OFF.

How it works under the hood

When you launch the game, XMCL automatically appends the authlib-injector Java agent with the custom API root:

java -javaagent:authlib-injector.jar=https://authserver.ely.by/api/ -jar ...

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Method 2: Use the CustomSkinLoader Mod

If you prefer playing with a local (offline) account but want your game to load skins from Ely.by or LittleSkin, you should install the CustomSkinLoader mod.

1. Install a mod loader (Forge, Fabric, or Quilt) in your instance.
2. Search and download the CustomSkinLoader mod in the XMCL mod download tab.
3. Launch the game once. It will create a configuration file at minecraft/CustomSkinLoader/CustomSkinLoader.json.
4. Open the JSON configuration and configure the skin servers:

{
  "enable": true,
  "loadTypes": ["Mojang", "ElyBy", "LittleSkin"],
  "skinList": [
    { "type": "Mojang" },
    { "type": "Yggdrasil", "apiRoot": "https://authserver.ely.by/api/" },
    { "type": "Yggdrasil", "apiRoot": "https://littleskin.cn/api/yggdrasil/" }
  ]
}

5. CustomSkinLoader will query these skin networks by nickname and display the skins for you and any other players who have configured it!