When do items despawn?

[Purple Mackerel]

Is it when you die twice? When you save and exit your world? I know the limit is 500 items in the world before items start despawning... but are there other circumstances when your items that you have dropped when you have died despawn?

Thanks in advance :D

[MrKl0nk]

As far as I know is there no Timelimit but a limit to the amount of items laying in the world + if you leave the world or close the server items despawn aswell.

[Drag]

Saving and exiting are, to my knowledge, the only other time when items despawn. I have no idea otherwise, though.

[Purple Mackerel]

What if I have 500 dirt blocks in my inventory and a sword? Will the sword despawn instantly when I die since the 500 spaces are being taken up by the dirt blocks? Or do all the dirt blocks count as one item?

[Rhayu]

I think all the dirt counts as one item

[Drag]

No, because the 500 blocks will stack into one item.

The only time you should really be worried about items despawning if you leave a world or have been grinding mobs like crazy and not picking up the drops. Or if you leave the world.

[Celator]

Items will start despawning once there are around 400 loose item stacks in the world, and all loose items will despawn when you exit a world. Items will not despawn under any other circumstances.