How to update Minecraft

To update Minecraft, open the Minecraft Launcher on PC for Java Edition, or install the pending update from your device's store for Bedrock Edition on Windows, Xbox, PlayStation, Switch, iPhone or Android.

Java Edition, Bedrock Edition on each platform, your own server and a Realm each update in a different place, so find your edition first and then follow its menu path.

The fastest way to update Minecraft

Minecraft prompts you to update to the latest version by default on both Java and Bedrock Edition, so most of the time restarting the game is enough. When it is not, force the update from the place the game came from.

1. Close Minecraft completely.
2. On a PC with Java Edition, open the Minecraft Launcher; it updates itself when it starts, then select the Latest Release option and click play.
3. On Windows with Bedrock Edition, open Microsoft Store, select Library, then Get updates.
4. On Xbox, open My games & apps > Manage > Updates.
5. On PlayStation, highlight Minecraft, press the options button and select Check for Update.
6. On Nintendo Switch, highlight Minecraft without starting it, press the + Button or – Button, then select Software Update > Via the Internet.
7. On iPhone or Android, update Minecraft from the App Store or the Google Play Store, then start the game.

Which Minecraft edition do you have, and how does it update?

Minecraft: Java Edition is the original PC-only version, and it updates through the Minecraft Launcher. Bedrock Edition is the cross-platform version on Windows, consoles and mobile, and it updates through each platform's store.

Where you play	Edition	Where the update comes from
Windows, Mac or Linux, with mods or custom servers	Java Edition	Minecraft Launcher, set to Latest Release
Windows 10/11 from the Microsoft Store	Bedrock Edition	Microsoft Store Library
Xbox Series X|S or Xbox One	Bedrock Edition	My games & apps on the console
PS5 or PS4	Bedrock Edition	Check for Update on the game tile
Nintendo Switch	Bedrock Edition	Software Update on the game icon
iPhone or iPad	Bedrock Edition	App Store
Android phone or tablet	Bedrock Edition	Google Play Store

Minecraft: Java & Bedrock Edition for PC includes both versions, and you switch between them in the unified launcher. Game drops and game updates release on the same day for Java and Bedrock, so neither edition waits for the other.

Update Minecraft: Java Edition through the launcher

The launcher handles game updates and snapshots for Java Edition on Windows, Mac and Linux. A new Java release installs when the launcher is set to the latest release and you press play.

1. Open the Minecraft Launcher. It updates itself automatically when it starts.
2. Select Minecraft: Java Edition in the launcher.
3. Make sure the launcher is set to the Latest Release option, not an older version or a snapshot.
4. Click play. The launcher downloads the new version before the game opens.

Update Minecraft: Bedrock Edition on Windows

On Windows 10 and Windows 11, Bedrock Edition is a Microsoft Store app. Store updates for apps and games are automatic, but you can pull one immediately.

1. Select Start, then open Microsoft Store from the apps list.
2. On Windows 11, select Library > Get updates.
3. On Windows 10, select See more > Downloads and updates > Get updates.
4. Wait for Minecraft to finish downloading, then start the game.

Update Minecraft: Bedrock Edition on mobile

Apps from the App Store and Google Play update automatically by default. Use these steps when Minecraft is behind or automatic updates are off.

iPhone or iPad

1. Open the App Store.
2. Tap the My Account button or your photo at the top of the screen.
3. Tap App Updates, then tap Update next to Minecraft.
4. To keep it current, open Settings > Apps > App Store and turn on App Updates.

Android

1. Open the Google Play Store app and tap the profile icon at the top right.
2. Tap Manage apps & device.
3. Under Updates available, tap See details.
4. Tap Update next to Minecraft.
5. To keep it current, open Minecraft's details page, tap More and turn on Enable auto update.

Update Minecraft on Xbox

On Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One, updates for games such as Minecraft on consoles are listed under Updates in My games & apps. Game updates can also download in advance, days before the scheduled release, so the new version is ready when it goes live.

1. Open My games & apps on the console.
2. Select Manage, then Updates.
3. Install the Minecraft update if it is listed, and wait for it to finish before starting the game.

Update Minecraft on PlayStation

On PS5 and PS4, a game updates automatically to the newest version available when you start it. Use the manual check when Minecraft opens on an old version.

1. On the home screen, highlight Minecraft.
2. Press the options button on the controller.
3. Select Check for Update.
4. If an update is available, follow the on-screen instructions to install it.

Update Minecraft on Nintendo Switch

When a software update exists and the console is online, the Switch prompts you to download it as you start Minecraft on Nintendo Switch.

1. Check that the console is connected to the internet.
2. On the HOME Menu, highlight the Minecraft icon without starting the game.
3. Press the + Button or the – Button.
4. Select Software Update, then Via the Internet.
5. For automatic updates, open System Settings > System and set Auto-Update Software to On.

Update Minecraft servers and Realms

A server you host runs the server software you downloaded, so updating it means downloading the new version from minecraft.net and swapping it in. A Realm is a private, cloud-hosted server that needs no technical setup, so the only thing to update is the game on your own device.

Java Edition server

The Java server runs a .jar file, and each Java release note on minecraft.net links the matching server jar.

1. Stop the server and copy its folder somewhere safe as a backup.
2. Download the new server jar from the Java Edition Server link on minecraft.net, or from the server jar link in the release notes.
3. Replace the old jar with the new one, keeping your world and settings files.
4. Start the server with a compatible version of Java installed. Leave out "nogui" if you want the graphical window.

Bedrock Dedicated Server

The Bedrock server ships as a ZIP for Windows or Ubuntu.

1. Stop the server and back up its folder.
2. Download the new Bedrock Dedicated Server for Windows or Ubuntu from minecraft.net.
3. Extract the ZIP into an empty folder, then copy your worlds and configuration files across.
4. Launch the server with the provided executable and check that players can join.

Realms

Realms only connect players of the same edition: Java players join Java Realms, Bedrock players join Bedrock Realms.

1. Update Minecraft on your own device using the platform steps above.
2. Open Minecraft and join the Realm from the same edition it was created in.

The Bedrock Dedicated Server on Linux requires Ubuntu 22.04 or later; on Windows it needs Windows 10 version 10.0.15063 or later, or Windows Server 2016 or later.

Check your current Minecraft version

The newest release is named under Our latest release on the Minecraft updates page at minecraft.net. If your store or launcher has nothing left to install, you are on that release.

1. Open the Minecraft updates page on minecraft.net and note the drop named under Our latest release.
2. Java Edition: confirm the launcher is set to the Latest Release option; that is the newest Java version.
3. Android: open Minecraft's details page in the Play Store. An Update button there means a newer version is waiting.
4. iPhone or iPad: open App Updates in the App Store. Minecraft listed with Update next to it means you are behind.
5. PlayStation: select Check for Update on Minecraft. On-screen install instructions appear only when an update is available.
6. Xbox: open My games & apps > Manage > Updates. Minecraft missing from the list means it is current.
7. Match the drop name with the version table below to see which version number you have.

Minecraft update names and version numbers

Minecraft's version numbers went up with each major update until 1.21, Tricky Trials, in June 2024, and the game drops that followed through 2025 stayed on 1.21.x. From 2026 every version number starts with the year, so there is no Minecraft 1.22: the first drop of 2026, Tiny Takeover, is Java 26.1. Java adds the patch as a separate number, while Bedrock counts upward from the release number, which is why the two editions show different numbers for the same drop.

Update or game drop	Java version	Bedrock version	Released
Tricky Trials	1.21	1.21	June 2024
The Garden Awakens	1.21.4	1.21.50	December 2024
Spring to Life	1.21.5	1.21.70	March 2025
Chase the Skies	1.21.6	1.21.90	June 2025
The Copper Age	1.21.9	Same day as Java	September 2025
Mounts of Mayhem	1.21.11	1.21.130	December 2025
Tiny Takeover	26.1	26.10	March 2026
Chaos Cubed	26.2	26.30	June 2026
Wilderness Bound	26.3	Same day as Java	September 2026

Spring to Life was the first game drop of 2025. It added warm and cold variants of the pig, cow and chicken, biome-dependent sheep wool colors, new wolf sounds, fallen trees, and the Firefly Bush, Leaf Litter, Wildflowers, Bush, dry grass and Cactus Flower blocks.

Fix common Minecraft update problems

The Minecraft Launcher does not update

The launcher's own update is stuck in the Microsoft Store.

1. Close the launcher.
2. Open Microsoft Store and select Library.
3. Install the launcher update, then reopen the Minecraft Launcher.

Minecraft will not update from the Microsoft Store

Windows, the Store app or the game package is out of date or damaged.

1. Sign in to the Store with your Microsoft account, then close and reopen Minecraft.
2. On Windows 11, select Start > Settings > Windows Update > Check for updates; on Windows 10, select Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update > Check for updates. Install anything offered.
3. Update the Store itself: Library > Get updates on Windows 11, or See more > Downloads and updates > Get updates on Windows 10.
4. Repair or reset the Minecraft app from Windows settings.
5. If it still fails, reinstall: in the Store's Library, find Minecraft and select Install.

Minecraft will not update on PS5 or PS4

A connection, system software or database problem blocks the download.

1. Go to Settings > Network and select Test Internet Connection.
2. Restart the console and try again.
3. Update the console's system software.
4. Delete Minecraft and reinstall it from your Game Library on PS5 or your Library on PS4.
5. On PS5, start in Safe Mode and select Clear Cache and Rebuild Database; on PS4, select Rebuild Database.

Minecraft will not update on Nintendo Switch

The console is offline, needs a system update or needs a restart.

1. Confirm the Switch is connected to the internet.
2. Open System Settings > System > System Update and install any system update.
3. Hold the POWER Button for at least three seconds, select Power Options, then Restart.
4. Run Software Update > Via the Internet on the Minecraft icon again.

Minecraft does not update automatically on Android

A sign-in error on an account on the device stops automatic updates.

1. Sign back in to the account that shows the error.
2. Open the Play Store, tap the profile icon, then Manage apps & device.
3. Update Minecraft manually from See details, and restart the device if the update will not start.

Minecraft update FAQ

Is updating Minecraft free?

Yes. Minecraft releases new features several times a year for free as game drops. Updating the game to the latest version through the launcher or your platform's store is all it takes to play them, on both Java and Bedrock Edition.

When is the next Minecraft update?

Mojang releases free game drops several times a year rather than one big summer update, and the next drop's name is posted on the Minecraft updates page at minecraft.net. Recent drops arrived in March, June and September, matching the version table above.

Is there a Minecraft 1.22?

No. Java Edition stayed on 1.21.x through Mounts of Mayhem, version 1.21.11, in December 2025. From 2026 version numbers start with the year, so the next release, Tiny Takeover, is Java 26.1 and Bedrock 26.10.

What was the Minecraft 1.21 update called?

Minecraft 1.21 was Tricky Trials, released in June 2024 on Java and Bedrock. It added the Trial Chambers, the breeze and the bogged, the mace and the wind charge, and it was the last update to get a whole new 1.x number.

Do Java and Bedrock get updates at the same time?

Yes. Game drops and game updates release on the same day for Bedrock and Java Edition. The exception is Vibrant Visuals, which reached Bedrock Edition in June 2025 and is still being brought to Java Edition.

How do I update the Minecraft Launcher?

The Minecraft Launcher updates automatically when you start it. If it does not update on Windows, open the Microsoft Store, go to the Library tab and update the launcher there, then reopen it and press play on the latest release.

Can players on different Bedrock devices join one updated server?

Yes. The Bedrock Dedicated Server supports cross-platform play, so Bedrock players on Windows PCs, Xbox and PlayStation consoles, mobile devices, Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2 connect with the same server IP address and port.

Is Minecraft Pi Edition still updated?

No. Minecraft Pi Edition, the simplified Java-based version made for Raspberry Pi to teach programming, is no longer actively updated by Mojang or Microsoft. The Java and Bedrock editions continue to receive regular updates.