How to download and install Minecraft Java Edition

You download Minecraft Java from minecraft.net or the Microsoft Store: install the Minecraft Launcher, sign in with your Microsoft account and click Play under Minecraft: Java Edition. There’s no need to install Java separately, because the game comes with its own.

Below you’ll find what your computer needs, how the installation goes and what to do if the launcher plays up. We stick to the official route, as of 7 October 2026.

What do you need?

• A Microsoft account. It’s required for Java on Windows, macOS and Linux.
• The game itself. You buy Minecraft: Java & Bedrock Edition for PC on minecraft.net or in the Microsoft Store, which gets you both editions. If you have a code or gift card for the game, redeem it at minecraft.net/redeem with the Microsoft account you play on.
• A computer that can handle it. These are the requirements Mojang lists for Java:

Mojang also asks for a processor with at least four physical cores. According to Mojang, the minimum spec gets you around 30 frames per second at 1080p on the Fast preset, and the recommended spec 60 on the Fancy preset. Mojang raised the requirements in July 2026. If your computer falls short, Java should usually still launch, but without guarantees, and that may change as the game moves to Vulkan. Not sure? Try the free demo first, which is covered further down.

How to install Minecraft Java, step by step

1. Download the launcher. Go to the download page on minecraft.net and click Download for Windows. Or find the Minecraft Launcher in the Microsoft Store and click Get or Install.
2. Install and open the launcher. The minecraft.net version also installs through the Microsoft Store, so sign in there with the same account.
3. Sign in with your Microsoft account. Use the same account you bought Minecraft with.
4. Choose Minecraft: Java Edition on the left.
5. Click Play. The first time, the launcher downloads and installs the game along with the Java version it needs. Since version 26.1 that’s Java 25, in Microsoft’s build. Then Minecraft starts.

On a Mac or on Linux it works the same way. On the download page, look under the other versions for Mac, or for Linux, where you’ll find packages for Debian and Debian-based systems, for Arch and for other distributions. Bought a new computer? You don’t need to buy Minecraft again: install the launcher and sign in with the same account.

Java or Bedrock?

On a Windows PC one purchase gets you both, and in the launcher you choose which one to start each time. On a Mac or on Linux, you play Java. Java is the edition for mods, plugins and most servers with friends, while Bedrock is the one to play with friends on consoles or phones. The full comparison is in Minecraft Java vs Bedrock.

Playing another version or a snapshot

The launcher starts the latest version by default. Need an older one, say because a modpack or a server runs on it? Create your own installation:

1. Click the Installations tab, then New.
2. Give the installation a name and choose the version you want under Version.
3. Click Create and start the installation with Play.

Back up your worlds first. Mojang warns that opening a world in an older version can damage it permanently. Want to look ahead instead? Next to the Play button, switch Latest Release to Latest Snapshot. You can read what’s in the snapshots right now in Minecraft 26.4: everything we know so far.

The free demo

Don’t own Minecraft yet? You can try Java for free first. Sign in to the launcher with your Microsoft account, and if you don’t own the game you get the demo. You play five in-game days, about 100 minutes, in Survival only. Commands are switched off and you can’t join servers, but you can play over your home network (LAN), with no more than one demo account.

Launcher won’t start?

• Use the same account everywhere. The launcher, the Microsoft Store and the Xbox app need to be signed in to the Microsoft account you bought the game with.
• Reinstall the launcher. That puts fresh copies of all its files back in place.
• Store install failing? Try the Xbox app or the download from minecraft.net. On Windows you can reset the Store: press the Windows key + R, type WSReset and press Enter.
• Keep your system up to date. Since March 2025 you need at least Windows 10 or macOS 10.15 to get updates and play online.

Now go and play together

Game running? Then you can change your skin, install mods or see how to play with friends. Java is the easiest edition to run your own server on, and How to make a Minecraft server helps you decide whether to host it yourself or rent one.