Getting Started with Minecraft: Education Edition

This article provides an overview of the process to get up and going with Minecraft: Education Edition.

Get started

These are the stages involved in getting started with Minecraft on all devices.

1.      Check the system requirements

Minecraft: Education Edition can be installed on Chromebook, iPad, Mac, and PC. To ensure your experience with Minecraft: Education Edition is top-notch, make sure your devices meet the minimum system requirements.

To check if your device supports Minecraft: Education Edition, see System Requirements.

2.      Try Minecraft: Education Edition for free

Minecraft: Education Edition is available for anyone to try. If you have an Office 365 Education account or a Microsoft 365 account, you can start a free trial of Minecraft: Education Edition. The trial is a fully functional version of Minecraft: Education Edition. The only limit is the number of times you can sign in. If you don’t have an Office 365 Education account or a Microsoft 365 account, you can still try one of the demo lessons available for Minecraft: Education Edition.

To learn more about trying Minecraft: Education, check out Try Minecraft: Education Edition for free.

3.      Purchase licenses

Minecraft: Education Edition licenses are purchased via a yearly subscription. Individual licenses can be purchased directly from Microsoft or, if you’re part of an eligible educational institution, you can connect with a partner to purchase volume licenses.

To learn more about purchasing Minecraft: Education Edition licenses, see Purchasing Options for Minecraft: Education Edition.

4.      Create users accounts and assign licenses

To play Minecraft: Education Edition, each user requires a license. The license allows the user to sign into the game on any supported device. An IT administrator creates user accounts in Microsoft 365 Admin Center then assigns licenses to users. The process for assigning licenses depends on how the licenses were purchased.

To learn more about creating user accounts, see Add Users and Assign Licenses at the Same Time in the Microsoft 365 Admin Center Help.

To learn more about assigning licenses in the:

• Microsoft Store for Education, see Manage Minecraft: Education Edition Licenses in the Microsoft Store for Education.
• Microsoft 365 Admin Center, see Manage Minecraft: Education Edition Licenses in the Microsoft Admin Center.

5.      Install Minecraft: Education Edition

Minecraft: Education Edition can be installed on supported devices manually or through system management software. The installation process depends on the device you are deploying it to.

To learn more about installing Minecraft: Education Edition, see the installation guides for each device.

Next steps

Once licenses for Minecraft: Education Edition have been purchased and assigned and the game installed, users can begin signing in to play, learn, and create!

Educator training

If you’re a teacher and would like some training on how to use Minecraft: Education Edition, there are a wealth of options available. The options range from in-person to self-directed online courses. To learn more, check out Training for Minecraft Educators.

Technical support

If you have any questions or need assistance, you can visit the Help Center and search the Knowledge Base for more articles like this, engage with members of the Minecraft: Education Community in the Community Forums, or contact the support team via the submit a request form.