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Download Minecraft Education Beta
Welcome to the Minecraft Education beta. We’re excited to help you get going! This article has platform-specific guidance for installing the beta onto your device.
The current version of the Beta is 1.20.12 (Same as general release currently)
Prior to installation
Before you install, we recommend you read the Minecraft Education Beta Program to learn more about the beta release.
Important! If you are on Windows or Mac, you will need to remove your current version before downloading and installing the beta. Before you remove the current version, it is recommended that you back up your worlds, or the worlds will be deleted. See the Importing and Exporting Your Worlds article for more information.
Download Instructions
The beta channel is currently available for Android Phone and Tablet, iPhone, iPad, Chromebook, Windows, and Mac users with a Minecraft Education license. The demo lesson is available to users regardless of license.
Chromebook, Android Phone, and Android Tablet
Opt into the beta channel on these devices by navigating to the Google Play Store and selecting Join the Beta at the bottom of the page.
For general information on getting started with Minecraft Education on the Chromebook, check out the Chromebook Installation Guide.
MacOS
Uninstall the current version completely before installing the new beta version.
IMPORTANT! Export your worlds before uninstalling or they will be deleted. See the Importing and Exporting Your Worlds article for more information.
Download the beta for macOS application
For general information on getting started with Minecraft Education, check out the Get Started with Minecraft Education.
iPad and iPhone
Join the TestFlight beta program by tapping this link on your iPad and iOS device.
Apple will notify you when a new version of Minecraft Education is available for testing.
If needed, you can switch back to the App Store version of Minecraft Education at any time by uninstalling the TestFlight build and re-downloading it from the Apple App Store.
To learn more about testing apps with TestFlight, check out Apples Testing Apps with TestFlight article.
For general information on getting started with Minecraft Education, check out the iOS Installation Guide.
Windows
There are two different versions of the Minecraft Education app for Windows.
- Minecraft Education for Windows Store
- Minecraft Education for Windows Desktop
Both versions offer identical feature sets and functionality. Minecraft Education for Windows Store is particularly well-suited for one-to-one device scenarios, whereas Minecraft Education for Windows Desktop is easier to deploy and manage on shared computers.
This table provides recommendations for which version of the beta is compatible with your environment, device configuration, and operating system.
Windows OS |
One-to-one device |
Shared device |
Windows 10/11 |
Windows Store version |
Windows Store version |
Windows 10 - 1703 LTSB and later Windows 11 |
Windows Store version |
Desktop version |
Windows 10 - versions earlier than 1703 LTSB |
Desktop version |
Desktop version |
All versions of Windows Server |
Not supported |
Not supported |
If you are downloading the beta for Windows desktop, uninstall your current version completely before installing the beta version.
IMPORTANT! Export your worlds before uninstalling or they will be deleted. See the Importing and Exporting Your Worlds article for more information.
Download your preferred Windows beta version:
Want to know more about what’s in the beta?
Check out our What's New in the Beta article to learn more about the beta's new features.