How to Find Your Minecraft Version (Java and Bedrock)

To find your Minecraft version, open the game and check the version number on the title screen. In Minecraft: Java Edition, it appears in the lower-left corner. In Minecraft: Bedrock Edition, it appears near the lower-right corner. On a PC, the Minecraft Launcher can also show which Java version an installation is configured to run.

This number matters when you join multiplayer servers, install mods or add-ons, or troubleshoot a world. Do not confuse the edition with the version: Java Edition and Bedrock Edition are separate editions and use different version numbers.

How to find your Minecraft Java Edition version

1. Open the Minecraft Launcher and select Minecraft: Java Edition.
2. Launch the installation you normally use.
3. When the Java Edition main menu appears, look at the lower-left corner.
4. The text beginning with “Minecraft” is the version you are currently running.

If you use a modded launcher or a third-party mod loader, the title screen may include extra loader information. The Minecraft game version is still the important number to match against a server or mod requirement.

How to find your Minecraft Bedrock Edition version

Bedrock Edition is the edition used by Minecraft for Windows and by the main Minecraft releases on supported consoles, phones, and tablets.

1. Start Minecraft and wait for the main menu to load.
2. Look near the lower-right corner of the screen.
3. Read the displayed version number. That is the Bedrock build installed on that device.

Bedrock updates can reach platforms at slightly different times because each platform has its own distribution process. Mojang noted this explicitly for the 26.52 hotfix, which rolled out as each platform approved it. If two devices show different Bedrock versions, check for an update in the store or system software that installed Minecraft.

Check a Java version in the Minecraft Launcher

You can check the configured Java version before starting the game. Open the Launcher, select Minecraft: Java Edition, and open the Installations tab. A saved installation shows the release it is configured to use. The official Minecraft support instructions also use this screen when creating an installation for a specific game version.

If an installation is set to Latest Release, the Launcher follows the current stable Java release. A named installation may instead be pinned to an older release, snapshot, or another supported version. This is why the version selected in the Launcher and the number shown after the game starts are both useful when troubleshooting.

How to check the latest official Minecraft release

There is no single version number that covers every Minecraft edition. The safest place to verify a release is Mojang's official Minecraft Release Changelogs.

As of October 21, 2026, the official release list shows Minecraft Java Edition 26.3 and the Bedrock Edition 26.52 hotfix as the current stable releases listed for those editions. You may also see newer snapshot, beta, or preview numbers elsewhere on the Minecraft Feedback site. Those are test builds, not the same thing as the latest stable release.

Why your Minecraft version matters

• Multiplayer: A server can require a particular client version or a supported range. A mismatch can produce an incompatible-version message.
• Mods and loaders: Java mods commonly target specific Minecraft versions and specific mod-loader versions.
• Bedrock add-ons: Packs and add-ons can require a minimum Bedrock version or newer creator APIs.
• World safety: Opening a newer Java world in an older game version can damage or remove data that the older version does not understand.

Changing the Java Edition version safely

Java Edition makes it possible to create installations for different releases. Mojang's official game-version guidance recommends backing up your worlds before switching versions because loading a world in an older version can permanently corrupt it.

1. Back up any world you care about before changing versions.
2. In the Minecraft Launcher, select Minecraft: Java Edition and open Installations.
3. Create a new installation and choose the version you need.
4. Save the installation, select it, and launch the game.

The official Minecraft Launcher troubleshooting guide uses the same Installations workflow when testing a specific Java game version.

For Bedrock Edition, use the supported update channel provided by your platform. Avoid unofficial downgrade methods, especially when an existing world matters to you.

Java and Bedrock are not the same version line

A Java number and a Bedrock number do not need to match digit for digit. They identify different builds of different editions. Bedrock supports cross-platform play across compatible Bedrock devices, while Java Edition uses its own Java multiplayer ecosystem. When a server, mod, add-on, or guide says it requires a certain version, first confirm that it is referring to the same edition you are using.