Onboarding & licensing
Bedrock setup questions, answered before you spend
Which edition to pick, which store handles which platform, how “Buy Again” happens and how to clear it, and where refunds actually go. Every claim links to an official Mojang, Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo, or store page. Reviewed 28 August 2026.
Editions & platform choice
Bedrock is the only Minecraft sold for iPhone, iPad, Android, Amazon Fire, Chromebook, Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo Switch. Java is sold only for Windows, Mac, and Linux. If the player is on any device other than a desktop computer, Bedrock is the answer. Reference: Mojang, Java or Bedrock Edition.
Yes, in most cases. The Xbox console SKU and the Windows PC SKU are separate purchases in their respective stores. Owning it on Xbox does not automatically add the Windows PC edition to the same Microsoft account. The one exception is when Microsoft or a promotion explicitly grants both entitlements, which is not the default. Reference: Mojang, Get Minecraft.
Mojang states that Minecraft: Java & Bedrock Edition for PC contains both editions for one price, and that owning one edition entitles the buyer to the other on Windows PC. This applies only to that combined PC SKU, not to Java bought on its own on a different platform. Reference: Mojang, Java or Bedrock Edition.
No. Bedrock is not sold for macOS. A Mac player runs Java only, and Java and Bedrock use different multiplayer networks, so they cannot share a world. If the rest of the group is on consoles or phones, plan for a non-Mac device before the purchase. Reference: Mojang, Java or Bedrock Edition.
Accounts before install
Yes on every device. Bedrock signs in with a free Microsoft account on Windows, Xbox, PlayStation, Switch, iOS, Android, Fire, and Chromebook. Create the account in advance and note the exact email address, because that account controls friends, Marketplace purchases, and multiplayer permissions across all Bedrock devices. Reference: Mojang, Java or Bedrock Edition.
For players under the age Microsoft treats as a child in your region, set the profile up as a child account inside a Microsoft Family group. An adult inside that group controls multiplayer permission, chat, and Marketplace spending. Configure those settings before the first launch so the multiplayer button is not greyed out when the game starts. Reference: Xbox family hub.
On Windows and mobile, only an internet connection is normally required for online play. On Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo Switch, participating profiles need access to that console's online entitlement. Home Xbox, console sharing, or a family plan may cover additional profiles without a separate subscription for each one. Names, tiers, and sharing rules change, so verify them on the console platform before buying. Reference: Mojang, Java or Bedrock Edition.
Buying on Windows
The Minecraft: Java & Bedrock Edition for PC listing on minecraft.net delivers both clients through the Microsoft Store on Windows. Regional pricing appears at checkout, and the free-trial page shows the current trial rules. That listing is the safest starting point on a Windows PC. Reference: Mojang, Get Minecraft for PC.
The Microsoft Store listing currently states Windows 10 version 19041.0 or higher, ARM64 or x64 architecture, and 4 GB memory minimum. Requirements are updated by Microsoft without notice, so open the live listing before buying a new machine or upgrading a family PC. Reference: Microsoft Store: Minecraft for Windows.
The Xbox app is the modern launcher on Windows for Microsoft Store games and is the simplest place to verify the entitlement is present on the same Microsoft account you bought with. Signing in there before launching Bedrock avoids a common source of “Buy Again” loops caused by mismatched Store and Xbox sign-ins. Reference: Microsoft, help with Store purchases.
Buying on Xbox
Buy Minecraft from the Xbox store while signed in with the Microsoft account that will own it. The console downloads it to that account's library. Other profiles may launch it for local or split-screen play under Home Xbox sharing rules. For online play, confirm that each participating profile has access to the required entitlement; Home Xbox may share eligible subscription benefits without every profile buying a separate plan. Reference: Xbox Support: My Home Xbox.
This usually means the console is signed in with a different Microsoft account than the one that owns the license, or the entitlement refresh has not finished. Sign out completely, sign back in with the purchasing account, and wait for the license to refresh in Settings > Account. Confirm the order in your Microsoft account order history before contacting support. Reference: Xbox Support: purchase issues on console.
Buying on PlayStation
PlayStation Store lists Minecraft for PS4 and PS5. Sign into the PSN account that will play before purchasing so the license ties to that account. Online multiplayer with players outside the same console typically requires an active PlayStation Plus subscription for each PSN account playing online. Reference: PlayStation, Minecraft.
No. Sony's Minecraft parents guide states that PlayStation uses Minecraft Tokens on PS4 and PS5, and that Minecoins bought on other platforms cannot be exchanged for items on PlayStation. Buy the currency the platform actually accepts. Reference: PlayStation, parents guide to Minecraft.
Yes, provided both are on Bedrock, both are signed in with their own Microsoft accounts inside the game, both are on the same game version, and cross-play is permitted in the invited account's privacy settings. Cross-play never crosses to Java. Reference: Mojang, Java or Bedrock Edition.
Buying on Nintendo Switch
Yes. The Nintendo Switch version of Minecraft is Bedrock. Online multiplayer on Switch normally requires Nintendo Switch Online for the account playing online. Nintendo has publicly announced a Nintendo Switch 2 version arriving 27 October, but as of 28 August 2026 that release has not happened — do not plan a purchase around it today. Reference: Nintendo, Minecraft for Nintendo Switch 2.
Yes, both. Every Bedrock device including Switch signs into a Microsoft account inside the game in addition to the Nintendo account that bought the game on the eShop. The Microsoft account controls friends, Realms invites, and Marketplace purchases across all your Bedrock devices. Reference: Mojang, Java or Bedrock Edition.
Buying on mobile & Chromebook
The App Store lists Minecraft for iOS and iPadOS. Purchases are tied to the Apple ID that paid. Marketplace purchases made from inside the game are tied to the Microsoft account signed in inside Minecraft, not the Apple ID — the two do not merge. Reference: App Store: Minecraft.
Google Play sells Bedrock for Android phones and tablets and also for Chromebook. Amazon Appstore sells it for Fire tablets. Marketplace Pass is not available on Amazon Kindle Fire per the official Pass footnotes; content bought on another platform can still appear when signed into the same Microsoft account. Reference: Mojang, Minecraft on Chromebook.
Model-level compatibility changes as operating systems age out. Open the store listing on the device you want to install on and let the store decide whether the current build supports the phone or tablet. Older iOS and Android versions can lose support over time; the store is the authoritative check. Reference: platform store listings for that device.
Buy Again & entitlement
Check three places in order: which Microsoft account is signed into the Microsoft Store and the Xbox app, whether the game appears in that account's owned library on the Store website, and whether the Store is downloading the license (Xbox app > Library or the Store app > Library). Signing out completely and back in with the purchasing account usually clears the check. Reference: Microsoft, help with Store purchases.
Minecoins are tied to the Microsoft account that bought them, not to the platform store. Sign into Minecraft with that specific Microsoft account on the device where you want to spend them. Sony's parents guide reminds PlayStation players that PlayStation uses Tokens rather than Minecoins. Reference: Mojang, Marketplace FAQ.
Refunds go to the store that took the payment: Microsoft Store, PlayStation Store, Nintendo eShop, App Store, Google Play, or Amazon Appstore. The Marketplace FAQ notes Minecraft Coin purchases as final. This site cannot request or grant a refund; the store that billed the card is the only party that can. Reference: Xbox Support: refund orders.
Give the entitlement 15 minutes to sync, then restart both the game and the store app and confirm the account signed into both is the same. If the mismatch persists, open a support ticket at aka.ms/Minecraft-Support with the order ID from the confirmation email and the exact wording of the error. Reference: Minecraft Support.
Family & child accounts
Nearly always a child-account privacy setting. Xbox states that only a parent inside the family group can change Xbox privacy and online safety settings for a child account, and the child must sign out and back in before the change applies. Adults signed into the child's account cannot toggle it. Reference: Xbox family hub.
Set spending limits in Microsoft Family Safety before any Minecoins reach the wallet. Consoles also expose their own store-level PIN and monthly-spend controls. Once a wallet holds a balance, refunds and reversals fall under the store's standard policy, so upstream controls are the effective ones. Reference: Microsoft, Family Safety spending limits.
Free trial & safe download
Yes. Availability and duration differ by platform, so open the current listing on minecraft.net/free-trial before assuming a trial is available for your device. Any site offering a “full free” installer of Minecraft is not a legitimate source and often bundles unwanted software. Reference: Mojang, Free trial.
Warning signs include an installer .exe or .apk hosted outside a platform store, a “cracked” or “premium unlocked” claim, no clear publisher name, ads that mimic install buttons, or instructions to disable antivirus before running the file. Bedrock is distributed only through platform stores: Microsoft, PlayStation, Nintendo, App Store, Google Play, and Amazon. Reference: Mojang, Downloads.
This site
Download Minecraft Bedrock from this site. Open the Download page, pick your device, and use the Download button for that platform. See Trust & security for account-matching and setup privacy rules.
Answers are dated 28 August 2026 where prices, subscription rules, or platform requirements are cited. Store availability, subscription tiers, and device support change without notice, so use the linked official page in each answer for the version that applies to you today.