Which Minecraft edition runs on Android and iPhone

Minecraft on Android and iPhone is Bedrock Edition, sold through Google Play, the Amazon Appstore and the App Store. Java Edition does not exist on phones. Android needs Android OS 9 or newer, more than 1 GB of RAM, 1 GB of storage and OpenGL ES 3.1, per the Minecraft help centre (page text edited 11 March 2026, read 24 October 2026).

Which edition runs on a phone

The Minecraft help centre lists Bedrock Edition for Apple iOS, for Android and Chromebook through Google Play, and for Amazon phones and tablets through the Amazon Appstore. Minecraft.net says Java Edition is only available on Windows, Mac and Linux. The old name for the phone version is covered in What Minecraft Pocket Edition was and why it was renamed, so this page sticks to what runs today.

For how the two main editions differ, see Minecraft Java vs Bedrock Edition. For the wider Bedrock device list, see What Minecraft Bedrock Edition is and where it runs.

What your phone needs to run Minecraft

• Operating system: Android OS 9.
• Memory: more than 1 GB of RAM.
• Storage: 1 GB or higher.
• Graphics: OpenGL ES 3.1 or higher.

The same help page says devices on Android OS 8 or OpenGL ES 3.0 stopped receiving updates as of March 2025. Those phones keep their worlds and Marketplace purchases, including Minecoins. Realms managed from such a device keep working for 6 months unless the Realm owner updates them from another device. They also cannot join multiplayer with devices that still get updates, and they lose access to certain servers.

Phones normally update Minecraft automatically. The help centre says the version number in the bottom-right corner of the launch screen should match the store listing.

What add-ons and packs the phone version can use

Because phones run Bedrock Edition, they use Bedrock content: Marketplace items, add-ons, resource packs, skins and maps. Minecraft.net describes add-ons as community or self-made changes to how things look and behave. A .mcaddon or .mcpack file imports when you open it with Minecraft on a phone, and behavior and resource packs are switched on per world. Steps are in How to install add-ons on Minecraft Bedrock and How to install texture packs on Minecraft PE (Android and iOS).

Some add-ons need the Experiments toggles their creator names turned on in the world settings. Browse our listing of Bedrock add-ons for what exists. For the concept itself, read What Minecraft add-ons are on Bedrock Edition. Shader-style visuals on Bedrock are a different route from Java shaders, covered in How to turn on shaders in Minecraft Bedrock.

Why Java mods do not run on a phone

Java mods and Java shader loaders such as Iris and OptiFine are Java Edition mods, and Java Edition has no phone release. A Java file therefore has nothing to load into on Android or iPhone. Some ideas carry over as Bedrock add-ons, and What carries over from Java mods and shaders to Bedrock explains which. Mojang's sources also say Java and Bedrock players cannot share servers, though What Geyser is and how Bedrock players join Java servers covers the usual workaround.

How Minecraft Education differs on mobile

Minecraft Education's mobile page says it is available for iPhones and Android phones and tablets, with multiplayer and in-game coding. Mojang's separate editions list, last edited 28 April 2026, names Windows, iPad, Mac and Chromebook for it, so the two pages do not match. Read What Minecraft Education is and who can use it for licences. iPad specifics are in What Minecraft on iPad is and what it lacks.

Where to get Minecraft on a phone safely

Minecraft.net links the Android and iOS listings directly from its download page, and the help centre names Google Play, the App Store and the Amazon Appstore. Those are the stores we can point to. Our sources say nothing about Bedrock cross-play beyond the edition split, so see Is Minecraft cross platform and which devices play together for the rest.

We read these help pages and did not install or play anything on a phone, so we make no claim about speed or battery use.