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How to Download Minecraft Snapshots and get Early Access To Beta Builds

Home Features Adventure Minecraft How to download Minecraft Snapshots and gain early access to beta builds



By Rachel Watts published 10 March 21



Have a look at the upcoming features for the Minecraft Caves and Cliffs 1.17 update prior to its official release.



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The release date for Minecraft's 1.17 Caves and Cliffs update (opens in a new tab) is quickly approaching, but for those who don't want to wait it out Mojang's Snapshots are a great way to play upcoming features early.



Minecraft Snapshots are publicly-released test versions that don't have polished features of the upcoming updates available for players to play with. It's a chance for Mojang to see how features work in the game before making them a permanent feature of the official update. Players can report bugs and provide feedback to Mojang for improvements.



Snapshots can contain any feature that the studio would like to test and may include new biomes or mobs, game mechanics, blocks or even new mobs. PNP89 Snapshots include a variety of features from Caves and Cliffs, such as glowing squids (opens new tab) cave generation, caves, and lush flora and fauna that can be found in the blocky caverns. If you're willing to accept some minor glitches every now and then, Minecraft Snapshots are a great way of trying out upcoming features prior to the official release. Here's what you need to know to see a glimpse of the future of Minecraft.



Minecraft Snapshot installation How do I access beta builds



Snapshots are available for the Java edition of Minecraft However, there's an option to preview some of the early features in the Bedrock edition, too. These are the Bedrock betas for Android, Xbox One and Windows 10, which are not identical to Snapshots however they include many new features.



Mojang has made the process of jumping into early versions of Minecraft pretty simple, so here's how to do it:



Snapshots on Minecraft: Java Edition:



- Start the Minecraft launcher - Select the tab "Installations"


- In the top right corner, look for a box labelled Snapshots


The most recent Snapshot will be located at the end of the list of installed programs.


Beta version of Minecraft: Bedrock Edition:



- Go to the Microsoft Store app on Windows 10


- Look for the Xbox Insider app and download it.


Start the app and then choose the Insider Content tab to the left.


- Select Minecraft and click the join button


The app could take you to Minecraft's product page if you don't own a digital copy of the game.


If you're after Xbox One or Android instructions for Minecraft, visit Mojang's beta page (opens in new tab) for further instructions. To keep up with new Snapshots and betas, save the Minecraft forum's news page (opens in a new tab) that provides a list of all the released versions.



Snapshots and betas can be very unstable, and your system could fail or get janky. You shouldn't enter a world that you're not worried about being corrupted. In other words, best keep your top Minecraft builds (opens in a new tab) secure in a different universe.



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Rachel worked as freelancer for three years prior to when she settled at PC Gamer in 2019. She writes mostly reviews, previews, features, but she will occasionally add news and guides. When she's not snapping hundreds of pictures of the latest indie darling and releasing her own games, she's cultivating her parsnip empire in Stardew Valley and planning an axolotl uprising in Minecraft. She is a sucker for stopping to take a deep breath'. Her proudest gaming moment was when she managed to keep her virtual potted plants alive for the course of a year.


My Website: https://pnp89.com/