Java or Bedrock: which edition of Minecraft do I have?
How to tell whether you play Java Edition or Bedrock Edition: by your device, by the Launcher on Windows and by the menus, and why it matters for skins.
The game comes in two editions, and they handle skins differently. Java Edition keeps your skin on your account and changes it in the Minecraft Launcher; Bedrock Edition imports a skin in the game's Dressing Room and keeps it on the device. So the first step to a custom skin is knowing which one you play.
Tell by your device
| You play on | Edition |
|---|---|
| Xbox, PlayStation or Nintendo Switch | Bedrock Edition |
| Android phone or tablet, iPhone or iPad | Bedrock Edition |
| Mac or Linux computer | Java Edition |
| Windows PC | Either, or both (see below) |
Bedrock Edition used to be called Pocket Edition on phones and tablets; it became Bedrock Edition in 2017. If someone says "Pocket Edition", they mean Bedrock.
On a Windows PC
A Windows 10 or 11 PC can have both: Minecraft: Java & Bedrock Edition for PC includes the two, and owning one edition entitles you to the other. Both start from the Minecraft Launcher, where Bedrock Edition is listed as Minecraft for Windows and Java Edition as Minecraft: Java Edition. They are separate games, each with its own skin. See skins on Windows.
Tell by the menus
- A Dressing Room button on the main menu: Bedrock Edition. That is where its skins are changed.
- A Marketplace on the main menu: Bedrock Edition.
- No skin menu in the game, and a Skins tab in the Minecraft Launcher: Java Edition.
Why it matters for skins
| Java Edition | Bedrock Edition | |
|---|---|---|
| Where you change it | The Launcher's Skins tab, or your profile page | The Dressing Room, in the game |
| Where it is kept | On your account, on every computer | On the device you imported it on |
| File | 64 x 64 PNG | 64 x 64 or 128 x 128 PNG, or a skin pack |
| Consoles | Not available | No imported skins |
Next: Java Edition or Bedrock Edition. Players of the two editions cannot play together, so friends need the same one. A skin file works in both: see Bedrock skin on Java.
Make a skin now, in your browser: five guided photos with the camera, or photos already taken. Nothing is uploaded. The Scan2Skin 3D app for iPhone and Android adds scan yourself, HD skins and Pro.
Make a skin About the phone appSources
- The Difference between Java and Bedrock Editions, minecraft.net. Read October 23, 2026; published 2021-10-25: Java Edition on Windows, Mac and Linux; Bedrock Edition on Windows 10 and 11, Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, Android and iOS; the Java & Bedrock Edition for PC holds both; players of the two editions cannot play together.
- Differences Between Minecraft: Bedrock Edition and Minecraft: Java Edition, Microsoft Learn. Read October 23, 2026; last updated 2025-05-20: Pocket Edition became Bedrock Edition in 2017; Java on Windows, Mac and Linux PCs, Bedrock on Windows PCs, consoles and mobile devices.
- Manage a member's safety settings to access Minecraft features, Xbox Support. Read October 23, 2026; no date shown: the Xbox Family Settings app's Manage Minecraft (multiplayer, clubs for Realms) and the console's family settings; it names Bedrock Edition on PC "Minecraft for Windows".
- Make a Custom Skin in Minecraft: Java Edition, Minecraft Help Center. Read October 4, 2026; the article was last edited 2026-01-30: the Launcher's Skins tab, the profile's Change Your Skin page, Classic, Wide and Slim, slim arms from version 1.8.
- Equip Minecraft Character Creator Items and Skins in the Dressing Room, Minecraft Help Center. Read October 4, 2026; last edited 2025-12-01: Dressing Room, Edit Character, Classic Skins, Equip.