How to Play Minecraft: Java Edition on Android With an Open-Source Launcher

Short answer: Mojang has never released Java Edition for phones, and Minecraft on Google Play is Bedrock Edition. To play Java Edition on Android, you need to own Minecraft: Java Edition on a Microsoft account, and an open-source launcher that runs Java on your phone and downloads the game from Mojang. The launchers are free; the game isn’t.

There is no “Minecraft Java APK”. The launchers don’t contain the game: they fetch the same files a PC launcher does, after you sign in.

What you need

• Java Edition on your Microsoft account. Mojang sells Java Edition for Windows, Mac and Linux, as part of the Java & Bedrock Edition for PC bundle. Buying Minecraft on Google Play gets you Bedrock Edition. Since 25 July 2022, every version of Minecraft needs a Microsoft account.
• A capable phone. Amethyst’s own list puts the minimum at a Snapdragon 460-class chip, Android 5.0 and 1 GB of memory, and recommends 6 GB or more. Zalith Launcher 2 and Fold Craft Launcher need Android 8.0 or later. We haven’t tested performance ourselves.
• Free storage well beyond the launcher itself. Every game version, Java runtime and mod is downloaded separately.

If you sign in with an account that doesn’t own the game, Amethyst starts Mojang’s demo, in which “commands are disabled and multiplayer servers cannot be joined”. Zalith Launcher 2 refuses and asks you to buy the game. Amethyst’s developers state that their projects “never enable the ability to pirate Microsoft or Mojang software”.

Pick a launcher

All three continue the work of PojavLauncher. Our Minecraft Java launchers comparison goes into the differences; in short:

	Amethyst	Zalith Launcher 2	Fold Craft Launcher
Sign-in	Microsoft’s login page inside the app	A code you enter on Microsoft’s website	A code you enter on Microsoft’s website
Java in the app	Java 8; newer versions downloaded when needed	Java 8, 17, 21 and 25	Java 8, 17, 21 and 25
Mod loaders	Forge, Fabric, NeoForge, Quilt, OptiFine	Forge, NeoForge, Fabric, Quilt; OptiFine as an add-on	Forge, NeoForge, LiteLoader, OptiFine, Fabric, Quilt, Cleanroom
Minimum Android	5.0	8.0	8.0
Best for	Older and 32-bit phones	A modern interface	The most mod loaders

Get them here: Amethyst, Zalith Launcher 2, Fold Craft Launcher. Each keeps its own game files, so you can try more than one.

Which Java a Minecraft version needs

The launchers pick the right Java for you, but it explains why an old phone may not run a new version:

Minecraft version	Needs
1.12 to 1.16.5	Java 8
1.17	Java 16
1.18 to 1.20.4	Java 17
1.20.5 to 1.21.11	Java 21, and a 64-bit system
26.1 and newer	Java 25

Mojang’s changelogs for 1.20.5 and 26.1 state these requirements; the full table follows the Minecraft Wiki. Because 1.20.5 and newer need a 64-bit system, Amethyst’s documentation says 32-bit phones can’t run them, and can’t give the game more than 768 MB of memory.

First launch, step by step

1. Install a launcher and open it.
2. Sign in with your Microsoft account. In Amethyst, Microsoft’s login page opens inside the app. Zalith Launcher 2 and Fold Craft Launcher show a code instead: the launcher copies it and opens Microsoft’s verification page, where you enter it and approve the sign-in.
3. Pick a game version. The launcher downloads it from Mojang and uses, or downloads, the Java runtime it needs. Start with a plain version before you add mods.
4. Set the memory. Give the game less than the maximum the launcher offers: Amethyst’s crash FAQ advises 100 to 250 MB less.
5. Launch, and change the renderer if needed. The renderer turns the game’s graphics calls into something your phone’s GPU understands. If the game crashes or runs badly, try another one from the launcher’s list. Which renderer works with which version changes often, because Mojang is moving Java Edition from OpenGL to Vulkan, so follow the notes in your launcher rather than an old guide.
6. Learn the controls. You play with on-screen buttons that you can rearrange. Amethyst has a Custom controls button in its main menu, and Fold Craft Launcher adds a virtual mouse and customizable key mapping. Zalith Launcher 2’s documentation is blunt about it: if you can only play on a touchscreen, you have to learn its control layout.

Mods and modpacks

Create a profile with a mod loader (Fabric, Forge or NeoForge, for example) in the launcher, then add mods to it, or install a modpack from Modrinth or CurseForge. Zalith Launcher 2 warns, fairly, that “most modpacks are made for PC, and there’s a high chance of crashes”. Keep packs small at first.

Good to know

• The newest versions are the hardest. Snapshots and the latest releases often need a specific renderer, and launcher updates regularly note versions that don’t work yet.
• For which CPU type your phone has, see arm64-v8a or armeabi-v7a.