Minecraft Launcher

The Minecraft Launcher is Mojang’s program that downloads the game and starts it. The Minecraft Launcher is where you pick a version and hit Play. Pick the wrong row and your modded world won’t load. Java runs from it on Windows, macOS, and Linux. Bedrock Edition, in that same window, runs only on Windows 10 or later. You sign in with a Microsoft account. The Xbox gamertag on that account can differ from the Java Edition username.

I play Minecraft 1.21.1 on NeoForge, using my Create Aeronautics modpack, which we share through the Modrinth App. Mojang’s launcher still matters, because a loader installer often adds a row here. See also how to install a Minecraft mod and best Minecraft mods.

What Play starts

The Java page has Play, Installations, Realms, Skins, and Patch notes. Play downloads the game if it is missing, then starts the row beside the button. That list is sorted by what you played last. Latest release and Latest snapshot are special rows, and their version cannot be changed. A snapshot is a test build. If the account has not bought the game, Play shows as Buy Now. If the game was already downloaded, it can start with no connection.

The Skins tab changes the Java character. It does not change the version or the folder. The Realms tab can start a Realm on the installation you pick. Realms is Mojang’s paid server for vanilla worlds. It is not NeoForge. Server hosting.

A row is a version and a folder

Installations is that list. You can show Releases, Snapshots, and Modded. A new row can set a name, a version, a window size, the Java program, and the JVM arguments. The Java program starts as the one bundled with the launcher. The folder starts as .minecraft. in that folder, or in launcher_profiles_microsoft_store.json on the Windows Store copy. A folder icon opens that directory. The ellipsis can edit the row, duplicate it, or delete it.

Every row that still points at .minecraft shares that folder. A second setup needs its own directory. Historical versions (pre-1.0) stay hidden until Settings shows them. Use a separate directory and keep a backup; those versions are unsupported and can corrupt a modern save.

A loader installer adds a row here. The jar still has to match that row’s loader and its Minecraft version. The memory number in the JVM arguments is how to allocate RAM. It does not move the game to another folder.

A pack page can name a different app that keeps a folder per profile. Modrinth App is the one we use to share the Create instance. CurseForge and Prism are the other names on those guides. Those apps are not this launcher. If you also keep a row here, Play still has to be on the row the installer added.

Bedrock is the other game

Bedrock’s Play control chooses the latest release or the Preview. Its Installation tab installs, repairs, uninstalls, or checks for updates. It does not keep a Java-style list of profiles, and it does not read the Java mods folder. An add-on is a different file. Sodium, Iris, and Create do not exist there.

When the window itself is the problem

Mojang’s download page says the launcher should update when you start it. If a Windows Store copy does not, that page says to update it from the Store library. The same page says a game can be started without the launcher, and that the launcher is what keeps the games in one place.

Settings can keep the launcher open while a game runs, turn animations off, and show the historical versions. Animations are off by default. None of those switches changes which row Play starts. Signing into the account that owns the game is what turns Buy Now back into Play.

Read the row beside Play before you change a folder. Latest release follows the current game. A named NeoForge 1.21.1 row keeps the version and the directory it was given. That is the only row that should start the airship world. Keep a modded world from breaking.

Related: Minecraft guides, OptiFine vs Sodium, PC builds, Java snapshot news.

Common questions

Can the Minecraft Launcher run mods?

Yes, once you install a mod loader like NeoForge or Fabric, which adds its own profile to the launcher. Some modpacks use a separate app instead, like the Modrinth App, which keeps each pack in its own folder.

Does Minecraft Bedrock use the Java mods folder?

No. Bedrock is a separate game in the launcher and can't load Java mods. It uses add-ons instead.

Why does the Minecraft Launcher start the wrong version?

Because Play launches whichever installation is selected next to it, and Latest release updates automatically. Create a named installation, like NeoForge 1.21.1, to lock a specific version.

Can I use two modpacks in the same Minecraft folder?

It's a bad idea. Every installation pointing at the default .minecraft folder shares the same mods and worlds. Give each modded installation its own game directory so you don't break a world you care about.

Does Minecraft Realms work with mods?

No. Java Realms costs $7.99 a month and only runs vanilla Minecraft, so it can't host a NeoForge modpack. For modded multiplayer, you'll need a regular game server host.