Minecraft Coming to Chromebook

  • By Dian Schaffhauser
  • 07/29/20

Microsoft: Education Edition is coming to the Chromebook, and the Microsoft division is seeking beta testers. Up until now, people had to run hacks if they wanted to play the game on their Chromebook computers.

The company said Minecraft was now available in the Google Play Store as an Android app for Chromebook. There's a catch: Only users with an Office 365 Education account can participate at this point. Most educators and students running Chromebooks are also running the competitor to Office 365: G Suite for Education. The beta won't run on Android phones at this time.

Minecraft Coming to Chromebook

Because the beta will test new features for the program, it will be available to users not just on Chromebook, but also on Windows, MacOS and iPad.

While there's no cost involved, there is risk: Users must remove any current version of Minecraft they're already running and export their "worlds"; otherwise, those will be lost. Also, players on the beta edition won't be able to play in the same worlds as other players not on the test version. Users with the Windows Store version are advised against running the beta edition, since that could introduce connection problems and cause the loss of worlds already created.

Microsoft said that beta users would be automatically upgraded to the retail version with the next release of the gaming platform, with the exception of MacOS users; they will need to install the next retail release when it's available.

Additional information and links about the beta program are openly available on the Minecraft: Education Edition website.

About the Author

Dian Schaffhauser is a former senior contributing editor for 1105 Media's education publications THE Journal, Campus Technology and Spaces4Learning.

Featured

  • A teacher and students gather around a glowing crystal ball containing a miniature school building surrounded by clear AI symbols, including holographic interfaces, neural networks, circuits, and data streams

    2025 Predictions: AI's Impact on Education

    What should schools and districts expect from the evolving landscape of artificial intelligence in the coming year? Here's what the experts told us.

  • digital illustration of Estonia with glowing neural network-like connections spreading across the map

    Estonia to Roll Out ChatGPT Edu for all Secondary Schools

    In a nationwide artificial intelligence program dubbed "AI Leap 2025," the country of Estonia plans to provide free access to leading AI applications for all secondary school students and teachers. The initiative will launch with a rollout of ChatGPT Edu to 20,000 high school students in grades 10-11 and their 3,000 teachers, beginning Sept. 1.

  • A middle school student wearing safety goggles and a lab coat uses a microscope in a science lab, surrounded by beakers and test tubes filled with colorful liquids

    2025 Young Scientist Challenge Seeks Students Using Science to Solve Everyday Problems

    The entry period is now open for the 2025 3M Young Scientist Challenge, a science competition from 3M and Discovery Education for students in grades 5-8 recognizing individuals across the United States who have "demonstrated a passion for using science to solve everyday problems and improve the world around them."

  • young child sitting at a table, using a tablet with an AI-generated interface

    Research: 1 in 3 Kids Use AI for Learning

    In a survey of parents with children aged 8 or younger, nearly a third of respondents (29%) said their child has used AI for school-related learning, according to a new report from Common Sense Media.