We first shared that Minecraft was getting a new launcher all the way back in December of last year. Since then, the beta version of the new launcher has seen numerous updates for Windows, Linux, and macOS versions, plus a really fantastic design overhaul, but with each new release it looks like we could be ramping up the beta testing phase.
@slicedlime on Twitter (who works at Mojang) has been diligent in keeping us updated on the newest versions of the launcher as they’re released, but this week we started seeing what seems to be rapid-fire bug fix releases being dropped after that redesign pushed out last week.
We can even see it in the beta launcher’s changelog. Before last week there had only been 3 updates to the launcher in 6 months. Since the redesign, we’ve already seen four updates drop which bring bug fixes and minor changes.
If you’d like to grab the launcher beta, you can do so at the linked button below or by turning on the launcher beta setting in your current launcher. Once it’s installed, the launcher should update itself with new versions as they’re released, except Linux which currently requires you to download the packages manually at that same link below.
Keep in mind that this is BETA software, meaning you may run into bugs, crashes, or weird behavior. Check out the launcher section on the Minecraft Feedback site, or the bug tracker on Minecraft’s Jira, if you’d like to report any issues or propose new ideas for future updates, but don’t get upset if you run into problems.
If you switched to the beta launcher and can’t log in, you can switch back by editing launcher_profiles.json in your minecraft folder. Change the “channel” field from “beta” to “release”.
— slicedlime (@slicedlime) June 15, 2019
We love the new look of the launcher and are looking forward to seeing what comes next. It also seems like this is going to eventually be the home for not just Minecraft Java Edition, but possibly also Minecraft Dungeons, Minecraft Bedrock Edition, and maybe some other content. Maybe a server browser? We can only hope!
