A complete guide to every known method of running Minecraft Bedrock Edition on Linux.
The ranking is the opinion of the guide's author.
1. 🥇 BedrockOnLinux
2. 🥈 mcpelauncher
3. 🥉 Flarial Client
The original launcher and the foundation of nearly every Android-based Bedrock launcher on Linux. It requires owning Minecraft through Google Play and automatically downloads the APK using your Google account.
- Requires owning Minecraft on Google Play; uses your own purchased copy of Minecraft.
- Downloads the APK directly from Google Play.
- Custom APKs are NOT supported. ❌
- The first launcher ever to run Minecraft Bedrock on Linux.
- DRM support: ✅ (What does this mean?)
Warning
The mcpelauncher-client is expected to be decommissioned with the release of Minecraft Bedrock Edition 26.70, bringing an end to the legal method of using this launcher on Android.
The maintainer has not specified whether the Linux and macOS versions will also be discontinued.
The project appears to be moving toward Minecraft for Windows through Xodus. However, recent license-verification changes have reportedly prevented Xodus from obtaining licenses, and further Microsoft countermeasures against Xodus forks could make this migration impossible.
Note
The potential discontinuation of the foundational mcpelauncher project raises questions about the future of Android-based launchers built on top of it, such as those mentioned below, including Trinity, Cianova, and GenovaLauncher. The impact on these projects remains unclear, and it is currently unknown whether they will continue to function, adapt to changes, or eventually become unsupported.
Warning
The highest supported Minecraft version on x86_64 systems with this launcher is 1.26.52.3.
A modern launcher built on top of the standard mcpelauncher utilities. It adds version management together with integrated mod and texture pack support.
- Uses
mcpelauncher-client - Uses
mcpelauncher-extract - Supports custom APKs
- Built with C++
- Built-in version management
- DRM support: ❌ (What does this mean?)
Developed by craftplaga, a member of the Las Tortuguitas de Ezku Discord community.
A Python launcher featuring a graphical interface built with CustomTkinter.
Note
The PlaGaPlusDev and CianovaTeam GitHub accounts redirect to the same project, so the repository may appear under either name.
- Uses
mcpelauncher-client - Uses
mcpelauncher-extract - Supports official Google Play APKs
- Supports custom APKs
- Built with Python
- Offers to install the DRM mod (
mcpelauncher-updates) when it is missing - DRM support: ✅ (What does this mean?)
A graphical Minecraft Bedrock launcher for Linux built with Python and PySide6 (Qt6).
- Automatic mcpelauncher binary detection.
- Install versions from APK files or Google Play
- Built-in version management.
- Resource packs, behavior packs, skins, and worlds management.
- Integrated mod browser.
- Independent profiles.
- Customizable appearance and launch options.
- GameMode and Zink support.
- DRM support: ✅ (What does this mean?)
wget https://github.com/Ars-byte/GenovaLauncher-launcher/releases/latest/download/GenovaLauncher-v1.0.0.tar.gz
tar xzf GenovaLauncher-v1.0.0.tar.gz && cd GenovaLauncher-v1.0.0
./GenovaLauncher.shA modified AppImage fork of mcpelauncher.
It claims to remove the dependency on the Flatpak runtime and was reportedly created by a contributor associated with the Trinity project.
- Supports custom APKs
- Standalone AppImage
- No Flatpak runtime required
- DRM support: ❌ (What does this mean?)
An independent Minecraft: Bedrock Edition client written from scratch in Rust, with a separate Go-based core for authentication and networking.
Unlike the methods above, Cinnabar does not launch the official Android or Windows Bedrock client. It implements its own Bedrock-compatible client and can connect to real servers, Realms, and friends' worlds.
- Native Linux client distributed as an x86_64 AppImage.
- Supports public servers, Realms, and friends' worlds.
- Live resource-pack management.
- Built-in multi-account manager.
- Custom skins and skin packs.
- Discord Rich Presence, joining, and inviting friends.
- WebAssembly mod support (currently in preview).
- Optional Bedrock 1.12-style PvP visuals.
- Current target game version: 1.26.60 (as of November 5, 2026).
- 64-bit x86 Linux for the provided AppImage.
- A Microsoft account for device-code sign-in.
- Acceptance of the Minecraft EULA on first launch.
- For building from source on Debian/Ubuntu:
libwayland-devandlibudev-dev.
- Download the latest Linux AppImage from the Releases page.
- Make it executable and launch it:
chmod +x Cinnabar-x86_64.AppImage
./Cinnabar-x86_64.AppImage- Accept the Minecraft EULA when prompted, then sign in using the Microsoft device code.
Warning
Cinnabar is a non-vanilla client and is still in development. Its movement and combat may not exactly match the official client. Server anti-cheat systems may flag it, and some servers may ban users for using it.
Note
Cinnabar is an independent, unofficial project and is not approved by or associated with Mojang or Microsoft. Its public documentation describes Microsoft account sign-in and EULA acceptance, but does not clearly state whether a Minecraft purchase entitlement is checked.
A launcher that runs the Windows version of Minecraft Bedrock Edition directly on Linux using your own Microsoft account and licence.
Unlike Methods 1–5, this does not use the Android version of Minecraft or mcpelauncher-client. Behind the scenes, BedrockOnLinux uses Xodus to download the game from Microsoft's Store infrastructure under your own licence.
- Runs the Windows version of Minecraft Bedrock.
- Supports clients via DLL.
- Real Microsoft/Xbox sign-in.
- Friends, public servers and Realms.
- Marketplace support.
- Supports Minecraft Preview.
- Supports older Minecraft versions.
- Controller support.
- Steam Deck support.
- Available as AppImage,
.deb,.rpm, Flatpak and Nix.
- 64-bit Linux.
- A Vulkan-capable GPU and working drivers.
- A Microsoft account that owns Minecraft.
- A few GB of free disk space.
A launcher that also runs Minecraft for Windows (Bedrock Edition) on Linux using Wine/Proton and provides access to the Flarial Client.
This method uses the Windows version of Minecraft Bedrock and requires a Microsoft account that owns Minecraft for Windows.
- Runs the Windows version of Minecraft Bedrock.
- Integrates Wine setup into the launcher.
- Supports Microsoft account sign-in.
- Provides access to the Flarial Client.
- Downloads and manages supported Minecraft versions through the launcher using
xodus-cli, part of the Xodus project, for game downloads and Microsoft licence handling. - Opens the Flarial menu in-game using the
Kkey.
- 64-bit x86 Linux.
- Working Vulkan graphics drivers.
- A Microsoft account that owns Minecraft for Windows (Bedrock).
Open a terminal and run the following command as your normal user. No sudo is required.
curl -fsSL https://cdn.flarial.xyz/launcher/linux/install.sh | shA desktop launcher that uses Xodus to install and run the Windows version of Minecraft Bedrock on Linux. It combines a patched Xodus backend for Microsoft sign-in, licence checks and game downloads with the Nexus Runtime, a Wine/Proton-based compatibility environment.
Note
Xodus itself is the underlying project, Xodus Nexus is an independent, unofficial project built on Xodus and supplies its own backend and runtime. It is not an official release from the upstream Xodus developers.
- Runs Minecraft for Windows (Bedrock/GDK), not the Android version.
- Microsoft account sign-in and genuine Microsoft Store licence checks.
- Downloads and installs the game through Microsoft's Store infrastructure under your own purchase or subscription entitlement.
- Uses the Nexus Runtime, which combines Wine/Proton, XGameRuntime, DXVK and VKD3D-Proton.
- Graphical interface for the Store, game library, downloads and updates.
- A Microsoft account with a Minecraft for Windows purchase or valid subscription entitlement.
- Download the latest x86_64 Linux AppImage from the Releases page.
- Make the AppImage executable and open it.
- On first startup, let the launcher install and verify the Nexus backend.
- Install the Nexus runtime.
- Sign in with your Microsoft account, install Minecraft for Windows from the launcher, and launch it.
Minecraft Bedrock on Windows has transitioned from UWP to GDK.
This method runs the native Windows GDK version through ProtonGDK together with proxy workarounds.
- Runs the actual Windows PC version.
- Does not rely on Android.
- Lengthy setup.
- Recommended only if Android-based methods fail.
Run Windows inside a virtual machine and play Minecraft Bedrock normally.
- Native Windows version
- Works reliably
- Higher resource usage
- Best used as a last resort
DRM stands for Digital Rights Management.
Newer Minecraft Bedrock APKs distributed through Google Play are protected by Google Play's DRM and integrity checks (the mcpelauncher-manifest project cites Google Advanced Integrity Protection).
Because of this, mcpelauncher-client from the mcpelauncher-manifest project can't run these newer versions on its own.
The mcpelauncher-updates mod is what makes them run. It carries the per-version patches and compatibility code the newer builds need.
That's why it's often called the DRM support mod.
-
✅ The launcher works with the
mcpelauncher-updatesmod and keeps providing newer Minecraft versions. -
❌ The launcher doesn't the mod, or it has stopped providing newer versions.
Waydroid previously ran Minecraft inside a complete Android environment.
Recent Minecraft versions become stuck at the loading screen, making this method unusable.
CCMC Launcher worked similarly to Trinity by extracting and launching custom APKs.
The GitHub repository has since been deleted or made private.
The Codeberg repository is still available.
It is believed to have been discontinued when Trinity Launcher was introduced, as both projects shared a developer (JavierC).
