To play another version of Minecraft: Java Edition, open the Minecraft Launcher, go to Installations, click New installation, pick the version in the Version list and press Play. The launcher downloads that version and the Java it needs. Back up your worlds before you switch, and give old versions their own folder. Bedrock Edition has no version picker: it always runs the current release.

Back up the worlds you care about

In the game, open Singleplayer, select the world, click Edit, then Make Backup. The game saves a ZIP copy of the world; Open Backups Folder, on the same screen, shows where. Do this before every version change, up or down.

Show every version in the launcher

The Installations tab has three filters: Releases, Snapshots and Modded. Tick the ones you need. Alpha and beta versions only appear when you turn on Show historical versions of Minecraft: Java Edition in the Launcher in the launcher settings. The menu names here are those of the English interface.

Type	Versions in Mojang's list	Span
Releases	103	1.0 (2011) to 26.3 (2026)
Snapshots, pre-releases, release candidates	758	Test builds before each release
Alpha and beta	61	2009 to 2011

Create an installation for that version

On the Installations tab, click New installation.
Give it a name you will recognise, such as "1.12.2 modpacks".
Pick the version in the Version list.
Under Game directory, choose an empty folder. Options, resource packs and worlds of that version then stay apart from your 26.3 ones.
Click Create.

Launch it with the right Java

Click Play next to the installation. The first launch downloads the game files and the Java runtime the version asks for:

Minecraft version	Java
26.1 to 26.3	Java 25
1.20.5 to 1.21.11	Java 21
1.18 to 1.20.4	Java 17
1.17 and 1.17.1	Java 16
1.16.5 and older, alpha and beta included	Java 8

You only need this table if you set your own Java executable in the installation's options: it must match.

Open your world in the matching version

Old world, newer version: the game upgrades it. Some worlds first show "Create a backup before upgrading this world?": click Create Backup and Load.
New world, older version: the game warns "Downgrading a world is not supported". Stop there: blocks, items and chunks the old version does not know can be lost. Play a copy if you must.

What each version added is listed on the Minecraft versions pages.

Try snapshots and Minecraft Preview

Java snapshots are test builds of the next update. Tick Snapshots, create an installation with the latest snapshot and give it its own game directory. Open only copies of your worlds: a world played in a snapshot may no longer open cleanly in a release. Every snapshot is described on the snapshots page. On Bedrock Edition, the same role is played by Minecraft Preview, a separate app.

Join a server on another version

A Java server accepts one version. With another one, you are kicked with "Incompatible client! Please use", followed by the server's version. Create an installation with exactly that version, then join again. For a modded server, the mod loader and mods must match too: see how to install Fabric and how to play multiplayer.

FAQ

Will changing version delete my worlds?

No. Worlds stay in the saves folder. Opening a world in another version is the risk: the game upgrades it, and an upgraded world cannot go back. Back up first.

Can I play 1.8.9 or 1.12.2 for PvP or old modpacks?

Yes. Both are in the Version list as releases. The launcher gives them Java 8 automatically. For a modpack, install the pack's loader for that exact version.

Can I go back to an older version on Bedrock Edition?

No. Bedrock Edition only offers the current version. Minecraft Preview lets you try the next one, as a separate app.

Why is a version missing from the list?

Check the Releases, Snapshots and Modded filters on the Installations tab. Alpha and beta versions only appear once historical versions are turned on in the launcher settings.