Living in the Future: Snapshots & Experiments

Can't wait for the next big Minecraft update? Snapshots and Experimental Features let you live in the future. They give you early access to upcoming biomes, mobs, and mechanics months before they officially launch. Just remember: the future can be a bit "glitchy," so you'll want to handle these with care.

Running a Snapshot

Snapshots are "beta" versions of Minecraft. They’re great for testing, but they can be unstable.

Stop your server: Never switch versions while players are online.
Go to the Version tab in Mission Control.
Choose the latest snapshot (they usually look like 24w12a) from the list. [image - Mission Control > Version | Software Selection | Selecting a Minecraft snapshot version (e.g. 24w...) from the dropdown]
Hit Confirm and start the server.

[!WARNING] One-Way Street: Once you open a world in a snapshot, you usually cannot go back to an older, "stable" version. Always, always take a Snapshot (the Fern kind!) before you try a Minecraft snapshot.

How to Test Safely

If you want to try out new features without risking your main world, follow this "Pro Admin" strategy:

Take a manual Snapshot of your current world.
Switch the server to the Minecraft snapshot version.
Go to Settings > Properties and change the level-name to something like test-world.
This will generate a brand new, fresh world specifically for that snapshot, leaving your main map safe and sound.

Experimental Toggles

Even in "stable" versions of Minecraft, Mojang sometimes hides new features behind toggles.

For Java Servers: These are usually enabled through "Datapacks" when you first create a world.
For Bedrock Servers: You can find these as "Experimental Toggles" in your world settings.

Things that Might Break

Plugins/Mods: 99% of plugins won't work on snapshots because the code changes too fast. Expect a pure "Vanilla" experience.
Chunk Borders: If you explore new areas in a snapshot and then update to the full release later, you might see "cliffs" where the old terrain meets the new terrain.
The Crash Cycle: Snapshots can crash for no reason. Keep a close eye on your Console!

Found a cool bug in the latest snapshot? Come talk about it in our Discord, where we love seeing the new features in action.