How To Download & Install Minecraft Snapshots

This guide helps you install and try Minecraft’s latest Snapshot versions (Java Edition). Snapshots let you test upcoming features before they’re officially released. Note: Snapshots may be unstable use backup worlds or create new ones to avoid data loss.

Quick Tutorial:

Access the Snapshot download page.
Download the Snapshot you want to install.
Extract the Snapshot file.
Press Windows + R, type %appdata%, then press Enter.
Inside .minecraft, open the versions folder and place the extracted Snapshot folder inside.
Open Minecraft Launcher → go to Installations tab.
Click New Installation, name it, select the Snapshot version, then click Create.
Go back to the Play tab, select the Snapshot version, then click Play.

Detailed Tutorial:

Step 1: Access the Snapshot download page

Visit https://liugems.com/category/minecraft-versions to find the latest Minecraft Snapshots. Each post includes version info, changelog, and download links.

Step 2: Download the Snapshot you want to install

Choose a Snapshot version from the list. Scroll to the bottom of the post and download the Client version if you’re playing in Singleplayer.

Step 3: Extract the Snapshot

After downloading, extract the .zip file to get the Snapshot folder.

After receiving the extracted file, it’s time to put it in the correct folder in “.minecraft”. It should be placed inside a folder named “versions” within “.minecraft” folder.

Here is how you can do it:

Press the key combination “Window+R” to Open the Run command window
Insert “%appdata%” and then press “Enter” to open The “Roaming folder”
Now open the folder named “.minecraft”, you should see a subfolder named “versions” in it.

Step 4: Add a new installation to your Minecraft Launcher

Once the Minecraft Launcher is open, click on the Installations tab at the top of the window.

Make sure the Snapshots box is checked to enable snapshot versions.

Click New Installation, enter a name for the profile, then select the snapshot version you want from the Version dropdown menu. Click Create to save the new installation.