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{{distinguish|Screenshot}}
{{cleanup}}
{{exclusive|java|customtext=This version type is exclusive to {{JE}}.}}
[[File:List of Java Edition snapshots.png|thumb|A list of snapshots per year.]]

A '''snapshot''' is the term used to describe development versions for {{JE}} updates. Every major update, and many minor updates, have snapshots released roughly weekly for player feedback on in-development features and changes.

== Purpose ==
Snapshots are unstable development versions for updates, which focus on adding features and new content to the game. Once an update is feature complete, the update cycle moves from the snapshot phase to the [[Minecraft:pre-release]] phase.

== Availability ==
{{For|instructions on how to install a snapshot|Tutorial:Installing a version}}
Snapshots are available in the ''[[Minecraft:Minecraft Launcher]]'' under the default "Latest snapshot" profile.

== Naming ==
=== Since December 2025 ===
Current snapshots are named using the scheme '''''XX.X'' Snapshot ''Y'''''. For example, the first snapshot for version [[Minecraft:Java Edition 26.1|26.1]] is [[Minecraft:Java Edition 26.1 Snapshot 1]].<ref>{{Mcnet|minecraft-new-version-numbering-system|Minecraft’s new version numbering system|December 2, 2025}}</ref><ref>{{Mcnet|minecraft-26-1-snapshot-1|Minecraft 26.1 Snapshot 1|December 16, 2025}}</ref> An exception to this naming convention after this date was the 2026 [[Minecraft:April Fools' Day jokes|April Fools' update]], [[Minecraft:Java Edition 26w14a|26w14a]], which used the former naming scheme.

=== Before December 2025 ===
Snapshots released before December 16, 2025 used a unique naming format, unrelated to the 1.''x'' version numbering used elsewhere. Snapshots used the format "'''''YY''w''WWn'''''". '''''YY''''' was the two-digit year, "'''w'''" simply stood for "week", '''''WW''''' was the two-digit week number within the year, and '''''n''''' was a unique letter identifier—starting with "'''a'''", then "'''b'''", and so on—which incremented when there was more than one release in a given week. For example, [[Minecraft:18w10d]] was the fourth snapshot ("'''d'''") released in the '''10'''th '''w'''eek of 20'''18'''. The highest letter reached is "'''e'''", a tie between [[Minecraft:12w30e]], [[Minecraft:13w47e]] and [[Minecraft:15w35e]]. The naming convention was only broken by [[Minecraft:13w12~]] and April Fools' snapshots.

== Release schedule ==
Modern snapshots are set to be released on Tuesdays.<ref>{{tweet|gnembon_mc|1907558244685373483|Yes, snapshots are moving to Tuesdays.|April 2, 2025}}</ref> Prior to [[Minecraft:Minecraft LIVE - March 2025]], they were released on Wednesdays, barring delays.<ref>{{snap|24w20a}}</ref> The day had been Thursday until the release of [[Minecraft:14w25a]] on June 18, 2014, in the middle of development for [[Minecraft:Java Edition 1.8|1.8]].<ref>{{tweet|Dinnerbone|481369603281809408|The Minecraft weekly snapshots will no longer have their regular debuts on Thursdays, we are moving them to Wednesdays starting this week.|June 24, 2014}}</ref><ref name="mojang">{{cite|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140624075744/https://mojang.com/2014/06/minecraft-snapshot-14w26a/|title=Minecraft snapshot 14w26c|date=June 25, 2014|website=Mojang.com|author=[[Minecraft:Dinnerbone]]|quote=Wednesday is the new Thursday! We’ve decided that Thursday wasn’t very optimal for us to release snapshots on so we’ve moved the weekly snapshots to Wednesday instead. Adjust your schedules and order a new calendar!}}</ref> Subsequent snapshots may occur on any day thereafter or even on the same day.

[[Minecraft:April Fools' Day jokes|April Fools' Day snapshots]] can be released on any day of the week, depending on what day April 1st falls on. April Fools' Day snapshots have been released on Monday ([[Minecraft:Java Edition 24w14potato|2024]]), Tuesday ([[Minecraft:Java Edition 25w14craftmine|2025]]), Wednesday ([[Minecraft:Java Edition 15w14a|2015]], [[Minecraft:Java Edition 20w14∞|2020]], [[Minecraft:Java Edition 26w14a|2026]]), Friday ([[Minecraft:Java Edition 22w13oneBlockAtATime|2022]]), and Saturday ([[Minecraft:Java Edition 23w13a_or_b|2023]]) in the past.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
! Day !! First snapshot !! Final snapshot
|-
| Thursday || [[Minecraft:11w47a]] || [[Minecraft:14w21a]]
|-
| Wednesday || [[Minecraft:14w25a]] || [[Minecraft:25w10a]]
|-
| Tuesday || [[Minecraft:25w15a]] || -
|}

== History ==
{{HistoryTable
|{{HistoryLine|java}}
|{{HistoryLine||1.1|dev=11w47a|The first snapshot is released.}}
|{{HistoryLine||1.8|dev=14w26a|First-of-the-week snapshots are now set to be released on Wednesdays.}}
|{{HistoryLine||15w14a|The first April Fools' snapshot is released.}}
|{{HistoryLine||1.21.6|dev=25w15a|First-of-the-week snapshots are now set to be released on Tuesdays.}}
|{{HistoryLine||26.1|dev=snap1|The version format for snapshots has changed.}}
}}

== Trivia ==
=== Statistics ===
{{Expand section}}
* The update with the most snapshots is [[Minecraft:Java Edition 1.9|1.9]], with a total of 56 snapshots.
* <dpl>
category = Java Edition snapshots
notcategory=April Fools'
notcategory=Java Edition Combat Tests snapshots
resultsheader = There have been %TOTALPAGES% snapshots released in total.
format = ,
</dpl>

{| class=wikitable style="text-align:center;"
|-
! Year !! 2011 !! 2012 !! 2013 !! 2014 !! 2015 !! 2016 !! 2017 !! 2018 !! 2019 !! 2020 !! 2021 !! 2022 !! 2023 !! 2024 !! 2025 !! 2026
|-
! Number of Snapshots
| 4 || 46 || 57 || 52 || 49 || 29 || 23 || 48 || 40 || 37 || 25 || 21 || 26 || 31 || 34 || {{PAGESINCAT:Java Edition snapshots released in 2026}}
|}

=== Promotional screenshots ===
Several members of [[Minecraft:Mojang Studios]] staff have appeared in the promotional banners released on the blog post for each snapshot.

*[[Minecraft:Agnes Larsson]] (LadyAgnes) has appeared in [[Minecraft:Java Edition 1.11|1.11]] snapshot [[Minecraft:16w43a]].
*[[Minecraft:Erik Broes]] (Grum) appeared in promotional screenshots on the Mojang blog for a number of snapshots and pre-releases. He was often hiding, and occasionally simply his player head was present. These were:
**[[Minecraft:13w19a]], [[Minecraft:13w21a]], [[Minecraft:13w22a]], [[Minecraft:13w23a]], [[Minecraft:13w24a]], [[Minecraft:13w25a]], and [[Minecraft:13w26a]] for [[Minecraft:Java Edition 1.6.1|1.6.1]].
**[[Minecraft:13w36a]], [[Minecraft:13w37a]], [[Minecraft:13w38a]], [[Minecraft:13w39a]], [[Minecraft:13w41a]], [[Minecraft:13w42a]] and [[Minecraft:13w43a]] for [[Minecraft:Java Edition 1.7.2|1.7.2]].
**[[Minecraft:13w47a]] for [[Minecraft:Java Edition 1.7.4|1.7.4]].
**[[Minecraft:14w02a]], [[Minecraft:14w03a]], [[Minecraft:14w04a]], [[Minecraft:14w05a]], [[Minecraft:14w06a]], [[Minecraft:14w08a]], and [[Minecraft:14w10a]] for [[Minecraft:Java Edition 1.8|1.8]].
**[[Minecraft:16w04a]] for [[Minecraft:Java Edition 1.9|1.9]].
**[[Minecraft:16w40a]], [[Minecraft:16w41a]], [[Minecraft:16w43a]], and [[Minecraft:16w44a]] for [[Minecraft:Java Edition 1.11|1.11]].
**[[Minecraft:16w50a]] for [[Minecraft:Java Edition 1.11.1|1.11.1]].
**[[Minecraft:17w06a]] for [[Minecraft:Java Edition 1.12|1.12]].
**[[Minecraft:17w50a]] for [[Minecraft:Java Edition 1.13|1.13]].
*[[Minecraft:Jens Bergensten]] (Jeb) has appeared in:
**[[Minecraft:12w23a]] for [[Minecraft:Java Edition 1.3.1|1.3.1]].
**[[Minecraft:12w37a]] for [[Minecraft:Java Edition 1.4.2|1.4.2]].
**[[Minecraft:17w16a]] for [[Minecraft:Java Edition 1.12|1.12]].
*[[Minecraft:Maria Lemón]] (Excited) has appeared in:
**[[Minecraft:16w40a]] and [[Minecraft:16w42a]] for [[Minecraft:Java Edition 1.11|1.11]].
**[[Minecraft:16w50a]] for [[Minecraft:Java Edition 1.11.1|1.11.1]].
**[[Minecraft:17w13a]] and [[Minecraft:17w15a]] for [[Minecraft:Java Edition 1.12|1.12]].
*[[Minecraft:Nathan Adams]] (Dinnerbone) has appeared in snapshot [[Minecraft:14w03a]] for [[Minecraft:Java Edition 1.8|1.8]].

=== Other ===
* The week number used in snapshots is not the same as the [[Minecraft:w:ISO week date|ISO week]] number defined in the ISO 8601 standard.{{cn}}

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== Navigation ==
{{Navbox version history}}
{{Navbox Java Edition}}

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[[Minecraft:it:Versione sperimentale]]
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[[Minecraft:pt:Snapshot]]
[[Minecraft:ru:Снапшот]]

Minecraft:Snapshot - Revision history

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