Mobile, Multiplayer, and More: Welcome to the newest update!

Mobile, Multiplayer, and More: Welcome to the newest update!

We are so excited to announce the latest update for all users of Minecraft: Education Edition, including updates to both multiplayer and coding, as well as bringing game-based learning to mobile devices! Minecraft: Education Edition is now available for iPhones and Android phones and tablets!

REACHING MORE LEARNERS WITH MOBILE

Expanding to mobile platforms helps bring game-based learning with Minecraft: Education Edition to millions more learners and educators around the world. We believe in the power of technology in the classroom, and when the majority of students already have powerful computers in their pockets, it’s an opportunity to leverage these devices for learning. In 2019, Cambridge International published a report based on surveying 20,000 teachers and students in 100 countries and found that 42% of students use smartphones and 20% use tablets in the classroom. Those numbers continue to grow, especially in the Global South.

In March, the Minecraft: Education Edition Team launched a mobile pilot with the Philippines’ Department of Education to bring mobile access to 23 million Filipino students. More than 65,000 participated in the pilot in public and private schools across the country, integrating Minecraft: Education Edition as part of teaching instruction to increase academic engagement and drive learning outcomes. Mark Anthony Sy, who heads the Department’s Education Technology Unit, told the Manila-based Inquirer: “The game-based approach is something that we need to consider, to [encourage] critical thinking, creativity, collaboration and logical reasoning [in] solv[ing] local issues and problems.” This pilot program in the Philippines was instrumental in allowing us to bring Minecraft: Education Edition on mobile to learners everywhere, and we appreciate the partnership!

WHAT’S IN THE UPDATE

In addition to mobile availability, the new update offers an improved multiplayer experience, updates to in-game coding with Code Builder, and brings the incredible mountain and cave biomes of Caves and Cliffs: Part II to the classroom.

Here is a detailed overview of what’s in this release. Learn more about license management for Minecraft: Education Edition here and system requirements here.

Mobile availability

• Available on iPhones and Android phones and tablets.
• We’ve made updates to how some elements of the game interface are displayed to make them easier to use on smaller mobile screens.
• You can adjust how Minecraft displays on the mobile screen to make the app easier to interact with.

Coding updates

• MakeCode has added lots of new features for you to try out! This includes added support for the new mobs, items, and blocks, easier-to-use Position blocks, and the ability to detect Minecraft blocks (for example: ‘find all diamonds below me’). Arrays can be used as parameters in functions. Learn more in this MakeCode blog.
• Immersive Reader has also been added to MakeCode tutorials, helping support independent reading and improve comprehension.
• In Python Notebooks, we’ve updated some functions to make them more consistent (for example the “direction” parameter is always first in functions now). The block names are now consistent with what appears in the game, and we added a new agent.detect function to detect the presence of blocks and redstone power.

Caves and Cliffs: Part II (Bedrock 1.18 features)

• We’ve expanded world height (-64 to 320).
• New cave generation with new areas (aquifers, lush caves, dripstone caves, amethyst geodes).
• Mountains are taller with new biomes (meadows, groves, snowy slopes, jagged peaks, frozen peaks, stony peaks).
• Pre-1.18 worlds have been automatically updated to blend old and new chunks and support deeper caves.

Improved multiplayer

• Joining multiplayer worlds should now be easier—requiring fewer manual updates to network configuration.

Improved graphics performance

• The new Minecraft rendering engine, RenderDragon, is now included in Minecraft: Education Edition.
• This technical update shouldn't impact gameplay, but you should see improved performance.

New NPC Skins

• 20 new skins for nonplayable characters (NPCs) have been added to the game to help spice up your worlds! Check out skins for agriculture, business mobs, everyday business, and kiosks and robots.
• Learn more about using NPCs with the Tutorial 6. NPCs lesson and the Adding Non-Player Characters (NPCs) article.