No single game has had as big of a cultural impact. as Minecraft with Western audiences. It currently sits neatly at over 120 million users and does not look to be slowing down.
You may be well versed in its features, or it might be that your children are big fans of this powerful franchise. Either way, you may one day need to move your copy of Minecraft to a new computer.
This article will go into different methods to uninstall and reinstall Minecraft. It will focus on the different systems you may have installed the game on in the past.
Uninstalling Minecraft
This guide will discuss how to uninstall Minecraft with each of a wide variety of systems.
You should note, however, that as soon as you uninstall Minecraft you will also lose all of your files. This includes your worlds, inventory, and other information on your progress. Remember to check the Minecraft website for more information on backing up this information.
Windows (Java Edition)
To uninstall the Java version of Minecraft:
- Press Win-R to open the “Run” menu
- Type %appdata%.minecraft and press enter or click “OK” to open the Minecraft folder
- Drag the contents of this folder into your Recycle Bin, or select it all and press the “Delete” key
Windows 10
To uninstall Minecraft from Windows 10:
- Click on the Search (magnifying glass) icon in the bottom-left of your desktop screen
- Type “Minecraft” to search for Minecraft
- Right-click on the Minecraft icon that appears, and select “Uninstall”, then follow the onscreen instructions (if any)
Mac
To remove Minecraft from a Mac device:
- Click the “Finder” icon in the Dock to open a Finder window
- Press Shift-Command-G to open the Go-To Folder
- Type “~/Library/Application Support/” and press enter to open the Application Support window
- Drag the Minecraft folder which appears into your Trash
Linux
When wanting to uninstall Minecraft from a Linux machine:
- Open a Terminal window
- Enter the following and press enter: rm -vr ~/.minecraft/*
iOS Device
To remove the Minecraft app from your iOS device (iOS12 and later):
- Find the Minecraft app on your home screen
- Tap-hold on the Minecraft app icon
- When the option appears, tap on “Remove App”
Android Device
To uninstall Minecraft from your Android device:
- Open the Google Play Store App
- When in the app, tap “Menu”, followed by “My Apps & Games”
- Tap on Minecraft, which should have an entry here
- Tap on “Uninstall”
Nintendo Switch
To remove Minecraft from your Nintendo Switch:
- On the Home screen, select Minecraft with the cursor
- Press the “+” button to view options
- Select “Manage Software” from the menu
- Select “Delete Software”
Xbox Series X
To uninstall Minecraft from your Xbox Series X:
- Press the Xbox button to open the menu
- Select “My Games & Apps”
- Select “See All”, then “Games”
- Select “Minecraft” with the cursor
- Click the right-hand button just under the Xbox button to bring up the game menu
- Select “Uninstall”, then “Uninstall All”
Playstation 5
Perform the following steps to remove Minecraft from your Playstation 5:
- Navigate to the Playstation’s home screen
- Select the “Settings” menu, in the top-right corner
- Select “Storage”
- Select “Games and Apps”
- Select “Minecraft”, then “Delete”
If I Uninstall Minecraft Can I Reinstall It For Free?
If you have already purchased Minecraft on any system, you do not need to purchase it again so long as you log back in using the same account. You merely need to re-download it and install it once again.
How Do I Reinstall Minecraft?
Much like uninstalling, there are various ways to reinstall the game once it is no longer on your system. Each of these descriptions assumes that you have already purchased and uninstalled the game
Windows (Java Edition)
- Go to minecraft.net/download
- Download the game client via the onscreen link
- Double-click the downloaded icon and log in
- Wait for the application to download
Windows 10
- In the Windows menu, search for “Microsoft Store”
- Select the Microsoft Store icon to open the Microsoft Store
- Click in the search box and type “Minecraft”
- Click on “Minecraft for Windows 10” to open its page
- Click on “Install” and wait for the game to download
Mac
- Go to minecraft.net/download
- Download the game launcher via the onscreen link
- Double-click the downloaded icon and log in
- Wait for the application to download
Linux
- Open a Terminal Window
- Type “$ wget ~/Minecraft.deb https://launcher.mojang.com/download/Minecraft.deb”
- Using an installation tool, unpack the downloaded .deb file
- Search for the “Minecraft Launcher” in your Linux installation
- Run the Minecraft Launcher
- Log in to Minecraft and wait for the application to download all the data required
iOS Device
- Launch the Apple Store
- Click on the search box to search for an application
- Type “Minecraft” and tap on the correct result
- When you see the Minecraft program, click on the “Download from cloud” icon
- Wait for Minecraft to finish downloading, then click on “Open”
Android Device
- Open the Google Play Store App
- When in the app, tap on the Search box and type in “Minecraft”
- When Minecraft appears, tap on it to open its details
- Click on “Install”
Nintendo Switch
- Select the eShop from the Home screen
- Select the profile which previously purchased Minecraft
- Select the “Profile” button in the top-right corner of the screen
- Select “Redownload” on the left-hand side of the screen
- Search for Minecraft and tap on the “Download from cloud” icon for its entry
Xbox Series X
- Press the Xbox button to open the guide menu
- Select “My Games & Apps”, then “See All”
- Select “Full library” and then “All owned games” for a full list of your purchased games
- Find “Minecraft” and select it to start downloading it to your console
Playstation 5
- On your “Games home” screen, select “Game library”
- Search for “Minecraft” using the on-screen instructions
- Select “Download” to retrieve and install the game
What Now?
Now you know how to reinstall Minecraft and possibly any computer program on your computer or device. Remember that you can follow similar instructions to maintain other applications.
If you want more information on Minecraft or any other apps and games on your computer, remember to check our blog to learn more.