How to Install Minecraft Education on a Chromebook: A Guide for Schools

How to Install Minecraft Education on a Chromebook: A Guide for Schools

Updated August 2026

Minecraft Education works on Chromebooks, but getting it running in a school environment can involve a few more steps than simply downloading an app.

The good news is that both Minecraft Education and Google now officially support Chromebook deployment. The bigger questions for most schools involve licensing, Microsoft accounts, Google Admin settings, and network permissions.

This guide walks through the process for educators and IT staff, whether your school primarily uses Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, or a combination of the two.

Can You Run Minecraft Education on a Chromebook?

Yes. Minecraft Education officially supports ChromeOS and can be installed through Google Play on compatible Chromebooks. The official app is available from the Minecraft Education download page and directly through Google Play.

For school deployments, Google recommends Chromebooks with at least 4 GB of RAM. The device must also support Android apps. Google recommends assigning devices to individual students rather than relying heavily on shared carts, and specifically advises against running Minecraft Education on Chromebooks configured to erase all local user information after each logout, sometimes called ephemeral mode.

You can review the latest technical specifications on the Minecraft Education system requirements page.

Step 1: Check Your Minecraft Education Licensing

Before worrying about Chromebook deployment, check with your IT department to determine whether your school already has Minecraft Education.

Schools using Microsoft 365 A3 or A5 already have Minecraft Education included for users assigned those licenses. Schools can also purchase Minecraft Education licenses separately.

Current purchasing options are available on the Minecraft Education licensing page.

Each student or educator using Minecraft Education needs an appropriate account and license. Licenses are managed through the Microsoft 365 Admin Center.

Want to Test It First?

Minecraft Education also offers a fully functional free trial.

Unlike older versions of the program, the current trial is not based on a 30-day period. Instead, it is based on the number of times a user signs in. Academically verified teacher accounts receive up to 25 trial logins, while other eligible users receive up to 10. Minecraft also offers demo lessons for people who do not yet have an eligible account.

You can start from the Minecraft Education download page.

Step 2: What If Your School Uses Google Workspace Instead of Microsoft 365?

This is one of the most common questions we hear from schools.

Your school can still use Minecraft Education even if students primarily use Google accounts and Chromebooks.

Minecraft Education licensing and user identities are tied to Microsoft accounts, but students can continue signing into their Chromebooks using their normal managed Google accounts. They can then sign into Minecraft Education using the Microsoft account assigned to them by the school.

For many schools, that means students initially have:

• Their existing Google Workspace account for the Chromebook

• A Microsoft school account for Minecraft Education

Minecraft Education includes a “Remember Me” option that can reduce the need for students to repeatedly enter their Microsoft credentials.

Larger districts can also configure single sign-on using SAML federation, allowing Google and Microsoft identities to work together. Minecraft provides a detailed Google and Microsoft sign-in guide for IT administrators.

Step 3: What If Your School Doesn't Have Microsoft 365 at All?

An academically eligible school can establish a Microsoft 365 Education environment even if Google Workspace remains its primary productivity platform.

Microsoft's current process begins with verification of the school's academic eligibility. Once approved, the organization can establish the Microsoft environment and Entra ID tenant needed to create student accounts and manage Minecraft Education licenses.

Start with Microsoft's Microsoft 365 Education eligibility process.

Minecraft also maintains a helpful guide specifically for Google schools and other organizations that don't currently use Microsoft 365: No Microsoft 365? No problem!.

This is an area where we strongly recommend involving your school's IT department rather than creating accounts independently as a classroom teacher.

Step 4: Assign Minecraft Education Licenses

Once your organization has the necessary licenses, IT needs to make sure they are assigned to the teachers and students who will use Minecraft Education.

Microsoft 365 administrators can manage this through the Admin Center. Minecraft's current instructions allow administrators to assign licenses to individual users and also support automatic license claiming when configured appropriately.

See Manage Licenses in the Admin Center for the latest instructions.

Microsoft also maintains its current documentation for assigning licenses through the Microsoft 365 Admin Center.

Step 5: Install Minecraft Education on Managed Chromebooks

Most school-issued Chromebooks are centrally managed. If that's the case, a Google Workspace administrator will usually need to approve or deploy Minecraft Education.

Google now provides an official Minecraft Education Chromebook deployment guide.

The current process is:

Enable Managed Google Play

In the Google Admin Console, go to:

Apps → Additional Google services → Managed Google Play

Make sure Managed Google Play is enabled for the students or organizational unit that will use Minecraft Education.

Allow Android Apps

Next, go to:

Devices → Chrome → Apps & extensions → User app settings

Under the additional app settings, make sure Android applications are permitted for the appropriate users.

Add Minecraft Education

Then go to:

Devices → Chrome → Apps & extensions → Users & browsers

Choose the appropriate group or organizational unit.

Select:

Add → Add from Google Play

Search for Minecraft Education, select the official Mojang app, and add it.

Google currently provides three deployment options:

Allow install lets students install Minecraft Education themselves.

Force install automatically installs Minecraft Education on the user's Chromebook.

Force install + pin automatically installs the app and places it on the ChromeOS shelf for easy access.

For a dedicated classroom or program, force installing the application can simplify setup. Schools should choose the policy that best fits their device-management practices.

Step 6: Installing Minecraft Education on an Unmanaged Chromebook

If the Chromebook is not controlled by a school or organization and supports Android applications, installation is much simpler.

Open the Google Play Store and install the official Minecraft Education app.

After installation, launch Minecraft Education and sign in using the Microsoft school or organizational account associated with your Minecraft Education license.

Step 7: Make Sure the School Network Isn't Blocking Minecraft

Installing the application doesn't necessarily mean every feature will work.

Minecraft Education connects to Microsoft and Minecraft services for authentication, lesson content, multiplayer, coding tools, cloud features, and other functionality. School web filters, firewalls, or SSL inspection can interfere with those services.

Before launching Minecraft with an entire class, ask IT to review Minecraft's current network and URL allowlist.

This is especially important if students can open Minecraft but cannot sign in, access the library, use multiplayer, or access coding features.

Step 8: Test With a Few Students Before Going School-Wide

Before deploying Minecraft Education to an entire grade level or school, test the complete process with a teacher and a few student accounts.

Confirm that students can:

1. Sign into the Chromebook.

2. Open Minecraft Education.

3. Sign into their Minecraft account.

4. Create and save a world.

5. Close and reopen the application successfully.

6. Access any lessons or multiplayer features you plan to use.

Testing a few accounts first is much easier than troubleshooting hundreds of devices during a class period.

A Quick Checklist for Your IT Department

If you're an educator trying to get Minecraft Education approved, you can send your technology department this checklist:

Accounts and licensing

• Confirm the school has Minecraft Education licenses.

• Create or provision Microsoft accounts for students.

• Assign Minecraft Education licenses to the appropriate users.

Chromebooks

• Confirm devices support Android applications.

• Enable Managed Google Play.

• Allow or deploy Minecraft Education through Google Admin.

• Avoid ephemeral-user configurations for devices being used with Minecraft.

Network

• Review the official Minecraft Education URL allowlist.

• Test authentication, lessons, coding tools, and multiplayer before deployment.

Optional

• Configure Google/Microsoft SAML federation or another SSO workflow to simplify student sign-in.

Ready to Play

Once the app has been deployed, licenses are assigned, and the network is configured, students can launch Minecraft Education and sign in with the account provided by their school.

The technical setup is usually the hardest part. Once that's handled, educators have access to Minecraft Education's lesson library, creative environments, coding tools, and classroom features across subjects including STEM, computer science, history, language arts, and more.

Game on.