Demo Mode

The Demo Mode or trial version (Minecraft Trial on Android) is a demo of Minecraft for users who have not purchased the game yet and would like to try it out before making a purchase. It allows players to access singleplayer worlds with a limited amount of playtime, and limited world settings.

The demo mode can be played by all players that have not purchased it on their Microsoft/App store account.

• The demo version of Java Edition can be played free of charge by logging into the Minecraft Launcher (free download) with a Microsoft account that has not purchased the game yet.
• The trial version of Minecraft for Windows (Bedrock Edition) can be downloaded from the Microsoft Store, Xbox app, or Minecraft Launcher if the current Microsoft Store account does not have access to the full version and if the full game is not installed.
• The trial versions for PlayStation and Android^[verify] can be downloaded at any time.

While demo mode does not expire, it comes with certain restrictions as its sole purpose is to allow new players to try out Minecraft.

The following restrictions apply when playing the game in demo mode:

• The demo map is preset and always generates with the same seed: -343522682, corresponding to the text seed North Carolina.
  • This means that the world spawn, terrain, and generated structures are always the same. This seed spawns the player in a forest with some rivers and taigas nearby. A taiga village generates close in the north, and there are two trail ruins with old growth taigas in the south. Further away are plains valleys with mountain peaks in the west and an ocean in the north.
• The game is locked to Survival mode and commands are disabled by default.
  • Commands can be enabled and other game modes can be made accessible by using Open to LAN.^[1]
• Multiplayer servers are inaccessible, although LAN multiplayer is allowed, with the limitation that only 1 demo account is allowed on a server.
  • This is because the default Minecraft name "Player" cannot be changed.
• The game time is limited to five in-game days (1 hour and 40 minutes real-time or 100 minutes total). After the time runs out, players can still navigate through the world, but their interactions with it are limited. Resetting the demo world also resets the demo timer.
  • Changing the in-game time forcibly with commands or external programs such as an NBT editor can reset the timer.
  • It is possible to gain (almost) unlimited time in the demo by changing the in-game time to extreme negative values (past the minimum 64-bit integer limit, which is -9,223,372,036,854,655,508). However, the number causes several problems such as hostile mobs behaving passively to players, and no block placement/breaking.
• "Demo" is displayed in the version notation on the title screen.

It is possible to install resource packs and mods on the demo.

The trial version has the following restrictions:

• The time limit is 90 minutes in real time, after which the world will be locked and a new one has to be created.^{[needs testing]}
• The player cannot play multiplayer, including LAN multiplayer. On PlayStation, splitscreen multiplayer is possible.
• Accessing the Marketplace and Dressing Room is possible, but no purchases can be made.
  • The player can apply all free features from the Dressing Room, including body customization, default skins, four free emotes, imported custom skins, and owned capes (Pan and Common if signed in).
• The player cannot import add-ons, worlds, and world templates. They can still be manually imported to com.mojang but are not usable.
• Game settings are not available, except for the difficulty, world name, and file management. All other settings are locked to the default state, except multiplayer and LAN disabled.
  • The player cannot change the world seed; it is restricted to 1193926712.
    • For an overview of features in this seed, see Starter Seeds § Trial seeds.
• The player cannot access the social drawer, thus disabling player permissions, friends, screenshot gallery (even though screenshots can be taken), and statistics.
  • However, the social drawer can still be opened with in-game. This allows access to the friends features (except multiplayer), all profile screen features, and changing player permissions.
    • Disabling and re-enabling operator permissions enables cheats in the world, allowing to change many more game settings such as Creative mode.
• Achievements are permanently disabled for all worlds created in trial mode.
• It is possible to join Realms through invite links. All features from the full game are available within Realms.
• It is also possible to join Realms and external servers through desktop shortcuts.
• It is possible to access the Editor. However, this has the same limitations as the regular trial mode for world settings. All editor tools are available.
  • The Export tool is also available, allowing to make the project available in the regular trial mode with most game settings, like cheats and Hardcore.
• Minecraft Preview or the beta version is not available in trial mode.
• Exclusive splash texts are shown.

Demo mode is supported on all Legacy Console Edition platforms, except for Wii U and Nintendo Switch. However, due to the removal of the PlayStation 4 Edition and Xbox One Edition from digital storefronts after their replacement with Bedrock Edition, as well as the shutdown of the Xbox 360 Marketplace in July 2024, the only demos that can still be downloaded and played in the current day are those for the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita editions. Additionally, Xbox One Edition Trial technically remains available with a few workarounds.​^{[more information needed]}

On PlayStation 3, players who have purchased the full version of the game digitally can also access demo mode by deactivating their console. The game will remain in demo mode until the console is re-activated.

The following restrictions apply in demo mode:

• The only playable world is the tutorial world. Selecting the "Play Game" button in the main menu will immediately start the tutorial world.
• Players cannot save their progress; after exiting the world, all progress that has been made will be permanently lost.
• Online multiplayer is not available. Only local splitscreen multiplayer is supported.
• Mini games are not available. Selecting the "Mini Games" button in the main menu will cause the game to instruct the player to purchase the full game.
• Players cannot change their skin from the default.
• Players cannot change the texture pack from the default.
• Achievements or trophies cannot be earned.
• Players cannot enable host privileges in the tutorial world. As a result, the game mode is locked to Survival, and the difficulty is locked to Easy.
  • The only options that can be toggled on or off in the tutorial world are: Fire Spreads, TNT Explodes, Mob Loot, Tile Drops and Natural Regeneration.
• The game has a time limit.​^{[more information needed]} After time runs out, players will be given the option to either purchase the game and continue their progress, or exit the game and lose their progress.

• In Java Edition, it is possible to play in-game modes other than Survival in the demo mode by opening up the world to LAN with cheats enabled and executing /gamemode command. This does not remove the time limit, or the demo message.
• In Java Edition, deleting the files "level.dat" and "level.dat_old" causes the timer to reset. Additionally, a new bonus chest spawns on the original spawn point.
• Servers can be started with the --demo flag (this is technically what the launcher does). Everyone who joins the server sees the demo message.
• If one tries to play a demo version before 1.3.1 from the launcher using a non-premium account, they can play the full version. This is because 1.3.1 is the version that added the demo mode to Minecraft, so earlier versions do not have the code necessary to recognize that they are in the demo.
• If the Minecraft shortcut and directory is moved to another hard drive, etc., it remains in the demo version, and the previous worlds do not appear.
• If a world is downloaded, it can be played by putting the world folder in "saves" and renaming it to "Demo_World". If there is already "Demo_World", it must be first renamed or deleted. There is a chance that the demo timer has decreased or expired. This is due to the timer being used by the world's creator while building the world. Deleting "level.dat" and "level.dat_old" in such situations does not reset the timer.

• 👁 The demo world
  
  The demo world
• 👁 The title screen in demo mode
  
  The title screen in demo mode
• 👁 The contents of the bonus chest
  
  The contents of the bonus chest
• 👁 A ruined portal on a beach near an old growth birch forest at demo mode. Notice the timer at the top right.
  
  A ruined portal on a beach near an old growth birch forest at demo mode. Notice the timer at the top right.
• 👁 A screenshot containing a snowy taiga, a taiga, a frozen river, and a slight part of a village taken in demo mode. Notice the timer again at the top right.
  
  A screenshot containing a snowy taiga, a taiga, a frozen river, and a slight part of a village taken in demo mode. Notice the timer again at the top right.
• 👁 The message displayed upon loading the demo world in 1.21.11 and lower.
  
  The message displayed upon loading the demo world in 1.21.11 and lower.

• 👁 The title screen in trial mode
  
  The title screen in trial mode
• 👁 The "Get started" title screen in trial mode
  
  The "Get started" title screen in trial mode
• 👁 The world creation screen in trial mode. A noticeable difference is a trial notice and the "Survival" and "Creative" buttons are disabled, as well as the "Hardcore" toggle.
  
  The world creation screen in trial mode. A noticeable difference is a trial notice and the "Survival" and "Creative" buttons are disabled, as well as the "Hardcore" toggle.
• 👁 The message displayed upon loading the trial world
  
  The message displayed upon loading the trial world
• 👁 The trial world
  
  The trial world
• 👁 An overview of the current trial world
  
  An overview of the current trial world
• 👁 Different angle
  
  Different angle
• 👁 The game menu in trial mode
  
  The game menu in trial mode
• 👁 The purchase screen for the full game
  
  The purchase screen for the full game
• 👁 Minecraft Trial app icon
  
  Minecraft Trial app icon

• 👁 The Create New World menu in trial mode before 1.18
  
  The Create New World menu in trial mode before 1.18
• 👁 The game menu in trial mode before 1.21.120
  
  The game menu in trial mode before 1.21.120
• 👁 The first trial seed
  
  The first trial seed
• 👁 The second trial seed
  
  The second trial seed
• 👁 The last trial seed, aka the "Forest Glade" seed template
  
  The last trial seed, aka the "Forest Glade" seed template

• 👁 The title screen of the Pocket Edition demo.
  
  The title screen of the Pocket Edition demo.
• 👁 The gamemode selection screen in the Pocket Edition demo, which was immediately shown when Start Game was selected.
  
  The gamemode selection screen in the Pocket Edition demo, which was immediately shown when Start Game was selected.
• 👁 The inventory as shown in the Pocket Edition demo, with unlocked items at the top and locked items at the bottom.
  
  The inventory as shown in the Pocket Edition demo, with unlocked items at the top and locked items at the bottom.
• 👁 Minecraft — Pocket Edition Demo app icon
  
  Minecraft — Pocket Edition Demo app icon
• 👁 Minecraft — Pocket Edition Lite app icon
  
  Minecraft — Pocket Edition Lite app icon

• Starter Seeds — an overview of all Bedrock Edition trial seeds and starter seeds.
• Pocket Edition Demo — the first known developmental version of Minecraft: Pocket Edition.
• Java Edition Demo (PC Gamer)

• Official website
• Microsoft Store (Windows)
• Google Play (Android)
• PlayStation Store (PlayStation 4)