Bedrock is the Minecraft that phones, consoles, and Windows share. Pocket Edition did not vanish. It grew up into this edition, which is why an old guide and a new phone can describe the same game with different names.
Where it runs
- Android phones and tablets, through Google Play.
- iPhone and iPad, through the App Store.
- Windows, as Minecraft for Windows.
- PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch.
- Selected living-room devices whose stores list it.
Cross-play
Bedrock players can join each other across those devices when multiplayer is allowed on the account. A Java player cannot join that session. If your group is mixed, someone will need to switch editions or you will need two worlds.
The 2026 releases
Bedrock 26.50 on 15 September brought Wilderness Bound: the Dappled Forest, poplar trees, shelf mushrooms, abandoned camps, cushions, and straw beds. The 26.52 hotfix on 25 September patched stability and a handful of gameplay bugs, including projectiles hitting spectators and cushions disappearing when a chunk reloaded.
Preview builds, such as Preview 26.60, are opt-in tests. Treat them like Java snapshots: separate worlds only.