How To Enable Experimental Features In Minecraft | Each Method

Enable experimental features in Bedrock via the Experiments toggle, and in Java Edition by selecting data packs in a new world.

Experimental content — new blocks, mobs, and mechanics still under development — gives Minecraft players a look at what is coming next. But the way you turn these features on depends entirely on which edition you own. Bedrock Edition uses an Experiments toggle inside each world’s settings, while Java Edition requires you to load specific data packs during world creation. One works on existing saves; the other does not. Pick the wrong method and you might end up editing a copy of your world or launching a broken save.

Below is the exact process for both editions, the safety rules you need before enabling anything, and the mistakes that waste the most time.

How Do You Enable Experimental Features in Bedrock Edition?

Bedrock Edition places an Experiments toggle inside the world’s Game settings. You can enable it on a fresh world or an existing one, though activating it on an existing world forces a copy to be created first.

On a new world:

• Open Create New World from the main menu.
• Under the Game tab, scroll down to Experiments.
• Toggle on the experimental features you want.
• When prompted, select Turn on Experiments anyway.
• Finish setting up your world and click Create.

On an existing world:

• From the Worlds list, tap the Edit button (pencil icon) next to the world you want to modify.
• Under the Game tab, scroll to Experiments.
• Toggle on the desired experiments.
• Confirm by selecting Activate Experiments.
• Minecraft immediately creates a copy of the world with “Copy of…” added to its name. The original world stays untouched.

Once enabled, the world receives an “Experimental” tag in the Worlds list so you can identify it later. Microsoft’s official documentation for Bedrock experimental features confirms that this state cannot be undone — a world with experiments toggled on can never be returned to a non-experimental state.

How Do You Enable Experimental Features in Java Edition?

Java Edition does not have a Bedrock-style Experiments toggle. Instead, experimental gameplay is accessed through data packs, and only on a new world created with the latest snapshot.

Step-by-step:

• Open the Minecraft Launcher and go to the Installations tab.
• Check the box labeled Snapshots so the launcher shows the latest snapshot version.
• Select the snapshot and click Play.
• In the game menu, click Create New World.
• Open the Data Packs section.
• Move the experimental packs from the Available column to the Selected column.
• Proceed through any warnings about compatibility and world stability.
• Name your world and click Create.

Java documentation and community guidance warn that experimental worlds may break with future updates and that enabling experimental features on an existing Java world is not supported through the standard UI — you must start a new world.

Enabling Experimental Features In Minecraft: What Each Edition Requires

Bedrock and Java handle experimental content so differently that following the wrong edition’s steps will leave you searching for a toggle that does not exist. The table below maps the key differences.

Important Safety Precautions

Experimental features are unfinished code. Enabling them carries real risks that can make a world unplayable or incompatible with future game updates. The table below covers what every player should know before flipping the switch.

Common Mistakes That Break Worlds

Most problems come from confusing the two editions’ systems or skipping the safety steps. The mistakes below account for the majority of lost builds and corrupted saves.

• Using the wrong method for your edition. Searching for a Bedrock-style Experiments toggle inside Java Edition will waste time — Java uses data packs, not a toggle.
• Expecting existing Java worlds to work. The standard Java workflow requires a new world. Trying to add experimental data packs to an existing save through workarounds carries a high chance of breaking it.
• Assuming the world can go back to normal. Bedrock worlds with experiments enabled are permanently experimental. There is no switch to revert them.
• Forgetting about the automatic copy. When you enable experiments on an existing Bedrock world, Minecraft creates a copy. Players sometimes continue editing the original, thinking nothing happened, or accidentally work on the copy instead of the original.
• Skipping the manual backup. The automatic copy protects the original, but a separate manual backup gives you a fallback if something goes wrong during the experimental session.

Checklist for enabling experimental features: confirm your edition (Bedrock or Java), verify you are on a snapshot if using Java, back up your world manually, enable the features using the correct steps above, and accept that the world cannot return to a non-experimental state. Once you understand those limits, experimental gameplay is safe to explore.