Minecraft Pocket Edition: Everything players need to know about the game in 2021

While it is no longer officially going by the name "Minecraft Pocket Edition", the name is still very commonly used to differentiate the mobile version from the Minecraft Bedrock Edition. Thus, it will be referred to as such throughout this article.

The Minecraft Pocket Edition is consistently one of the most downloaded apps for both iPhone and Android mobile devices. This is for good reason, as the port from PC to console/mobile was extremely well executed.

---

Minecraft Pocket Edition: What's Different

Renaming

A beautiful mushroom base created in the Pocket Edition (Image via u/HighWayZz on Reddit)

Due to the hardware and software differences between mobile devices and PCs, (Java Edition) the Minecraft Pocket Edition is run using the Bedrock Edition codebase.

Due to the fact that every Bedrock Edition instance of Minecraft was simply renamed to "Minecraft" it is common for players to refer to the mobile version as the Pocket Edition, which was its original name.

This rename caused a lot of confusion within the Minecraft community, since the PC version of Minecraft was renamed to "Minecraft: Java Edition" at the same time.

---

Gameplay

A shrine to Reddit created in the Pocket Edition (Image via u/Jawzilla1 on Reddit)

Since the Pocket Edition runs on the Bedrock codebase, it runs very similar to the other instances of Bedrock Edition.

This unfortunately means that there are many features between the Pocket Edition and Java Edition that are not the same, causing even more confusion.

The Minecraft Pocket Edition includes the add-ons feature, which allows for in-depth alteration of many Minecraft mechanics, such as the blast radius of a creeper.

For better mobile visibility, blocks being aimed at are highlighted instead of outlined. Other features such as the MATTIS system were added for more efficient crafting as well.

Both mobile versions include a D-pad at the bottom-left corner of the screen, which controls movement. This may take a bit to get used to, however many Pocket Edition players have proved themselves by creating amazing structures and contraptions.

---