Instance management
An instance (Instance) is a self-contained copy of Minecraft you can run independently — game files, mods (Mods), worlds and its own settings. The launcher’s instances page creates, installs and manages them.Instance list
Click Instances in the sidebar to open it. The list supports:- Search: filter quickly by name
- Filter: switch between the All / Modded / Vanilla / Snapshots / April Fools / Broken tabs by version category, or filter by a custom group
- Pin to home: pin frequently used instances to the home page and launch them in one click from the home launch bar
- Open details: click an instance card to open its details page and view information, change settings, and manage mods and worlds
Install a new game
Three ways: install by downloading a fresh copy, install a modpack to set up everything at once, or migrate an existing game to take over a.minecraft installed by another launcher (multiple game directories, scan and import, complete missing files).
See Install a game.
Installation progress is shown in Downloads. When it finishes, the instance appears in the list — click it to open its details page.
Instance details
Click any instance to open its details page, which contains the following sections:Version isolation
When version isolation (Version isolation) is on, each instance keeps its mods, worlds, resource packs, shaders and other data in its own directory without interfering with others; when it is off, they all share the common folders under the game directory (the habit of older modpacks).- Turn version isolation on or off for a single instance in Instance details → Settings;
- Change the global default in Settings → Launcher settings.