Minecraft: Java Edition 1.19.1 Pre-Release 4 improves the security of chat

Screenshot of Minecraft Preview 1.19.10.21.
(Image credit: Mojang Studios | Twitter)

What you need to know

  • Mojang Studios is working on the 1.19.1 patch update for Minecraft: Java Edition.
  • The update will include dozens of fixes and improvements, and even some new features.
  • On Friday, the studio released Minecraft: Java Edition 1.19.1 Pre-Release 4 testing more of these fixes.
  • If testing of this build goes well, the 1.19.1 update should go back to release candidate builds in the near future.

The march to Minecraft: Java Edition's 1.19.1 update is continuing with more pre-release testing. Mojang Studios is finalizing the extensive patch update with further polish and last minute fixes, culminating in Friday's Pre-Release 4 snapshot. This snapshot features a handful of changes and fixes targeting the game's chat systems.

Mojang Studios is releasing this snapshot right on the heels of the preceding Pre-Release 3 snapshot with a more modest changelog. If testing of this release goes well, Mojang Studios should begin testing more final release candidate snapshots. The final 1.19.1 update will include plenty of improvements, and even new features, built on top of Minecraft 1.19 "The Wild Update."

Even without considering its never-ending support cycle, Minecraft would still dominate the list of the greatest and most successful PC games. The latest snapshot isn't particularly exciting, but it improves the security of Minecraft's in-game chat, and adds to the dozens upon dozens of changes tested in previous 1.19.1 snapshots. If all goes well, the final update should arrive within the next few weeks.

The full changelog for Minecraft: Java Edition 1.19.1 Pre-Release 4 includes:

Features & bug fixes

Technical updates

  • Custom servers can hide player chat messages from display via a new network packet
    • This does not delete player chat messages from chat logs
  • Insecure chat messages logged in the server are prefixed with a `[Not Secure]` tag
  • The order of chat messages are now cryptographically verified
    • This will be used for validating the context of chat messages for Player Reports

Fixed bugs

  • The server console doesn’t state if chat messages aren’t secure or have been modified
  • Chat commands with entity selectors often reported as “This message is not secure”
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Zachary Boddy
Staff Writer

Zachary Boddy (They / Them) is a Staff Writer for Windows Central, primarily focused on covering the latest news in tech and gaming, the best Xbox and PC games, and the most interesting Windows and Xbox hardware. They have been gaming and writing for most of their life starting with the original Xbox, and started out as a freelancer for Windows Central and its sister sites in 2019. Now a full-fledged Staff Writer, Zachary has expanded from only writing about all things Minecraft to covering practically everything on which Windows Central is an expert, especially when it comes to Microsoft. You can find Zachary on Twitter @BoddyZachary.