On desktop Citra, select File > Open Citra Folder to open the emulator’s user directory. In-game save data for titles on the emulated SD card is inside sdmc, under Nintendo 3DS/00000000000000000000000000000000/00000000000000000000000000000000/title/00040000. The exact location of the user directory can vary by setup, so use Citra’s menu rather than relying on a remembered system path.
Open the folder Citra is actually using
In desktop Citra, choose File > Open Citra Folder. This opens the active user directory—the starting point for locating the emulator’s data. The archived Citra FAQ documents this menu command and describes the user directory as the place where Citra stores its files. Citra FAQ archive
If you use a portable setup, the archived FAQ says Citra can use a folder named user beside citra-qt or citra-qt.exe. In that case, the user directory is alongside the emulator rather than necessarily at a standard operating-system location. The save-data folders inside it follow the same documented layout. Citra FAQ archive
Find in-game saves on the emulated SD card
From the user directory, open sdmc. Citra’s archived User Directory guide identifies this as the folder for the emulated SD card. Its documented tree for game-title save data is:
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sdmc/Nintendo 3DS/00000000000000000000000000000000/00000000000000000000000000000000/title/00040000
The two long all-zero folder names are part of the documented layout, not text to replace with a username or game title. Keep the entire path intact when copying or restoring files. Citra User Directory guide
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- This is NOT a micro SD card
- SD cards are fully compatible with all SD-compliant devices
- Speed performance rating: Class 4 (based on SD 2.0 Specification)
- Writeable label for easy identification and organization
Distinguish SDMC saves from other Citra data
sdmc: Emulated SD-card data, including the documented title-save tree.extdata: Extra data associated with titles; it is separate from the title-save path above.nand: Emulated system NAND data, including system and extra data. It is not the same location as SDMC title saves.
Save states should also not be assumed to use this in-game-save tree. The archived guides cited here do not establish a version-independent save-state location or say that save states can be substituted for ordinary in-game saves.
Why old path instructions may not match
A Citra migration guide dated December 6, 2016 describes older Windows installations moving data from a per-version folder under %localappdata%citraapp-x.x.xuser to %appdata%Citra. The guide explicitly excludes fresh installs made after that date, so this is historical context—not a dependable universal path for current installations or forks. Citra migration guide
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Opening the user directory from Citra itself avoids guessing whether a standard install, portable setup, or later build uses a particular system location.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Android and Citra forks
The preserved official FAQ confirms that an Android port existed, but the archived documentation does not give one reliable current Android save path that applies across app versions and forks. Android storage access and downstream builds can differ. If your app provides a command to open its user folder or save-data location, use that; otherwise consult documentation for the exact build you installed. Citra FAQ archive
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Back up or move your saves safely
- Close Citra. This is a practical precaution so files are not changing while you copy them.
- Open the user directory through File > Open Citra Folder.
- Copy the whole user directory to a safe local, removable, or cloud location. The archived guide recommends backing up the whole directory, which preserves related data as well as the save tree. Citra User Directory guide
- When restoring, preserve the directory structure. Put the copied folders back into the corresponding user directory and retain the complete
sdmc/Nintendo 3DS/…/title/00040000hierarchy.
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