There is no single Minecraft save folder. Where your world lives depends on which edition you play and what device you play on. On Bedrock Edition, the answer also depends on a storage setting on Android, and on iPhone and iPad, Minecraft does not give you a browsable world folder at all. The fastest way to get an answer is to identify your edition and device, then follow the official route for that combination. The table below shows the routes Minecraft documents, and the sections after it walk through each one.
Start with your edition and device
Minecraft’s official support site keeps separate backup and restore articles for Java Edition, Windows Bedrock, Android, iPhone and iPad, consoles, and Realms. The steps in each are not interchangeable, so an Android file path will not help you on Xbox, and a Finder procedure for iPhone will not help on Windows. The table summarises what the official pages describe for each platform.
| Edition and device | Official route | Can you browse the world files directly? | Is a copy made automatically? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android (Bedrock), File Storage Location set to Application | Not exported as separate files; the official help says they are not available to export to a computer | No | Not stated |
| Android (Bedrock), File Storage Location set to External | Copy the world folder over USB | Yes, under the minecraftWorlds path, for worlds created with that setting |
No |
| Windows (Bedrock) | Export World from the world’s edit settings | Not a raw folder route; you save an exported file | No; you choose when to export |
| iPhone and iPad (Bedrock) | Copy the Minecraft games folder with Finder on a connected Mac, or back up through iCloud |
Not promised; use the Finder copy or iCloud route | iCloud backup of the games folder, if iCloud backup is enabled |
| Xbox (Bedrock) | Cloud sync through your Microsoft account; manage storage under Settings > Storage | No | Yes, while online and signed in; unplayed worlds stay local until backed up |
| Realms (Bedrock) | Download a copy from the Realms interface | No | Yes, Realm worlds are backed up automatically |
| Java Edition (desktop) | Separate official Java backup article | Not stated in this guide | Not stated in this guide |
| PlayStation and Nintendo Switch | Console-specific cloud-save guidance on the official support index | Not stated in this guide | Not stated in this guide |
Android (Bedrock): check the storage setting first
On Android, the File Storage Location setting decides whether your worlds can be reached from a computer at all. The default is Application, and the setting applies to worlds you create, so check it before you look for files.
Check which storage location you use
- Open Minecraft and tap the gear icon to open Settings.
- Go to Storage.
- Read the File Storage Location value.
If the value is Application, your worlds sit inside the app’s private data. Minecraft’s official help says these files are not available as separate files to export to a computer, so the copy-to-PC route below does not apply to that world. Use an in-game backup approach from the platform guidance, or create the world again under External storage if you need a folder you can copy.
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Copy a world from External storage
This route works only for worlds created while File Storage Location was set to External.
- Connect the Android device to your computer with a USB cable.
- On the phone, pull down the notification shade and choose the USB option, then select file transfer (MTP).
- On the computer, open the phone’s storage and browse to
Android/data/com.mojang.minecraftpe/files/games/com.mojang/minecraftWorlds. - Copy either the whole
minecraftWorldsfolder or the single folder for the world you want. - Paste the copy into a backup location on your computer or an external drive.
Access to Android/data depends on the Android version and the file manager you use. Newer versions of Android restrict app data folders more tightly, and Minecraft’s own troubleshooting page acknowledges that some players cannot reach these files. If the folder does not appear, try a different file transfer tool or a computer-side file manager before concluding the world is missing.
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Windows (Bedrock): export the world
Minecraft’s official Windows guidance uses an export rather than a raw folder copy. The article we checked is a Spanish translation, so menu labels may differ slightly depending on your language and version.
- Open Minecraft and select Play.
- Find the world in the list and select the pencil (edit) icon on it.
- Open General settings, under File Management.
- Select Export World.
- Choose the destination where you want the exported file saved.
Export is a manual step, so it captures the world as it is at the moment you run it. Repeat it before major updates or device changes.
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iPhone and iPad (Bedrock): copy the games folder
Minecraft’s iOS guidance does not describe a folder you can browse on the device itself. Its documented route uses a Mac and Finder.
- Connect the iPhone or iPad to the Mac with a cable and select the device in Finder.
- Open the Files tab, then expand Minecraft.
- Copy the
gamesfolder to a safe location on the Mac.
Minecraft also says iCloud can back up the games folder. Do not confuse this games folder with the Android minecraftWorlds path; they are different structures on different systems.
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Xbox: cloud-synced, cloud-only, and local worlds
On Xbox, Minecraft labels each world in the Play list as cloud-synced, cloud-only, or local-only. Those labels tell you where the current copy lives.
- Cloud saves are tied to the Microsoft account you are signed in with.
- When you play online while signed in, Xbox backs up the world automatically.
- A world you have not played stays only on the device until it is backed up, so a long gap without play can leave it local-only.
- To inspect or free up storage, go to Settings > Storage and use Manage Worlds.
Realms: download a copy
Bedrock Realms worlds are backed up automatically. To keep a separate copy, open the Realms tab, locate the Realm and its world or slot controls, and choose the option to download a copy. A Realm backup is a server-side copy of the Realm, and it is separate from any offline local world on your device.
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Java Edition and PlayStation or Switch
This guide does not give exact folder paths or steps for Java Edition on desktop, or for PlayStation and Nintendo Switch. Minecraft’s official support index points to a separate Java backup article and to console cloud-save resources, and those are the authoritative steps for those platforms. Do not assume the Xbox behaviour above applies to consoles in general: cloud-save rules differ by platform.
Back up before you change anything
Make a separate copy before you reinstall Minecraft, change game versions, or move to a new device. Use the method that matches your platform:
- Windows Bedrock: Export World to a destination you choose.
- Android Bedrock with External storage: copy the world folder over USB.
- iPhone or iPad: copy the
gamesfolder with Finder, or rely on iCloud backup. - Xbox: confirm the world shows as cloud-synced, and play it online while signed in.
- Realms: download a copy from the Realms interface.
For manually copied or exported files, an external USB drive is a convenient destination. It is optional, and it does not apply to every console workflow.
If you still cannot find your world
- Confirm the edition and device; a Java world will not appear in Bedrock locations, and the reverse is also true.
- On Android, check File Storage Location. A world created under Application storage will not appear in the External folder.
- On Xbox, check whether the world is local-only on a different device, or cloud-only on the Microsoft account you are not currently signed in with.
- On Realms, the world lives on the Realm, so check the Realms tab rather than your device.
Menu labels and storage access change between updates. If a step does not match your screen, check Minecraft’s official support pages for your platform before assuming the world is lost.
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