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The correct Minecraft save location depends first on your edition, then on your operating system. Java Edition stores worlds in a saves folder; Bedrock stores them under com.mojang/minecraftWorlds or an account-specific equivalent. On Windows, the current Bedrock location may also differ from the older UWP path.
Quick answer
| Edition | Operating system | Save location |
|---|---|---|
| Java | Windows | %APPDATA%.minecraftsaves |
| Java | macOS | ~/Library/Application Support/minecraft/saves |
| Java | Linux | ~/.minecraft/saves |
| Bedrock | Windows, current GDK layout | %APPDATA%Minecraft Bedrockuserssharedgamescom.mojang |
| Bedrock | Windows, older UWP layout | %LOCALAPPDATA%PackagesMicrosoft.MinecraftUWP_8wekyb3d8bbweLocalStategamescom.mojang |
| Bedrock | Android | Usually under games/com.mojang; the exact path depends on Android version |
Use the path for your edition rather than searching only for a folder named after your world. Java world folders usually use the in-game world name, while Bedrock and Minecraft Education commonly use identifiers or GUIDs.
Minecraft Java Edition save locations
Java Edition stores each single-player world as a folder inside saves. The folder name normally matches the world’s in-game name. These locations apply to the standard Minecraft Java Edition launcher installation.
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Open the Run dialog with Win + R, enter the following path, and select OK:
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%APPDATA%.minecraftsavesThis opens the Java world directory directly, even though AppData is hidden in the normal File Explorer view. You can also paste the path into File Explorer’s address bar.
For Mojang’s official transfer guidance, see Minecraft Help’s Java world transfer instructions.
macOS
In Finder, press Command + Shift + G to open Go to Folder. Enter:
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~/Library/Application Support/minecraft/savesPress Return to open the folder. The Library directory is normally hidden from casual browsing, so using Go to Folder is quicker than navigating to it manually.
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Linux
Java worlds are stored in:
~/.minecraft/savesThe leading dot makes .minecraft a hidden directory. Enable hidden files in your file manager if you want to browse to it manually, or enter the path directly in the file manager’s location bar.
The Minecraft Wiki also documents the Java map-download location and related platform details in its map downloads tutorial.
Minecraft Bedrock save locations on Windows
Windows Bedrock storage is more complicated because Microsoft has documented a migration from the older UWP layout to a GDK layout beginning with Minecraft version 1.21.120. The old path is therefore not a universal answer for current installations.
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For the current Windows Bedrock layout, paste this into File Explorer’s address bar:
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%APPDATA%Minecraft Bedrockuserssharedgamescom.mojangThis is under AppDataRoaming, not AppDataLocal. World data is associated with the Bedrock storage structure beneath com.mojang; depending on the installation and account, you may also see per-user folders beneath Minecraft BedrockUsers.
Microsoft’s Bedrock GDK project-folder documentation describes the current and previous layouts.
Previous UWP location
If the world is from an older UWP installation, or the current location does not contain it, check:
%LOCALAPPDATA%PackagesMicrosoft.MinecraftUWP_8wekyb3d8bbweLocalStategamescom.mojangBedrock worlds in this structure are normally under its minecraftWorlds subfolder:
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%LOCALAPPDATA%PackagesMicrosoft.MinecraftUWP_8wekyb3d8bbweLocalStategamescom.mojangminecraftWorldsThis is the previous UWP location, not a guaranteed path for every current Windows Bedrock installation. If you find no worlds there, check the GDK path and any account-specific folders as well.
Minecraft Preview
Minecraft Preview has a separate root. Its documented shared-content path is:
%APPDATA%Minecraft Bedrock Previewuserssharedgamescom.mojangDo not expect a Preview world to appear in the standard Bedrock folder.
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Why Bedrock folders may not use your world’s name
Unlike Java, Bedrock commonly stores world directories using identifiers rather than the visible world name. A search for the exact name shown on the Play screen may therefore return nothing.
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Windows Bedrock can also contain more than one com.mojang folder when multiple Xbox accounts or user profiles are involved. If the expected world is missing, verify that Minecraft was launched with the same Windows/Xbox account that created it and inspect the relevant user folders.
Minecraft Education save locations
Minecraft Education uses its own application folders. Its world directories use GUID-style names rather than the names displayed in-game. Open the levelname text document inside each candidate folder to identify a world.
Windows desktop version
C:Users<USERNAME>AppDataRoamingMinecraft Education Editiongamescom.mojangminecraftWorldsWindows Store version
C:Users<USERNAME>AppDataLocalPackagesMicrosoft.MinecraftEducationEdition_8wekyb3d8bbweLocalStategamescom.mojangminecraftWorldsmacOS
~/Library/Application Support/Minecraftpe/Games/com.mojangChromebook
Open the Files app and go to:
Play files > games > com.mojang > minecraftWorldsiPad
Use the device’s file interface and open:
Minecraft Education Editiongamescom.mojangminecraftWorldsThese Education paths and the levelname identification method are documented by Minecraft Education Support.
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Android 11 and older
Browse to:
Phone > games > com.mojangAndroid 12 and newer
The usual location is:
Phone > Android > data > com.mojang.minecraftpe > files > games > com.mojangAndroid 12 and newer restrict direct access to many Android/data folders. Your file manager may need special access, or you may need to connect the device to a computer and use a supported file-management method. If you cannot open the directory, that restriction does not necessarily mean the worlds are gone.
Minecraft Bedrock save location on ChromeOS
First change Minecraft’s storage setting:
- Open Minecraft Bedrock.
- Go to Settings > General > Storage.
- Set File Storage Location to External.
Then open the Files app and browse to:
My Files > Play Files > Android > data > com.mojang.minecraftpe > files > games > com.mojangIf storage remains set to internal or application storage, the expected com.mojang folder may not appear in the Files app.
Minecraft Bedrock save location on iPhone and iPad
The documented Bedrock path is:
My iDevice > Minecraft > games > com.mojangiOS and iPadOS do not expose a general-purpose filesystem in the same way as Windows, macOS, or Linux. Use the device’s file-storage interface or a connected-device file-management tool that can access the Minecraft app’s files.
If you cannot find your worlds
- Confirm the edition. Java uses
.minecraftsavesor its macOS/Linux equivalent. Bedrock usescom.mojang. They are not interchangeable locations. - Check the current Windows Bedrock path first. After the UWP-to-GDK migration, use
%APPDATA%Minecraft Bedrockuserssharedgamescom.mojang, then check the previous UWP path if necessary. - Check Preview separately. Preview uses
%APPDATA%Minecraft Bedrock Previewuserssharedgamescom.mojang. - Check the account. Multiple Bedrock profiles can create multiple user-related storage locations.
- Do not search only by world name. Bedrock and Education folders may use identifiers. In Education, read each folder’s
levelnamefile. - Check hidden folders. Java’s Windows
AppData, macOSLibrary, and Linux.minecraftdirectory may not be visible during normal browsing. - Close Minecraft before copying or replacing a world. This reduces the risk of copying an incomplete or actively changing save.
Java and Bedrock worlds are not automatically interchangeable
A Java save belongs in Java’s saves directory, while a Bedrock save belongs in Bedrock’s com.mojang storage. The editions use different save locations and world-storage formats, so moving a folder to the other edition’s directory does not automatically convert it or make it playable.
Quick Recap
Before backing up or transferring a world
- Exit Minecraft completely.
- Copy the entire world folder, not just a file that appears to have the right name.
- Keep the original copy untouched until the backup opens successfully.
- For Java, copy the appropriate folder from
.minecraft/saves. - For Bedrock or Education, identify the correct identifier-based folder and preserve its complete contents.
- Make sure the destination uses the same edition and, where relevant, the same account or application variant.
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