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You can get an old Minecraft world back only if a copy still exists—in the phone’s app data, Android’s other storage location, a Realm, an exported .mcworld file, or a device backup. First, don’t uninstall Minecraft, clear its data, or overwrite anything. Then use the recovery path that matches your phone and how the world was saved.
Choose the recovery path that fits
- Missing from the same Android phone: check Minecraft’s File Storage Location setting; the world may be under the other location.
- Old Android phone still works: open the world and make a copy. If it used External storage, you can copy its files to a computer.
- World was uploaded to a Realm: download it to the phone, or restore an earlier Realm save if you need to undo changes.
- New iPhone or iPad: check Realms, exported world files, and device backups. A Microsoft sign-in alone does not sync local worlds.
- Old phone was wiped or Minecraft was deleted: look for a Realm, export, or device backup. Without a surviving copy, recovery may not be possible.
These steps are for mobile Minecraft: Bedrock Edition. Java Edition uses a different world-storage and recovery process.
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Protect the old copy before troubleshooting
If the old phone still has Minecraft installed, don’t uninstall it, clear its app storage or data, or create a replacement world over the same save. If you can open the world, preserve it before trying transfers: keep the original untouched and make a separate copy where possible. A copied folder can be incomplete if Minecraft is writing to it, so close the game before copying files.
Android: check whether the world is hidden
Android Minecraft has two file-storage choices: Application and External. A world saved under one may not appear in the Worlds list while the other is selected. Changing the setting is a visibility check—not a way to recreate a deleted world.
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- Open Minecraft and select Settings.
- Select Storage.
- Find File Storage Location.
- Note the current choice, then switch between Application and External.
- Return to the Play screen and check the Worlds list. If the world is still missing, check the other setting too.
Minecraft describes this setting and why worlds may appear under one location but not the other in its Android missing-world guidance. If neither setting reveals it, don’t assume that switching again will recover a save that was deleted.
Android: copy a world saved to External storage
The manual file-copy method applies to worlds created while External storage was selected. Minecraft’s documented folder is:
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- EXPLORE — Discover biomes, resources, and mobs, and craft your way through a world filled with surprises in the ultimate sandbox game.
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Android/data/com.mojang.minecraftpe/files/games/com.mojang/minecraftWorlds- Close Minecraft on the old phone.
- Connect the phone to a computer with USB. On the phone, tap the USB notification and choose File Transfer or MTP.
- On the computer, open the phone’s storage and browse to the path above.
- Copy the entire
minecraftWorldsfolder—or the individual world folder—to the computer. Keep that copy as your backup. - Only after preserving the original should you attempt to transfer the copy to another device.
See Minecraft’s mobile world-file instructions for the documented Android path and USB procedure. Android versions and manufacturers can restrict access to Android/data, so the folder may not be visible in every file browser. If the world was saved under Application, ordinary file copying is not the documented route; use Realms if you can still open the world.
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There is no single import procedure guaranteed to work across every Android phone and operating-system version. Copy to a computer first rather than moving or deleting your only original. For a transfer between Android and iPhone, don’t assume that placing an Android folder on the iPhone will import it.
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Use Realms to transfer a world that still opens
Realms is Minecraft’s documented cloud route for moving a Bedrock world between devices, including when the world is in Application storage. The old and new devices should have the latest available Minecraft version, and the destination must use the Microsoft account associated with the Realm. Minecraft’s instructions require an active Realms trial or paid subscription for this process. An upload can fail if the world exceeds the stated 4 GB Realm upload limit.
Upload from the old phone
- Open Minecraft and select Play, then Realms.
- Select the Realm, then open Settings.
- Choose a world slot, then select Edit World.
- At the bottom of Game Settings, choose Upload World for an empty slot, or Replace World if you intend to replace the world already in that slot.
- Confirm and wait for the upload to finish.
Download on the new phone
- Install Minecraft and sign in with the same Microsoft account linked to the Realm.
- Select Play, open Realms, and select the Realm.
- Open Settings, choose the slot containing your uploaded world, and select Edit World.
- At the bottom of Game Settings, choose Download World.
- Find the downloaded copy on the Worlds tab. Minecraft names it
World name - Copy; use the pencil icon if you want to rename it.
Menu names or layouts can vary slightly by release. Look for the equivalent Realm, world-slot, upload, and download controls if yours differ. Follow Minecraft’s Bedrock world-transfer instructions.
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Restore an earlier Realm save
If a Realm world was damaged or you want to undo a change, you may be able to restore an earlier save. This is a rollback: progress made on the Realm after the selected save can be lost. If you might need the current state, download it first using the steps above.
- Open Minecraft, select Play, then the Realms tab.
- Select the Realm and open Settings, then Manage Realm.
- Choose Saves, then the Manual or Automatic tab.
- Open the three-dot menu beside the save you want and select Restore save.
Some versions may show Realms Hub, World, or Saves > Manage saves instead. Minecraft’s Realm restore guidance describes the save-selection process. Treat restore as a change to the Realm, not a preview.
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iPhone and iPad: check Realms, exports, and backups
The official mobile guidance cited here documents the Android file route and the Realms transfer route; it does not provide an equivalent iOS local-world file-path procedure. For an iPhone or iPad, check in this order:
- Open Minecraft and look at the Worlds list after signing in. If the world is absent, remember that signing in does not guarantee local worlds will appear.
- Check Realms if the world was uploaded there, using the download steps above.
- Search the Files app, iCloud Drive, email, and other backup locations for a previously exported
.mcworldfile. If one exists, open it with Minecraft and follow the import prompts shown on your device. - Check whether an iPhone or iPad device backup from before the loss may contain the app data. Restoring a device backup is a broad operation and may replace newer data; confirm what the backup includes and protect current phone data before proceeding.
If Minecraft was deleted and there is no usable device backup, Realm copy, or exported world file, recovery may not be possible. Do not assume that iCloud syncs Minecraft worlds automatically.
If the old phone is broken, lost, or reset
| What happened | What to try |
|---|---|
| The phone still powers on | Don’t reinstall Minecraft or clear app data. If possible, open the world and preserve it through a Realm upload or an Android file copy. |
| The screen is broken but the phone may still work | Consider a repair or computer access to copy files. USB access may require unlocking the phone, so it is not guaranteed. |
| The phone is locked, encrypted, or factory-reset | Recovery from the device itself is uncertain. Check for a Realm, exported file, or device backup instead. |
| The phone was lost or destroyed | Look for a Realm, a saved .mcworld file, an Android folder copied elsewhere, or a device backup. |
| Minecraft was deleted | Local worlds may have been deleted with the app. A separate export, backup, Realm copy, or eligible device backup is needed. |
If you were a Realm member rather than its owner, ask the owner whether they can download the world. Contact Minecraft Support if the Realm itself is inaccessible or you cannot recover the associated account.
Why signing in may not bring back a local world
A Microsoft account provides access to account-related features such as multiplayer identity and Realms; it is not, by itself, a backup of every single-player save on a phone. Reinstalling Minecraft or signing into the same account therefore does not guarantee that a local world will return. Minecraft’s new-device guidance discusses transfer options, while the actual recovery route depends on where the world was stored.
Prevent the next loss
- On Android, periodically copy External-storage worlds to a computer or other safe location. Keep the original until the backup is verified.
- For worlds stored in Application storage or for cross-device continuity, consider uploading a copy to Realms while you can still open it.
- Keep an exported
.mcworldfile somewhere separate from the phone when the game’s export option is available. - Before restoring a Realm save, download the current Realm world if you may want to preserve recent progress.
- Keep your Microsoft account credentials and phone backups current, but don’t treat account sign-in or a device backup as proof that a world is included.
For Bedrock mobile worlds, keep Java Edition recovery instructions separate: the storage folders and workflows differ. See Minecraft’s Java data and storage guidance if your world is actually from Java Edition on a computer.
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