How you load a Minecraft: Java Edition backup depends on where it is stored. To roll a Realm back, restore a save from the Realms menu. To play a Realm world locally, download it. To load a local backup, extract its world folder and place it in the Minecraft saves folder.
Choose the right way to load your backup
| Backup type | What the action does | Where to start |
|---|---|---|
| Realm backup | Replaces the current Realm world with the selected earlier save. | Minecraft Realms > Configure > World Backups > Restore |
| Realm world you want to play locally | Downloads a copy that appears in your singleplayer worlds; it does not roll back the Realm. | Minecraft Realms > Configure > World Backups > Download Latest |
| Local backup file | Adds the extracted world to the local singleplayer worlds list. | Open the backup folder, extract the world, and move its folder into saves. |
Restore a backup to a Minecraft Java Realm
Use this when you want the Realm itself to return to an earlier save. Restoring replaces the Realm’s current progress with the state captured in the selected backup, including builds and items. Make a separate copy of anything you want to keep, and check the backup date before restoring. Minecraft Help’s Realm restoration guide documents these controls.
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- Launch Minecraft: Java Edition and select Minecraft Realms.
- Select the Realm, then choose Configure.
- Open the Worlds tab and select World Backups.
- Select Restore beside the backup you want to load.
- Confirm the choice if prompted, then allow the Realm to restore.
Choose the save from the point in time you want to return to. The Restore control changes the Realm; it is not the way to create a local singleplayer copy.
Download a Realm backup for local singleplayer
If you want to keep playing the Realm’s world on your own computer without changing the Realm, download it instead. The downloaded world is added to your singleplayer worlds. Minecraft Help’s Realm world download instructions distinguish this from restoring a Realm.
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- Launch Minecraft and select Minecraft Realms.
- Select the Realm containing the world, then choose Configure.
- Open World Backups.
- Select Download Latest, then select Continue.
- Return to the singleplayer worlds list and open the downloaded world.
Load a local Java backup from your computer
Find the backup folder
You can access local backups through the game or the Launcher. In the game, open Singleplayer, select the world, choose Edit, then Open Backups Folder. In the Launcher, sign in, select Java Edition, open Installations, choose the installation used to make the backup, open its folder, and then open backups. These are the routes described by Minecraft Help’s local backup guidance.
Extract and install the world
- Locate the compressed backup you want. If the backup is still compressed, extract it before moving the world.
- Find the folder containing the extracted world. Move that folder into the Minecraft
savesdirectory for the computer and installation where you want to play it. - Launch Java Edition and select Singleplayer. The world should appear in the worlds list.
Keep the extracted world folder’s structure intact. Put the folder that contains the world data in saves, rather than an extra outer folder that merely contains it. If the world does not appear, check that you moved the extracted world itself into the correct installation’s saves folder.
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Common save-folder paths
| Operating system | Minecraft saves folder |
|---|---|
| Windows | %appdata%.minecraftsaves |
| macOS | ~/Library/Application Support/minecraft/saves |
Minecraft Help lists these locations for transferring a world. Its surfaced instructions do not specify a Linux path, so the paths above should not be treated as universal across operating systems or custom Launcher installations. See Minecraft Help’s backup-file instructions for the documented transfer process.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What to know about Realms backups
Realms saves automatically, but these cloud-save rules do not apply to local manual backups. Minecraft Help says a Realm saves every 30 minutes, when a player selects Save & Quit, and when a player disconnects. The same guidance describes this retention schedule:
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- The four most recent saves are retained.
- For the last 24 hours, one save is retained every four hours.
- From 1 to 8 days, one save per day is retained.
- From 9 to 36 days, one save per week is retained.
- From 37 to 121 days, one save per month is retained.
- At 122 days or more, no saves are retained.
These are service details reported by Minecraft Help’s Realms backup and subscription guidance; the surfaced page does not state a publication date, and service behavior can change. If you need to preserve a local copy beyond the available Realm saves, Minecraft Help also says a backup can be moved to an external hard drive. That storage is optional, not required to restore a backup already on your computer.
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