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AndroidPATCH 2026.09.14

Where Are My Minecraft Worlds Stored on Android?

By VGSources Team 6 min read

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Check Minecraft → Settings → Storage → File Storage Location first. If it is set to External, worlds are usually in Android/data/com.mojang.minecraftpe/files/games/com.mojang/minecraftWorlds. If it is set to Application, the world is inside Minecraft’s private app storage and is not available as a normal folder for manual computer export; use Minecraft Realms to transfer it.

These instructions apply to Minecraft for Android, which is the Bedrock Edition—not Java Edition.

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First check Minecraft’s storage setting

In Minecraft, open Settings → Storage → File Storage Location. The available choices are:

  • Application: the default. Worlds are kept in Minecraft’s private application data.
  • External: worlds are stored in the accessible Minecraft folder described below. “External” does not necessarily mean a physical SD card.

Minecraft can have worlds in both locations. Changing this setting changes which worlds appear on the Play screen, so a missing world may simply be in the other storage location. Treat changing the setting as a diagnostic step, not as a guaranteed export or migration procedure.

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See Minecraft’s Android world-storage guidance for the official explanation.

External storage location

When External is selected, look here:

Internal storage/Android/data/com.mojang.minecraftpe/files/games/com.mojang/minecraftWorlds

On many phones, the same location appears as:

/storage/emulated/0/Android/data/com.mojang.minecraftpe/files/games/com.mojang/minecraftWorlds

File managers may call the starting point Internal storage, Primary storage, or /storage/emulated/0. The folders inside minecraftWorlds often have random-looking names rather than the world’s visible Minecraft name. That is normal.

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The official path is documented in Minecraft’s mobile world-file instructions.

Back up an externally stored world with USB

  1. Connect the phone to a computer with a data-capable USB cable.
  2. Open the Android USB notification and select File Transfer or MTP, not charging-only mode.
  3. On the computer, open the phone’s storage.
  4. Navigate to Android/data/com.mojang.minecraftpe/files/games/com.mojang/minecraftWorlds.
  5. Copy the entire minecraftWorlds folder, or copy the individual world folder, to the computer.

Copy the complete world folder—not just its icon, a screenshot, or one database file. Keep the original backup untouched before renaming, compressing, or importing anything. If the world uses add-ons, consider preserving the broader games/com.mojang folder as a precaution, including relevant behavior_packs and resource_packs; the official instructions specifically document copying the world folder.

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Why Android may block Android/data

On Android 11 and later, scoped-storage rules restrict file-selection access to Android/data and its subdirectories. Consequently, the folder may exist even when the phone’s default Files app shows it as empty or returns “Access denied.” A file manager may also display the path while being unable to open it.

Android’s current storage documentation explains these restrictions: Android scoped storage.

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Use this troubleshooting order:

  1. Confirm that Minecraft is set to External.
  2. Create or load a test world after changing the setting, then check the folder again.
  3. Fully close and reopen Minecraft and the file manager.
  4. Try USB File Transfer/MTP from a computer.
  5. If you use a third-party file manager, check that it supports your Android version and Android/data access.

Do not grant broad file-management permissions to an unknown app simply to retrieve a world. Android behavior also varies by phone manufacturer and file-manager app.

If the setting says Application

An application-stored world may appear and work normally in Minecraft while no browsable external minecraftWorlds folder contains it. An empty external folder therefore does not prove that the world was deleted.

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Minecraft’s official support guidance says application-stored worlds are not available as separate files for ordinary computer export. Do not clear Minecraft’s app data or uninstall the game while this is your only copy. The supported practical transfer route is Minecraft Realms.

Transfer an Application world with Realms

You need an active Realms trial or subscription, an updated copy of Minecraft on both devices, and the same Microsoft account signed in on both devices. Realms transfers Bedrock worlds between compatible Bedrock devices; it does not convert a Java save into Bedrock.

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On the old Android device

  1. Open Minecraft and select Play → Realms.
  2. Select the Realm, then open Settings.
  3. Select a Realm slot.
  4. Choose Edit World.
  5. At the bottom of Game Settings, choose Upload World for an empty slot, or Replace World to overwrite an existing Realm world.
  6. Confirm the upload.

On the new Android device

  1. Sign in with the same Microsoft account.
  2. Open Play → Realms and select the Realm.
  3. Open Settings, select the slot containing the uploaded world, and choose Edit World.
  4. At the bottom of Game Settings, select Download World.

The downloaded local copy appears in the Worlds list with - Copy appended to its name. See the official Realms transfer guide. Realms is convenient and supports application storage, but it requires an active trial or paid subscription and an internet connection.

Why is minecraftWorlds empty?

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  • The world was created with Application selected: look in Minecraft, then use Realms for an official transfer.
  • Android blocks the folder: try USB/MTP or a file manager that genuinely supports your device’s restrictions.
  • You changed the setting recently: restart Minecraft and check the alternate storage setting.
  • You are using an old path: use the current path containing Android/data/com.mojang.minecraftpe/files.
  • You are checking the wrong storage volume: verify the phone’s internal storage versus another storage location.
  • The world belongs to another installation or profile: check the relevant Minecraft installation and Microsoft account.
  • The world was never saved successfully: confirm that it appears on the Play screen.

Distinguish an empty folder from an inaccessible folder. The first often indicates Application storage; the second may simply be Android’s access control.

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If the world is missing from the Play screen

  1. Go to Settings → Storage → File Storage Location.
  2. Switch to the alternate setting and check the Worlds list again.
  3. Restart Minecraft.
  4. Confirm that you are using the expected Microsoft account, especially if you are confusing a local world with a Realm.
  5. Check whether the world was deleted, renamed, or replaced.

Do not clear app data or uninstall Minecraft until you have a file backup or a completed Realm transfer. Reinstallation can remove application-stored worlds.

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Import a .mcworld backup

  1. Download the .mcworld file to the Android device.
  2. Open it from the Downloads app or a file manager.
  3. Choose Minecraft if Android asks which app should open it.
  4. Wait for Minecraft to import the world, then check the Worlds list.

A .mcworld file is a Bedrock world package, not a Java save folder. If it will not open, verify that it is genuinely a Bedrock package with the correct internal structure—not a Java world, an incorrectly packaged ZIP, or a file whose extension was changed incorrectly. Microsoft documents the Android import flow in its Bedrock creator documentation.

What to back up

For a basic Bedrock backup, preserve:

games/com.mojang/minecraftWorlds/

For worlds that rely on add-ons or custom packs, consider backing up the broader:

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games/com.mojang/

Back up before updating Minecraft, joining a beta or Preview build, changing storage settings, or uninstalling. Keep at least one copy outside the phone, and test an especially valuable backup on another compatible Bedrock installation.

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Android, Bedrock, and Java compatibility

Android’s standard Minecraft app is Bedrock Edition. Android, iOS, Windows Bedrock, and consoles use different storage systems and platform rules, although Bedrock worlds may be transferable through supported services such as Realms. Java Edition has different save paths and is not interchangeable with a Bedrock .mcworld package.

Free USB backup or Realms?

Method Application storage External storage Main trade-off
USB/MTP No, according to official guidance Yes Free, but access to Android/data can be difficult
Manual file-manager copy Generally no Sometimes Device- and Android-version-dependent
Realms Yes Yes Requires an active trial or subscription
Third-party sync app Usually no May work Unofficial and vulnerable to compatibility changes

For a free manual backup, use USB/MTP when the world is externally stored. For an application-stored world or a simpler cloud transfer, Realms is the official fallback. A third-party sync app cannot solve the private Application-storage problem and should not be treated as a Microsoft- or Mojang-endorsed solution.

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AndroidMinecraftMinecraft backupMinecraft BedrockMinecraft RealmsMinecraft worlds

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