Where Are My Minecraft Files?

Since before the public release of Minecraft, modding was already taking place. The first ever Mod Loader was developed by Risugami in late 2010. Over the years, more mod loaders such as Forge and Fabric became available. Since Mojang released the new Bedrock version, there are even more options now specifically made for mobile and Windows 10 to use Add-ons.

However, to use Add-ons and modification, or even simply knowing where your Minecraft worlds, game files, jar files, appdata folder, and screenshots for this sandbox game are stored on your computer , you must know where to find their file location. Luckily, you now have this article to guide you through some simple instructions on how to access their locations on PC and Mac OS aswell as mobile versions of the Minecraft folder!

The Contents

As you know, Minecraft uses a launcher to run the game. This allows players to easily manage their game version, catch news, download updates, manage multiple profiles, view crash reports, and let you play Minecraft on offline mode. There are several other more functionalities, but in short, it is the hub of the game. The launcher is originally exclusive to Minecraft Java, but as of 2022, the Bedrock is now also part of the Launcher (along with Minecraft Dungeons and the upcoming Minecraft Legends, set to be released this upcoming year on PC and console).

On the topic of files, the launcher downloads them to a folder called .minecraft, the home directory where all other Minecraft Java files are downloaded. As for the Bedrock Edition, it is in the com.mojang folder, which is located in a hidden folder called AppData. These folders mostly contain the following:

Java edition

Back-up worlds

Crash Reports

Mods folder

Launcher Profiles

Resource pack Folder

World Saves Folder

Screenshots

Shader File explorer

Region folder

Minecraft Versions (for offline play)

 

Bedrock EDITION

Behavior Packs (similar to Minecraft Java's mods)

Development Behavior Packs (for add-on development)

Development Resource Packs (for resource pack development/creation)

Development Skin Packs (for skin packs development)

Game options

World folder

Users

Resource Packs

Skin Packs

Contents Locating

User/Profile Information and Personal Options (for offline single player)

World Saves

World Templates (worlds with pre-built structures, add-ons, and resource packs. Usually from Marketplace)

Bedrock

Behavior Packs (similar to Minecraft Java’s mods)

Development Behavior Packs (for add-on development)

Development Resource Packs (for resource pack development/creation)

Development Skin Packs (for skin packs development)

Game options

Resource Packs

Skin Packs

User/Profile Information (for offline play)

World Saves

World Templates (worlds with pre-built structures, add-ons, and resource packs. Usually from Marketplace)

 There's a difference between the Bedrock on mobile and on Windows, but this article will also cover this. Minecraft Java on Mac is the same with Windows, but the difference between the two is their folder locations.

Why should I know these in the Minecraft Folder?

I'm glad you asked! The game allows mods that let you modify the game, resource packs that let you change the game looks, and worlds created by other players for you to enjoy. And as this article covered earlier, all these files can be found and viewed on the mentioned folders.

With how Minecraft now promotes the add-ons and mods for the community to create and expand, knowing where to put these files can be handy. The ability to access these files allows you to tinker with them, to learn more how the game works, or just have fun editing some files and see what clunky stuff it will give you in-game (but don't resell or violate the Mojang and Microsoft's EULA!).

As someone who develops Add-ons in my pastime, knowing where to find these files for reference and modification helps me a lot. I'm even planning on delving into Mod Development in Java soon to port my Bedrock Add-Ons to the Java Edition, so more players may ‌enjoy them.

So where are they located?

We've now finally reached this topic and as you see, the game is available on different platforms such as Windows, Mac, Android, iPhones, iPads, PS3, and more. However, what we'll be tackling is the 4 most common platforms which are Windows, Mac, Linux, and Android.

Shortcut for Java Edition

Before we proceed with the 4 platforms, I would like to introduce this shortcut for Minecraft Java Edition within their launcher and game to access the Minecraft folder. This shortcut allows you to access its directories easily without having to do a lot of steps like those that follow ‌this.

To access the game directory via the game launcher, you just need to open the launcher and select the Installations tab.

In there, you will see all the Minecraft versions you’ve downloaded. This includes the modified versions with mod loaders, such as Fabric. Hover your mouse over to the version and you’ll see a folder icon on the left side of it. Click the folder and it will open a new window in the Minecraft game folder. 

Accessing the folder in-game is also possible. Just open the game and navigate to the Options menu. In there, you will see the Resource Pack option where you manage your texture packs.  You can open and access the folder from here.

Inside, there would be a button with the label “Open Pack Folder”. If you click the button, it will open the .minecraft/resourepacks folder. Just go up one folder and you’re now at the game folder.

Windows 10 (Bedrock)

Moving back to the platforms mentioned, we’ll tackle the Windows’ Bedrock Edition, or more commonly known as Windows 10 Edition, first. This version of the game is the PC version for the Minecraft Bedrock on Android, tablets, and console. To access the location of the files, you will have to press [Win ⊞] + [R] or open your start menu, then type “run”, where you’ll then select the “Run” app.

This will open a small pop-up window named “run” with a text box drop-down input with label “Open:” and this is what it looks like:

In there, you just type this line to open the com.mojang folder for Minecraft Windows 10:

%localappdata%/Packages/Microsoft.MinecraftUWP_8wekyb3d8bbwe/LocalState/games/com.mojang

This will allow you to gain access to your local files such as world saves, externally downloaded resource packs, and add-ons. You can even access other simple development tools or data logs if you go several folders up.

Windows (Java)

Minecraft Java is the first one to get popular among the masses and this coverage already has thousands, if not tens of thousands, of articles. Primarily to let players know where they can find their screenshots, worlds, and vanilla files, or to point players where to put their resource packs or mods to install them. To access them, just simply do the same steps you’ve done for the Bedrock Version. Open the Run windows app once more with either [Win ⊞] + [R] or by opening your start menu and typing “run”, then clicking the “Run” app.

In there, just type this much shorter path than its Bedrock Edition counterpart to gain access to your launcher and Minecraft files:

%appdata%/.minecraft

Mac (Java)

Minecraft can be played on Mac as long as you have the JRE or Java Runtime Environment needed by the game, which is provided by the launcher. It’s no different with Minecraft Java on Windows, but it certainly needs to be accessed differently.

You just need to put this path on your Go To Folder command ([Command ⌘] + [Shift] + [G]) to gain access to the files.

~/Library/Application Support/minecraft

Linux (Java)

Minecraft Linux is extremely similar to both Mac and Windows as they are both coded using Java. This allows cross-play between these three platforms, which all support the Java Edition of the game. Despite its Java similarities, because Linux is an entirely different operating system, it is also accessed differently than Windows and Mac.

The file location is located at the .minecraft folder as well but the folder itself is on a different location; not in the AppData as Linux does not have those folders. It is not inside the Application Support folder either. Though, as nearly all Linux applications are, it is located at the user root folder. You can either use a GUI (Graphical User Interface) or CLI (Command Line Interface) to do this task.

Assuming you’re using Ubuntu, you can access the folder by using your file browser and then pressing [Ctrl] + [H]. This allows you to toggle and show hidden files. This method uses the GUI stated earlier. If you look through all the folders, you’re bound to see it.

If GUI is not an option, you can use the CLI and type cd ~/.minecraft in the terminal then execute it. This will not open any folder, but you will be able to execute commands inside the .minecraft folder.

Android (Bedrock)

Minecraft on tablets and phones existed way earlier than most people probably thought, since it only gained traction after being updated in 2016, when it was released completely from its Pocket Edition days. During those days, Minecraft Pocket Edition (PE) was like the Alpha and possibly Beta versions of Minecraft Java. They both had blocky light levels, blocks that weren’t assorted, the Nether didn’t exist yet (and as a placeholder, Nether Cores were used), a blocky stone cutter was present, and many other similarities.

After the update, though, it somehow caught up with its current Java counterpart. After the update, it contains more blocks (and even entities), the Nether was implemented, the End is now accessible, Redstone was added, and many other more updates that changed the game completely. However, one mechanic still remains and wasn’t phased out: the game’s file location on your internal or external device’s storage.

During the PE days, Minecraft made use of the games folder to store world saves and game options. With the Bedrock update in 2016, the files are now moved deeper to the games/com.mojang folder. Nowadays, Minecraft utilizes the in-game storage for worlds, but you still have the option to load your old worlds by pointing to this old games folder. This allows the game to gain access to your old settings and files, letting you play your old world and letting the game utilize this folder once more. This folder contains the following:

Behavior Packs

Development Behavior Packs

Development Resource Packs

Development Skin Packs

Logs

Options

Resource Packs

Skin Packs

World Templates

World Saves

These are the ‌same files and folders you would see on the com.mojang folder utilized by the Windows 10 Edition.

The games/com.mojang folder can be found at the root of your Phone Storage or at the root of your SD Card. Here’s one image I used to show how to install an add-on I developed.

Afterword…

As you know after reading the article, the files on desktops and laptops are mostly on hidden paths you can’t usually access by eyes only. Though, you may ‌see them if you enable the “see hidden folders” option. However, the mobile version is in plain sight, and you might have even stumbled upon it by accident while cleaning your phone for more storage.

The game promotes creativity so much that it allows its community and player base to just run their imagination wildly and let them create different texture packs and modifications that increase the ways you can play the game. If you’re interested in creating a mod or an add-on (for starters), let us know and we might do an add-on tutorial/guide article for Minecraft Bedrock so that you can contribute to the ever-growing repository of Minecraft’s modding history! Who knows, you might even create a mind blowing mod that would go down as one of the best add-ons in the Bedrock modding history.

Check out these other pages: Unlock the Secret to Crafting the Best Minecraft Potions