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You can move a Minecraft world from a phone to a Windows computer, but you need Minecraft Bedrock Edition on the PC: a mobile Bedrock world will not open directly in Java Edition. Use Realms for iPhone or iPad, Android worlds in Application storage, or the simplest cloud transfer. If your Android world is in External storage, you can copy it to the PC over USB for free.
Quick choice: Android with Settings > Storage > File Storage Location set to External? Use the USB method below. Otherwise, use Realms. Before either route, make a backup and keep the original world until you have opened and checked the PC copy.
Before you transfer: check the edition and protect your save
- Save and back up the world. Open it on your phone, leave it normally so the latest progress is saved, then duplicate or otherwise back it up if the game offers that option. Do not delete Minecraft or change its storage setting until the PC copy works.
- Check the PC edition. Install and launch Minecraft Bedrock for Windows. The current Java & Bedrock Edition for PC package includes Bedrock where available; check the official PC edition page for the edition and platform details. Java alone cannot load a mobile Bedrock save.
- Have the right account ready. You will need the Microsoft account used to access your Realm, if you transfer with Realms. Signing in on both devices does not automatically sync every locally saved world.
- Allow enough time and storage. Large worlds can take time to upload, download, copy, and import. For USB transfer, use a data-capable cable and copy the files to the PC before importing.
Minecraft documents transferring worlds through methods including physical storage, cloud storage, and Realms. The game license is separate from the world file: check that you have the applicable PC license and installation for the platform you want to play on. See Minecraft’s device-transfer guidance.
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Realms is the most straightforward route if you have an iPhone or iPad, your Android world is stored in Application storage, you cannot reach the world files, or you would rather avoid file management. It requires an active trial or paid Realms subscription. Uploading and downloading are deliberate steps; this is not automatic synchronization of the phone and PC’s separate local copies.
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Upload the phone world
- Open Minecraft on the phone and select Play, then the Realms tab.
- Select the Realm you want to use and open its Settings.
- Select a world slot, then Edit World.
- Scroll to the bottom of Game Settings. Choose Upload World if the slot is empty, or Replace World if it already contains a world.
- Confirm and wait for the upload to finish. Be careful with Replace World: it replaces the world currently in that Realm slot. Keep your phone’s original intact.
Download the world on Windows
- Launch Minecraft Bedrock on the PC and sign in with the same Microsoft account that can access the Realm.
- Select Play, open Realms, and select the Realm.
- Open the Realm’s Settings, select the slot containing your upload, and choose Edit World.
- Scroll to the bottom of Game Settings and select Download World.
- Return to the Worlds tab. The downloaded local copy should appear there, commonly as World name – Copy. Open it and confirm that your progress and important areas are present. You can rename it using the pencil icon.
Keep the original phone world and do not cancel a trial or subscription until you have verified the PC copy. If you play on both devices afterward, choose which copy is authoritative and consciously upload or download when you want to move newer progress. Separate local copies can diverge. Minecraft’s Realms and Bedrock storage instructions describe the upload/download process.
Method 2: Copy an Android world over USB for free
This documented file-copy method applies to Android worlds saved in External storage. It will not make a world stored in Application storage appear as an ordinary folder.
Check where Minecraft stores the world
- On Android, open Minecraft and go to Settings > Storage.
- Check File Storage Location. If it is External, continue below. If it is Application, use Realms instead of searching for a normal exportable world folder.
Changing this setting can make different worlds appear or disappear in Minecraft’s list because saves may be in either location. Do not assume switching from Application to External converts an existing world. Check Minecraft’s Android world-location guidance before changing storage settings.
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Copy the files to Windows
- Connect the unlocked phone to the computer with a data-capable USB cable.
- On the phone, open the USB notification (often labeled Charging this device via USB) and choose File Transfer or MTP, not charging-only mode.
- In Windows File Explorer, browse to:
Android/data/com.mojang.minecraftpe/files/games/com.mojang/minecraftWorlds - Copy the entire
minecraftWorldsfolder to a safe location on the computer. If you are certain which world you need, you can copy that world’s folder instead. Copying the whole directory is safer if folder names are unfamiliar. - Leave the original on the phone untouched until the PC version has been imported and checked.
World-folder names may not match the title shown in the game. As a practical aid—not a guarantee—look inside a copied folder for a file such as levelname.txt that may contain the visible world name. Do not rename or edit the original phone folder to identify it. Minecraft’s mobile file-location instructions document the Android route and USB file-transfer step.
Import the world into Minecraft Bedrock on Windows
If you have a valid .mcworld file, copy it to the PC and double-click it. Minecraft Bedrock should import it; then check the game’s Worlds list. A .mcworld file is a Bedrock world package, not a Java save.
If you copied an ordinary world folder rather than a .mcworld package, use Minecraft Bedrock’s built-in world import/export controls if available, or place the folder in the active Bedrock minecraftWorlds directory for that Windows installation. Save locations can vary with installation and profile, so do not rely on one old absolute Windows path as universal. If a file does not import when opened, check that Bedrock—not Java—is installed and use the Bedrock import controls or its active save location.
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Cloud storage can carry a world file you have already exported or copied, but merely uploading a file to OneDrive, Google Drive, or iCloud does not sync it into Minecraft. You still need to import it into Bedrock.
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What if you have an iPhone or iPad?
Use Realms unless you already have a usable exported world file or can see and copy the world through the Files app on your particular device. iOS file visibility depends on the iOS and Minecraft versions and the app’s file-sharing behavior; there is no single universal folder path to rely on here. If Files does not expose the world, Realms is the practical supported route. Avoid jailbreaking the device or trusting an unknown exporter app with your save.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Troubleshooting
The Android world folder is missing
- Check Minecraft > Settings > Storage > File Storage Location. If it says Application, use Realms.
- Reconnect the phone, unlock it, and choose File Transfer/MTP in the USB notification.
- Check that you are browsing the correct device/profile and the documented folder path. If available, copy the whole
minecraftWorldsfolder rather than guessing among unfamiliar names.
Windows does not see the phone
Unlock and reconnect the phone, select File Transfer/MTP rather than charging, try another USB port or known data cable, and install the phone maker’s Windows driver if needed. Copy the world onto the computer’s local storage before importing.
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The Realm download does not appear
Confirm that the upload completed, the PC is signed into the same Microsoft account, both devices are on compatible updated versions, and you downloaded the slot you uploaded. Check the PC’s Worlds tab as well as the Realm tab; the downloaded local copy may be named World name – Copy.
The world opens, but progress is missing
You may have uploaded the wrong slot, opened an older copy, or continued playing on a different local copy after the transfer. Close Minecraft on both devices, reopen the original phone world to confirm its latest progress, then upload it again to a clearly identified empty Realm slot and download it again. Keep the phone original until you have checked the result.
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A world transfer does not guarantee that every add-on, experiment, texture pack, or marketplace entitlement will behave identically on another device or version. Update Bedrock on the destination and check the relevant content and account availability. World data and ownership or availability of purchased content are separate.
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The world is damaged or will not load
Do not delete the original. Preserve multiple dated backups, retry from a duplicate, and, for a manual transfer, copy again from the original phone folder. If using Realms, an earlier Realm backup may be available. Avoid editing files inside the world folder or interrupting a long copy/import. No transfer method can guarantee recovery from every corrupted or incompatible save.
Can you keep playing on phone and PC?
Yes, but a downloaded world is a separate local copy, not a live mirror of the phone save. If you play on both, decide which device’s version is the source of truth and deliberately transfer the updated world when switching. Otherwise, each copy can accumulate different progress.
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