Minecraft Backup Guide for macOS

Before installing OptiFine, Forge, or any mod, back up your worlds. Mod conflicts, version mismatches, and bad updates can corrupt save files. A 30-second copy now saves a lot of frustration later.

Choose your OS

Windows macOS Linux

Always back up before changing mods or versions

Switching Minecraft versions or adding mods can permanently change world data. Copy your saves folder first, especially before large updates.

What lives in the Minecraft folder

Everything Minecraft creates — worlds, screenshots, resource packs, shaders, keybinds — lives inside a single folder that varies by operating system. On macOS, that folder is:

~/Library/Application Support/minecraft

1. Open the Minecraft folder

In Finder, press Cmd + Shift + G, paste ~/Library/Application Support/minecraft, and press Enter.

2. Copy the important subfolders

Grab these — at minimum, back up saves:

saves/ — your worlds
resourcepacks/ — texture packs
shaderpacks/ — shader packs
options.txt — keybinds and video settings
screenshots/ — your screenshots

3. Store the backup somewhere safe

Copy the folder onto an external drive, a USB stick, or a cloud-sync folder (Dropbox, OneDrive, iCloud Drive, Google Drive). Keep at least one copy off the same machine.

4. Restore if something breaks

If a mod install corrupts a world, close Minecraft, replace the broken saves folder with your backup, and reopen the launcher. Your worlds return exactly as they were.