Delete a world by selecting it and pressing the delete button

The fastest way to delete a Minecraft world is to open the world selection screen, highlight the world you want to remove, and press the delete key. On Java Edition, this is the Delete key on your keyboard. On Bedrock Edition (Windows 10, Xbox, mobile), you highlight the world and press the X button on controller or tap the trash icon on screen. The game will ask you to confirm — select yes, and the world folder is gone.

This method works whether you created the world yourself or downloaded it from another player. Once you confirm deletion, Minecraft removes the entire folder, including all builds, inventories, and progress in that world. There is no undo button, so make sure you want the world gone before you confirm.

Key Takeaways

  • Java Edition deletes worlds by highlighting them in the world list and pressing the Delete key, then confirming the prompt.
  • Bedrock Edition (Windows 10, Xbox, mobile) uses the X button on controller or a trash icon on touchscreen to delete worlds.
  • Deletion is permanent and removes the entire world folder, so back up any world you might want later before deleting.
  • You can also delete worlds by finding the world folder in your computer's file system and deleting it manually, though the in-game method is safer.

How to delete a world in Java Edition

Open Minecraft Java Edition and click "Singleplayer" from the main menu. You will see a list of all your worlds with their names, the game mode (Survival, Creative, Hardcore), and the last time you played them. Click once on the world you want to delete to highlight it.

Once the world is highlighted, look for the "Delete" button at the bottom right of the screen. Click it. Minecraft will show a confirmation message asking "Are you sure?" with two buttons: "Cancel" and "Delete World". Click "Delete World" to remove it permanently. If you change your mind, click "Cancel" and you will return to the world list with the world still there.

How to delete a world in Bedrock Edition

Bedrock Edition runs on Windows 10, Windows 11, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation, and mobile devices. The deletion process is slightly different on each platform, but the idea is the same: find the world in your list and select the delete option.

On Windows 10 or 11, open Minecraft and go to "Play". You will see your worlds listed. Hover over the world you want to delete and an X button will appear in the top right corner of that world's tile. Click the X. A menu will pop up asking you to confirm. Select "Delete" and the world is removed.

On Xbox, highlight the world with your controller, press the X button, and select "Delete" from the menu. On Nintendo Switch, do the same with the X button on your controller. On mobile (iOS or Android), tap and hold the world, then tap the trash icon that appears. Confirm the deletion, and the world is gone.

Back up a world before you delete it

If you have spent a lot of time building in a world and think you might want it back later, copy the world folder to another location before you delete it. This is your backup — if you change your mind in a week or a month, you can restore it.

On Java Edition, world folders are stored in your .minecraft folder. On Windows, this is usually at C:\Users\[Your Username]\AppData\Roaming\.minecraft\saves. On Mac, it is at ~/Library/process Support/minecraft/saves. On Linux, it is at ~/.minecraft/saves. Find the folder with your world's name, right-click it, and select "Copy". Paste it somewhere safe, like a Documents folder or an external drive.

On Bedrock Edition, the process is more complicated because world files are stored in a protected system folder. The easiest method is to use Minecraft's built-in export feature: highlight the world, select "Edit World", and look for an "Export World" option. This creates a file you can save and share. You can later import this file back into Minecraft if you want to restore the world.

Delete a world manually from your computer's file system

You can also delete a world by finding its folder on your computer and deleting it like any other folder. This method works on Java Edition and Bedrock Edition, though it is riskier because you are working outside the game.

On Java Edition, navigate to your .minecraft/saves folder (see the paths above). Find the folder with your world's name, right-click it, and select "Delete". Confirm the deletion. The world will no longer appear in your Minecraft world list.

On Bedrock Edition for Windows 10 or 11, the world files are in a protected folder that is harder to access. You can try navigating to C:\Users\[Your Username]\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.MinecraftUWP_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalState\games\com.mojang\minecraftWorlds, but this method is not recommended for most players because the folder structure is complex and it is straightforward to delete the wrong thing. Use the in-game delete method instead.

What happens when you delete a world

When you delete a world in Minecraft, the game removes the entire world folder from your computer. This includes the world data file, all your builds, your inventory, your progress, any mods or resource packs you installed for that world, and any custom settings you changed. Nothing is saved or moved to a trash bin — it is gone.

If you have not backed up the world, there is no way to recover it. Minecraft does not have a "restore from backup" feature, and the deleted files cannot be recovered through normal means. This is why backing up important worlds before deletion is a good idea.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I recover a world after I delete it?

No, deletion in Minecraft is permanent. Once you confirm the deletion, the world folder is removed and cannot be recovered through the game. If you backed up the world folder before deleting it, you can restore it by copying the backup back into your saves folder. Without a backup, the world is gone.

Will deleting a world free up space on my computer?

Yes. Large worlds with many builds can take up several hundred megabytes or even a gigabyte of storage. Deleting the world folder removes all that data and frees up the space. If you are running low on storage, deleting old worlds you no longer play is one way to make room.

Can I delete a world while I am playing in it?

No. You must exit the world and return to the world selection screen before you can delete it. If you try to delete a world while it is open, Minecraft will not let you. Close the world first, then go to the world list and delete it from there.

What is the difference between deleting a world and resetting it?

Deleting removes the world entirely. Resetting (which Minecraft does not have a built-in feature for) would mean clearing all the blocks and returning the world to a blank state while keeping the world file. If you want to start fresh in the same world, you would need to delete it and create a new one with the same name.

Do I need to uninstall mods before I delete a world?

No. Mods are separate from world files. Deleting a world does not uninstall mods, and uninstalling mods does not delete your worlds. However, if you installed mods specifically for one world and no longer use them, you can uninstall them separately to free up space.