Minecraft saves screenshots to a folder on your computer, not in the game itself

When you press F12 (on Windows and Linux) or Fn + F12 (on Mac), Minecraft takes a screenshot and saves it to a folder called screenshots inside your main Minecraft folder. The game does not show you a preview or confirmation — the file just appears on disk. You will not find screenshots inside the game's menu or inventory.

The location of this folder depends on your operating system and which version of Minecraft you own. Java Edition and Bedrock Edition store screenshots in different places. If you have played on multiple devices or accounts, you may have screenshots scattered across several folders.

Key Takeaways

  • Screenshots are saved to a screenshots folder inside your Minecraft directory, not stored in the game itself.
  • On Windows, the Minecraft folder is usually in AppData\Roaming\.minecraft, which is hidden by default and requires showing hidden files to see.
  • On Mac, the folder is in Library/process Support/minecraft, and you can reach it by holding Option and clicking Go in Finder.
  • Bedrock Edition (the version on Windows 10/11 and consoles) stores screenshots in a different location than Java Edition, so check both if you are unsure which version you use.
  • Once you find the screenshots folder, you can copy images to your desktop, upload them to Discord or social media, or back them up to external storage.

Finding screenshots on Windows (Java Edition)

On Windows, Java Edition stores the Minecraft folder in a hidden location. Open File Explorer and type this path directly into the address bar: %appdata%\.minecraft. Press Enter, and File Explorer will take you straight to the Minecraft folder. Inside, you will see a folder named screenshots.

If you prefer to navigate manually, you can show hidden files. Open File Explorer, click the View tab at the top, and check the box for Hidden Items. Then go to your user folder (usually C:\Users\[Your Name]), open AppData, then Roaming, then .minecraft. The screenshots folder is inside.

Once you open the screenshots folder, you will see image files named with the date and time they were taken, like 2024-01-15_14.32.45.png. You can right-click any image to open it with your default photo viewer, copy it, or move it elsewhere.

Finding screenshots on Mac (Java Edition)

On Mac, the Minecraft folder lives in a location that Finder hides by default. Open Finder and click the Go menu at the top. Hold down the Option key — the menu will change and show Library as an option. Click Library, then navigate to process Support, then minecraft. Inside, you will find the screenshots folder.

Alternatively, you can use Spotlight to jump there faster. Press Command + Space, type ~/Library/process Support/minecraft/screenshots, and press Enter. Finder will open that folder directly.

Screenshot files on Mac follow the same naming pattern as Windows: date and time stamps like 2024-01-15_14.32.45.png. You can open them with Preview, copy them to your desktop, or drag them into other applications.

Finding screenshots on Windows (Bedrock Edition)

Bedrock Edition (the version that comes with Windows 10 and Windows 11) stores screenshots in a different location than Java Edition. Open File Explorer and navigate to C:\Users\[Your Name]\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.MinecraftUWP_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalState\screenshots. This path is long, but you can paste it directly into the address bar.

Bedrock screenshots are also named with timestamps, but they may appear as .png files. If you have trouble finding them, check that you are looking in the LocalState folder, not the Roaming folder — that is the most common mistake.

What to do once you find your screenshots

Once you locate the screenshots folder, you have several options. You can copy images to your desktop or a folder you check more often. You can upload them directly to Discord, Reddit, or social media by dragging the file into the upload box. You can also back them up to cloud storage like Google Drive, OneDrive, or Dropbox by copying the entire screenshots folder.

If you want to organize screenshots by world or date, you can create subfolders inside the screenshots directory and move images into them. This does not affect the game — Minecraft only looks for images in the main screenshots folder when you take new ones.

Some players also use third-party tools like ShareX or Gyroflow Toolbox to manage and edit screenshots after the fact, but the basic workflow is to find the folder, copy what you want, and move it where you need it.

Troubleshooting: Screenshots not appearing where you expect

If you pressed F12 but cannot find a new screenshot in the folder, check that you are looking in the correct location for your version. Java Edition and Bedrock Edition use completely different folders — if you play Bedrock but look in the Java folder, you will not find anything. Open the Minecraft launcher and confirm which version you are running.

On Windows, make sure hidden files are visible. If you cannot see the AppData folder or the .minecraft folder, go to View in File Explorer and enable Hidden Items. Without this setting on, the folders will not appear even if they exist.

If the screenshots folder does not exist at all, it means you have never taken a screenshot in that version. Create the folder manually by right-clicking in the Minecraft directory, selecting New, then Folder, and naming it screenshots. The next time you press F12, Minecraft will save to that folder.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I change where Minecraft saves screenshots?

Not through the game settings — Minecraft always saves to the screenshots folder in your Minecraft directory. However, you can move the entire screenshots folder to a different location and create a shortcut, or you can regularly copy images out to another folder. Some players use cloud storage sync to automatically back up screenshots as they are created.

Why does F12 not work on my Mac?

On some Mac keyboards, F12 is mapped to volume control by default. Hold Fn + F12 instead, or go to System Preferences, Keyboard, and disable "Use F1, F2, etc. as standard function keys" so F12 works as expected in Minecraft.

Are screenshots stored on my computer or in the cloud?

Screenshots are stored only on your computer in the screenshots folder. They are not automatically uploaded to Minecraft's servers or to any cloud service. If you want to back them up or share them, you have to copy them manually or use a tool like OneDrive or Google Drive to sync the folder.

Can I recover deleted screenshots?

Once you delete a screenshot file, it goes to your Recycle Bin (Windows) or Trash (Mac). You can recover it from there if you have not emptied the bin. If you have already emptied it, recovery is possible but requires data recovery software and is not may provide to work.

Do console versions of Minecraft save screenshots the same way?

No. Minecraft on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation, and Xbox stores screenshots in each console's native screenshot system, not in a Minecraft folder. On Switch, screenshots go to the Album. On PlayStation and Xbox, they go to your console's capture gallery. You can transfer them to a computer via USB or cloud storage, but the process is different from Java or Bedrock on PC.