Guide·6 min read

How to Back Up Your Minecraft Bedrock World (Before Installing Any Addon)

Every week someone messages us after an addon, an update or an experiment went wrong on a world they had spent months on. In almost every case, a backup would have fixed it in under a minute. This guide shows you three ways to back up a Bedrock world and how to bring one back.

Method 1: Export as a .mcworld file (phone and PC)

This is the best backup because it creates a single file you can keep anywhere, including Google Drive or a USB stick.

On the world list, tap the pencil (edit) icon next to your world.
Scroll to the bottom of the Game settings.
Tap Export World and choose where to save the file.

You now have a .mcworld file. It includes the world and the packs that were applied to it.

Save the file somewhere other than the phone itself, such as Google Drive, iCloud or your PC. A backup on the same device does not help if the device is lost or reset.

Method 2: Copy the world (every platform, including consoles)

Consoles cannot export files, but every platform can duplicate a world.

Open the world's edit screen.
Scroll to the bottom and tap Copy World.
Rename the copy to something like "Survival backup 27 Sep".

Use the copy as a test world for new addons, and only touch the original once you are sure everything works.

Method 3: Upload to a Realm slot

If you have Realms, spare world slots make excellent cloud backups. Upload the world to an empty slot and leave it there. You can download it again on any device, even after changing phones.

How to restore a backup

From a .mcworld file

Tap the file (or open it with Minecraft). The game imports it as a new world, so it will never overwrite your current save. Check it, then delete the broken version if you want.

From a copy

Just play the copy. Delete the broken original and rename the copy if you like.

From a Realm

Open the Realm settings and download the world slot to your device.

A simple backup habit

Back up before adding or updating any addon.
Back up before a big Minecraft update.
Back up before turning on cheats or experiments.
Keep the last two or three backups, and delete older ones to save space.

Backed up? Now you can try new addons without the worry.

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