Where your Minecraft screenshots are saved depends on which edition you play. In Java Edition, press F2 to take a screenshot, and then press Windows logo key + R, type %appdata%\.minecraft\screenshots and select OK to open the folder. In Bedrock Edition, press F2 or select the camera button in the pause menu. You can view those screenshots in the game’s screenshot gallery, and the files are in a com.mojang\Screenshots folder under %appdata%\Minecraft Bedrock\Users.
Applies to: Windows 11, Minecraft: Java Edition and Minecraft: Bedrock Edition. Checked against Minecraft’s own guide and the Minecraft Wiki on September 30, 2026.
Which edition do you play?
The two editions save screenshots in different places, so check this first.
- Java Edition runs from the Minecraft Launcher as Minecraft: Java Edition. It’s the PC edition that supports mods.
- Bedrock Edition is listed as Minecraft for Windows in the Minecraft Launcher and in the Microsoft Store. It’s the same edition used on consoles and phones. If you open the launcher often, you can put a Minecraft shortcut on the Windows 11 desktop.
If you play both, you’ll have two separate screenshot locations.
Take a screenshot in Java Edition
Press F2 while you’re playing. On many laptops the function keys control brightness or volume, so press Fn + F2 instead.
A message appears in the chat with the file name. Select the file name to open the picture straight away. Press F1 first if you want to hide the hotbar, health bar and other on-screen elements.
Java saves each screenshot as a PNG file named with the date and time, such as 2026-09-29_18.03.55.png. If you take two in the same second, the second one gets _1 added to its name.
To change the key, go to Options > Controls > Key Binds and look for Take Screenshot under Miscellaneous.
Open the Java Edition screenshots folder
- Press Windows logo key + R to open Run.
- Type %appdata%\.minecraft\screenshots and select OK.
File Explorer opens the folder. Its full path looks like C:\Users\Alex\AppData\Roaming\.minecraft\screenshots, with your own user name in place of Alex. The AppData folder is hidden by default, which is why typing %appdata% is the quickest way in.
You can also get there from inside the game. Select Options > Resource Packs > Open Pack Folder, and then go up one level to the .minecraft folder, where you’ll find screenshots.
If you use more than one installation: in the Minecraft Launcher, select Installations, point to the installation you use, and select the folder icon. If you gave that installation its own game directory, it has its own screenshots folder.
Find screenshots in Bedrock Edition
In Bedrock Edition, press F2 while you’re in a world, or press Esc and select the camera button in the pause menu. Screenshots work only when you’re signed in with a Microsoft account, and they can’t be taken from a menu screen.
To view them in the game: open your Profile and go to the screenshot gallery. From there you can open a screenshot full screen, share it, or use it as a world thumbnail.
To find the files:
- Press Windows logo key + R, type %appdata%\Minecraft Bedrock\Users and select OK.
- Open the folder with a long number as its name. That’s your account’s folder. (The Shared folder is used when nobody is signed in.)
- Open games > com.mojang > Screenshots, and then the numbered folder inside it.
Each screenshot is a JPEG file with a long random name. You’ll also see small .json and .mc files with the same names. Leave those in place, because the game needs them to show the screenshot in the gallery. To keep a copy somewhere else, copy the .jpeg file rather than moving it.
On an older version: before version 1.21.120, Bedrock kept its files in %localappdata%\Packages\Microsoft.MinecraftUWP_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalState\games\com.mojang. If the new path doesn’t exist on your PC, update Minecraft or look there instead.
Use Game Bar screenshots instead
Windows 11 can take screenshots of any game with Xbox Game Bar. Press Windows logo key + Alt + Print Screen while Minecraft is running, or press Windows logo key + G and select the camera button. These screenshots are saved to Videos > Captures in your user folder, as PNG files named after the game.
This works in either edition and includes everything on screen. For other ways to capture your screen, see how to take a screenshot in Windows 11.
If you can’t find your screenshots
- The folder doesn’t exist. You may be looking in the other edition’s location. In Java, the screenshots folder may not appear until you take your first screenshot.
- Pressing F2 does nothing. Try Fn + F2, or check the key under Key Binds in Java. In Bedrock, make sure you’re signed in and playing in a world, not in a menu.
- You can’t see AppData in File Explorer. Type %appdata% in the File Explorer address bar or in Run, or show hidden folders in Windows 11.
- Java screenshots are missing from .minecraft. Check whether your installation uses a different game directory, as described above.
Frequently asked questions
What format are Minecraft screenshots?
Java Edition saves PNG files. Bedrock Edition saves JPEG files. Game Bar saves PNG files.
Can I change where Java Edition saves screenshots?
Not on its own. Screenshots always go into the screenshots folder of the game directory, so the only way to move them is to change the installation’s game directory in the Minecraft Launcher.
Do screenshots take up much space?
Each one is usually a few hundred kilobytes to a few megabytes, depending on your screen resolution. You can delete old Java screenshots from the folder at any time. Delete Bedrock screenshots from the in-game gallery so the game stays in sync.
Where are my Minecraft worlds saved?
In a different folder for each edition. See where Minecraft saves worlds on Windows 11.
Next steps
Minecraft explains how to take screenshots on every platform in its Screenshotting Guide.
Matt Jacobs has been working as an IT consultant for small businesses since receiving his Master’s degree in 2003. While he still does some consulting work, his primary focus now is on creating technology support content for SupportYourTech.com.
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