How to Delete Minecraft: A Complete Guide for Every Platform

Minecraft runs on just about everything — Windows PCs, Macs, consoles, mobile devices, and more. That's great for players, but it means there's no single "uninstall" button that works everywhere. How you delete Minecraft depends entirely on which version you have and which device you're using.

Here's a clear breakdown of every major platform, plus what actually gets removed when you uninstall.

Why Platform Matters More Than You'd Think

Minecraft exists in two distinct editions:

• Java Edition — the original PC/Mac version, managed through the Minecraft Launcher
• Bedrock Edition — the unified version that runs on Windows 10/11, consoles, and mobile

These are different products with different installers, file structures, and uninstall methods. Knowing which one you have is step one.

How to Delete Minecraft on Windows

Bedrock Edition (Windows 10/11)

Bedrock on Windows is installed through the Microsoft Store, so it uninstalls like any other Store app:

1. Open Settings → Apps → Installed Apps
2. Search for Minecraft
3. Click the three-dot menu and select Uninstall

This removes the game executable, but world saves and settings are stored separately in your user profile folder. If you want a clean removal, navigate to %localappdata%PackagesMicrosoft.MinecraftUWP_8wekyb3d8bbwe and delete that folder manually after uninstalling.

Java Edition (Windows)

Java Edition uses its own launcher. To remove it:

1. Go to Settings → Apps → Installed Apps
2. Find Minecraft Launcher and uninstall it
3. Separately uninstall Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributables if you want a truly clean sweep (optional)

The game files themselves live in %appdata%.minecraft. Uninstalling the launcher does not delete this folder automatically. You'll need to manually delete .minecraft if you want to remove worlds, resource packs, mods, and saves.

💡 Important: If you ever reinstall Java Edition and your .minecraft folder is still there, your worlds and settings will return exactly as you left them.

How to Delete Minecraft on Mac

For Java Edition on macOS:

1. Drag the Minecraft app from your Applications folder to the Trash
2. Empty the Trash

Game data is stored separately in ~/Library/Application Support/minecraft. This folder survives the app deletion. To fully remove everything, delete that folder too. You can access it by pressing Cmd + Shift + G in Finder and typing the path.

How to Delete Minecraft on Mobile 📱

Android

1. Long-press the Minecraft icon on your home screen or app drawer
2. Select Uninstall (or drag to the Uninstall zone at the top of the screen)
3. Confirm

Game data and worlds may remain in your device's internal storage under Android/data/com.mojang. Some Android versions restrict direct access to this folder, but a file manager app with elevated permissions can reach it.

iPhone and iPad (iOS)

1. Long-press the Minecraft icon until the menu appears
2. Tap Remove App → Delete App
3. Confirm

On iOS, this typically removes the app and its associated data at the same time, which is more thorough than most Android uninstalls by default.

How to Delete Minecraft on Consoles

On consoles, save data is typically stored separately from the game installation. Deleting the game usually does not delete your worlds. To remove save data on PlayStation, go to Settings → Storage → Saved Data. On Nintendo Switch, go to System Settings → Data Management → Delete Save Data. Xbox cloud saves are tied to your Xbox account and persist unless manually deleted.

What Actually Gets Deleted — and What Doesn't

This is where a lot of players get caught off guard. Uninstalling Minecraft rarely removes everything:

• The game executable — always removed by a standard uninstall
• World saves — often stored separately; survive most uninstalls on PC and console
• Screenshots and resource packs — stored in game data folders; usually survive on PC
• Mods and custom content — stored in the same data folders; survive on PC unless manually deleted
• Account credentials and purchases — never deleted locally or from your Microsoft/Mojang account; your license persists

If your goal is to free up disk space completely, the data folders matter almost as much as the game itself. Java Edition's .minecraft folder can grow quite large over time — especially if you've used mods or resource packs.

Reinstalling After Deletion

Because your Minecraft license is tied to your Microsoft account (or Mojang account for older Java licenses), you can always reinstall for free. Deleting the game does not cancel or remove your purchase. On PC, re-download the launcher from minecraft.net. On consoles and mobile, reinstall through the relevant store using the same account.

The Variables That Change Everything

How "complete" your uninstall needs to be depends on factors that vary significantly from one user to the next:

• Whether you're troubleshooting vs. permanently removing the game
• How much storage you're trying to recover and whether world saves are worth keeping
• Which edition you have — Java and Bedrock handle file storage very differently
• Whether mods are involved — modded Java installations sometimes scatter files across multiple directories
• Your OS version — older Windows versions and newer ones handle app permissions and folder access differently

A straightforward "I want to free up space" situation looks nothing like "I need to completely wipe the game because of a corrupted installation." Both start with the same uninstall step, but what comes after depends entirely on what you're trying to accomplish.