VRChat saves screenshots to a default folder on your computer, but you can move them to a different location if you want them organized elsewhere

When you take a photo in VRChat, the game automatically saves it to a specific folder buried in your user files. By default, this is usually C:\Users\[Your Username]\AppData\LocalLow\VRChat\VRChat\Screenshots on Windows. If you want your photos to go somewhere easier to find — like your Pictures folder, a dedicated VRChat folder on your desktop, or an external drive — you need to change where the game is pointing.

The process involves editing a configuration file that tells VRChat where to store screenshots. This is not difficult, but it does require you to access hidden folders and make a small text change. The steps below walk you through it in order.

Key Takeaways

  • VRChat stores screenshots in a hidden AppData folder by default, which most people never see unless they go looking for it.
  • You can change the screenshot location by editing the VRChat configuration file with Notepad or any text editor.
  • The new folder you choose must already exist on your computer before you change the setting, or VRChat will not be able to save photos there.
  • After you make the change, restart VRChat completely for the new folder location to take effect.

Find your current VRChat screenshots folder

Before you change anything, you should know where your photos are right now. The easiest way to see them is to open File Explorer and navigate to the hidden AppData folder where VRChat stores everything.

On Windows, open File Explorer and type this path into the address bar at the top: %appdata%\..\LocalLow\VRChat\VRChat\Screenshots. Press Enter, and you will see all the screenshots you have taken. If you do not see any files, it means you have not taken any photos yet in VRChat, but the folder still exists and is ready to receive them.

If you are on Mac or Linux, the path is different. On Mac, look in ~/Library/Application Support/VRChat/Screenshots. On Linux, check ~/.config/VRChat/Screenshots. The steps to change the location are the same regardless of your operating system, but the file paths will differ slightly.

Create the new folder where you want photos to go

VRChat cannot save photos to a folder that does not exist yet. Before you change the setting, you need to create the destination folder on your computer. Decide where you want your screenshots to live — your Pictures folder, your Desktop, a dedicated VRChat folder, or anywhere else — and create a new folder there.

For example, if you want all your VRChat photos in a folder called "VRChat Screenshots" on your Desktop, right-click on your Desktop, select New, then Folder, and name it "VRChat Screenshots". Once the folder exists, you are ready to move forward.

Write down the full path to this folder. On Windows, you can right-click the folder, select Properties, and copy the path from the Location field. You will need this exact path in the next step.

Locate and open the VRChat configuration file

VRChat stores its settings in a file called settings.json. This is a plain text file that contains all your VRChat preferences, including where screenshots should be saved. You need to find this file and open it with a text editor like Notepad.

On Windows, the file is located at C:\Users\[Your Username]\AppData\LocalLow\VRChat\VRChat. Open File Explorer, paste that path into the address bar (replacing [Your Username] with your actual Windows username), and press Enter. You should see a file called settings.json. Right-click it, select Open With, and choose Notepad.

On Mac, open Finder, press Command+Shift+G, and type ~/Library/Application Support/VRChat. Press Enter and look for settings.json. Right-click it and select Open With, then choose a text editor like TextEdit. On Linux, open a terminal and use a text editor like nano or vim to open ~/.config/VRChat/settings.json.

Find and edit the screenshot path setting

Once you have settings.json open in Notepad, you need to find the line that controls where screenshots are saved. Use Ctrl+F (or Command+F on Mac) to open the Find dialog and search for screenshotPath. This will take you directly to the setting you need to change.

You should see a line that looks something like this: "screenshotPath": "C:\\Users\\YourUsername\\AppData\\LocalLow\\VRChat\\VRChat\\Screenshots". The exact path will be different on your computer. Delete everything between the quotation marks and replace it with the full path to your new folder. For example, if you created a folder called "VRChat Screenshots" on your Desktop, the line should read: "screenshotPath": "C:\\Users\\YourUsername\\Desktop\\VRChat Screenshots".

Be careful to keep the quotation marks and the backslashes exactly as they are. If you accidentally delete a quotation mark or change the backslashes to forward slashes, VRChat will not recognize the setting. After you make the change, press Ctrl+S to save the file.

Restart VRChat and test the new location

Close VRChat completely if it is running. The game reads the settings.json file when it starts up, so it will not notice your change until you restart it. Once you have closed the game, launch VRChat again normally.

Take a screenshot in VRChat using the in-game screenshot button or your keyboard shortcut. Then navigate to the new folder you created and check whether the photo appears there. If it does, the change worked. If the photo still appears in the old folder, double-check that you saved the settings.json file correctly and that the path you entered matches your new folder exactly.

Troubleshooting if screenshots are not going to the new folder

If you take a screenshot and it does not appear in your new folder, the most common problem is that the path in settings.json does not match the actual folder location. Open File Explorer, navigate to your new folder, right-click it, select Properties, and copy the exact path from the Location field. Then open settings.json again, find the screenshotPath line, and paste the correct path between the quotation marks.

Another common issue is forgetting to restart VRChat after editing the file. The game only reads settings.json when it starts, so if you made the change while VRChat was running, it will not take effect until you close and reopen the game. Close VRChat completely, wait a few seconds, and launch it again.

If you are still having trouble, make sure the new folder actually exists on your computer. VRChat cannot create folders on its own — it can only save to folders that are already there. If you deleted the folder by accident or typed the wrong folder name, create it again and update settings.json with the correct path.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I change the screenshot folder to an external hard drive or USB stick?

Yes, as long as the drive is connected to your computer and the folder exists on it. Type the full path to the folder on the external drive into settings.json, using the same format as you would for a folder on your main hard drive. Keep in mind that if you disconnect the drive, VRChat will not be able to save screenshots until you reconnect it or change the path back to a folder on your main computer.

What if I cannot find the settings.json file?

Make sure you are looking in the correct location. On Windows, the file is in C:\Users\[Your Username]\AppData\LocalLow\VRChat\VRChat. The AppData folder is hidden by default, so you may need to enable viewing hidden files. In File Explorer, click View at the top, then check the box next to Hidden Items. After that, you should be able to see the AppData folder.

Do I need to move my old screenshots to the new folder manually?

No. Your old screenshots will stay in the original folder. Only new screenshots taken after you change the setting will go to the new location. If you want to move your old photos to the new folder, you can do that yourself by opening both folders in File Explorer and dragging the old screenshots over.

Will changing the screenshot folder affect any other VRChat settings?

No. The screenshotPath setting only controls where screenshots are saved. Changing it will not affect your graphics settings, controls, friends list, or any other part of VRChat. You can change it back anytime by editing settings.json again.

What happens if I type the wrong path in settings.json?

If the path does not point to a real folder on your computer, VRChat will not be able to save screenshots. The game will either save them to the default folder instead or show an error message. Check the path carefully against the actual folder location, and make sure every backslash and letter is correct.