Select World

This feature is exclusive to Java Edition.

 

The Select World menu is one of the game's multiple menu screens. It provides access to the Create New World menu, and lists pre-existing worlds that can be entered, it also provides access to Edit World screen.

When clicking "Singleplayer" on the title screen, the player is brought to this menu if at least one world exists. If no worlds exist, the player is directly brought to the Create New World menu.

A search bar exists above the screen, allowing the player to find any world with a search.

Each world is listed along with some information about the world, such as world name, game mode, and cheats.

Each world includes a world icon, taken as a screenshot a few seconds after creating a world.​^{[more information needed]} The icon can be deleted using "Reset Icon", and retaken with the player's FOV after entering the world again. If a world does not have an icon or because it has been reset, it shows a grayscale pack.png as a fallback.

When opened by clicking the "Singleplayer" button with ␣ Space, the worlds that are incompatible with the current version or were last played in a snapshot version aren't displayed.

Option	Description
	Allows the player to enter the selected world. Clicking the play icon while hovering over a world option or double-clicking on a world functions similarly.
	Brings the player to the Create New World screen.
	Allows the player to edit the selected world, create backups, or optimize the world.
	Deletes the world.
	Opens the Create New World screen with options of the selected world already filled in, such as the game mode or seed.
	Returns the player to the title screen.

There are a total of 6 operations that can be performed from the Edit World screen.

Location	Button	Description
Edit World Screen		The world name is text field visible on the top of the screen. A new display name for the world can be inputted. Note that the name of the world folder does not change.
	Reset Icon	Deletes the world's icon.png file, which allows a new icon to be taken. A new screenshot is taken to become the world's new icon, immediately after entering the world.
	Open World Folder	Opens .minecraft/saves/<SELECTED WORLD>/. This allows quickly accessing folders like datapacks along with all the data for the world.
	Make Backup	Makes a new .zip archive in .minecraft/backups/ with the data of the selected world stored. The file name of a backup follows this format: YYYY-MM-DD_hh-mm-ss_<World Folder Name>.zip. Example: 2020-12-24_13-32-00_My World.zip. This is the world called "My World", it was made on December 24, 2020, at time 13:32 (1:32 PM). The world folder name is the original name of the world given at world creation, not the display name.
	Open Backups Folder	Opens .minecraft/backups/.
	Optimize World	Opens a screen to upgrade the level data of the world to the latest format. Once a world is optimized, it is no longer compatible with previous level formats. There are four options: "Erase Cached Data" erases data like light levels and biome data, which must then be regenerated. Create Backup and Load creates a backup to .minecraft/backups/ and then begin the optimization process. I know what I'm doing! begins the optimization process without making a backup. Cancel cancels the optimization process. After clicking either of the buttons, the optimization process begins. Chunks generated in 1.19 or later are skipped, as they use the current format. The rest of the chunks are reformatted.
	Save	Saves and apply the chosen options.
	Cancel	Cancels the any chosen options and leads back to the Select World Screen.

Java Edition Classic
0.0.13a							Added level saving and loading screens accessible from the pause menu.
							Level saving and loading is cloud-based and available only to players with paid accounts. This form of saving and loading is now nonfunctional when playing older versions.
							There are five save slots.
Java Edition Infdev
20100327							Added "Select World" menu, replacing the save and load level menus as well as the "Generate new level" menu.
							Like the save and load level menus, there are five level slots.
Java Edition Beta
1.3							Added "Play Selected World" button. Each world is no longer a button, but an item in a scrollable list displaying the world name, file name, last time played, file size, and whether it must be converted. Clicking on a world once makes buttons apply to it and double clicking opens it.
							Added "Create New World" button. Worlds are no longer limited to 5 slots.
							Added "Rename" button. Worlds have names set by the player rather than being fixed as World 1 to World 5.
							Renamed "Delete world..." button to "Delete".
1.8			Pre-release				Worlds indicate their game mode
1.9			Prerelease 6				The world file size is no longer displayed.
Java Edition
1.4.2			12w37a				Added "Re-Create" option to the World selection menu.
1.8			?				Changed world items to the top instead of center.
1.9			15w32b				Added world icons.
							Adde Edit World Screen
							When edit world is clicked, the player has two new options: "Reset icon" Allows the player to reset the thumbnail without going into the folder, and "Open folder" opens the folder for the world, under .minecraft.
			15w32c				Changed "Rename" button to "Edit" button.
July 16, 2018							Dinnerbone mentions possible addition of optimize world screen and shows early version of it.
1.13			pre10				Added optimize world screen and option to Edit World.
			release				Added information about upgraded, skipped and total number of chunks.
1.20			Pre-release 1				Changed background texture of Edit World screen.
1.21.9			25w34a				In the world selection screen, worlds names, versions and timestamps no longer overflow the list to the right.[1]
26.1			snap6				Worlds that need to be upgraded will now show Upgrade and Play instead of Play Selected World. The Edit World and Re-Create World buttons are disabled until the world has been upgraded.
							When starting such a world, a new upgrade progress screen will be shown.

This section is a work in progress.

 

Please help expand and improve it. The talk page may contain suggestions.

Legacy Console Edition
Xbox 360	Xbox One	PS3	PS4	PS Vita	Wii U	Switch
TU0	CU1	1.00	1.00	1.00	Patch 1	1.0.0	Added the world selection screen, accessible from the title screen.
							The world selection screen is split into two sections: "Start Game" and "Join Game".
							The "Start Game" section has a list of all existing worlds, and also contains the option to create a new world and to play the tutorial world.
							The "Join Game" section allows the player to join multiplayer sessions hosted by players in their friends list.
					patch 1	1.0.1	Added the World Options menu.
TU5							Added bonus chest option to the Edit World menu.
TU3							The world list is now cached, resulting in faster loading times.
TU5							Added the ability to rename existing worlds in the world selection screen.
TU12							Mash-up worlds are now displayed in the "Start Game" section.
TU13							Added an option to hide mash-up worlds in the world selection screen.[verify]
TU16		1.07					Added the ability to transfer worlds between editions, accessible by pressing / in the world selection screen.
TU25	CU14	1.17	1.17	1.17			The world selection screen has been overhauled.
							Now split into three tabs: "Load", "Create" and "Join". The player can switch between them by using / and /.
							Options for world creation, as well as mash-up worlds, have been moved to the "Create" tab.
							The Minecraft logo has been removed from the world selection screen.
		1.84	2.06	1.84			The ability to transfer worlds between editions has been removed.

Issues relating to "Select World" are maintained on the bug tracker. Issues should be reported and viewed there.

• 
  Select World in Beta 1.2.
• 
  First image of worlds displaying the last played version.
• 
  Prompt to backup a world when loading a new version.
• 
  The "Select World" menu before Java Edition 1.20.5.

• 
  A world's edit screen in Java Edition 1.20.1
• 
  Edit screen in Java Edition 23w13a_or_b

• 
  The World Selection screen in TU0.