How to delete your Minecraft account permanently
By Otabek Mamadaliev · Sources last reviewed · What this means
How do I delete my Minecraft account?
Minecraft accounts migrated to Microsoft accounts, so there is no separate Minecraft account to delete. Closing the Microsoft account removes Minecraft along with Outlook, Xbox and OneDrive.
There is no Minecraft-only deletion. Mojang account migration ended on 18 December 2023, and Minecraft is now an entitlement on a Microsoft account. Deleting it means closing that Microsoft account — taking Outlook email, Xbox gamertag and achievements, OneDrive files and Office licences with it.
If Minecraft is the only thing you want gone, that is almost certainly not a trade worth making.
Back up your worlds first — they are files on your disk
This is the part worth knowing before you do anything drastic. Java Edition single-player worlds are stored on your own hard drive, not on Minecraft's servers. Closing the account does not delete them; you simply cannot play them until you own Minecraft on a Microsoft account again. Copy the saves folder somewhere safe and a world you spent years on survives whatever you do to the account.
What you probably want instead
- Uninstall the game — the licence stays on the account, unused and harmless.
- Remove the payment method to prevent further purchases.
- Set up parental controls if this is about a child’s play time; Microsoft Family covers screen time and spending.
- Change the gamertag if the concern is being identifiable to other players.
If you really do want the Microsoft account gone
Follow the Microsoft account guide. Microsoft lets you choose a 30-day or 60-day re-open window, and the Minecraft licence is forfeited when it expires — including realms, skins and marketplace purchases.
Starting again is not a clean slate. Buying Minecraft on a new Microsoft account means a new username, which may not be the one you had, and capes and skins tied to a previous Java Edition account are not recoverable. On a multiplayer server you rejoin as a new player at the default spawn with nothing.
Java and Bedrock lose different things
Minecraft is two games sharing a name, and closing the account hits them unevenly. Knowing which one you play decides how much of this actually matters.
| Java Edition | Bedrock Edition | |
|---|---|---|
| Single-player worlds | Files on your own disk — survive | On the device, but tied to the console or store account |
| Marketplace purchases | Not applicable | Licences on the account — lost |
| Skins and capes | Tied to the account — lost | Tied to the account — lost |
| Realms | Subscription ends, world data goes with it | Same |
| Getting back in | Rebuy, copy saves back, play offline worlds | Rebuy, and repurchase marketplace content |
Java players get off comparatively lightly because the important thing — the world you have built for six years — is a folder you can copy. Bedrock players with a marketplace history lose real money.
Cancel Realms before anything else
A Realms subscription is a recurring charge, and the world lives on Minecraft's servers rather than yours. Cancel it deliberately, and download the world first — Realms lets you export a copy, and once the subscription lapses there is a limited window before the data is gone for good.
If you subscribed through a console store or an app store rather than through Minecraft directly, cancel there instead. The same rule as everywhere else on this site applies: the platform that takes the money is the platform that has to stop taking it.
Where to find your Java saves
Worth spelling out, because "copy the saves folder" is only useful if you know where it is:
- Windows: press Win+R and enter %appdata%.minecraft — the worlds are in the saves folder inside.
- macOS: Library → Application Support → minecraft → saves.
- Linux: the hidden .minecraft folder in your home directory.
Copy the whole saves folder, not individual files, and open one of the worlds from the backup before you rely on it. A save copied while the game is running can be incomplete, so quit Minecraft first.
Common questions
Can I delete Minecraft without deleting my Microsoft account?
No. Minecraft is an entitlement on the Microsoft account since Mojang migration ended in December 2023. Uninstalling the game leaves the licence dormant, which is usually what people actually want.
Do I lose my Minecraft worlds?
Java Edition single-player worlds live on your own hard drive, so they survive — you just cannot open them until you own Minecraft on a Microsoft account again. Copy the saves folder before you do anything.
Can I get my old Minecraft username back on a new account?
Maybe not. A new account means choosing a new username and yours may not be available, and capes and skins from a previous Java Edition account are not recoverable.