Select World
The Select World[JE only] or Play[BE only] menu is one of the game's multiple menu screens. It provides access to the Create New World menu, and also lists pre-existing worlds that can be entered.
Java Edition[edit | edit source]

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.
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 |
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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. |
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Brings the player to the Create New World screen. |
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Allows the player to edit the selected world, create backups, or optimize the world. |
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Deletes the world. |
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Opens the Create New World screen with options of the selected world already filled in, such as the game mode or seed. |
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Returns the player to the title screen. |
Bedrock Edition[edit | edit source]
The menu is divided into three tabs: "Worlds", "Realms" and "Servers". Clicking "Play" on the main menu brings the player to the "Worlds" tab regardless of whether worlds exist.
Option | Description |
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Returns the player back to the main menu. |
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Opens the "Friends" sidebar which shows online friends and their joinable multiplayer games. |
Worlds[edit | edit source]

This tab lists all worlds by name along with the game mode of the world, the date when the world was last played and the world's file size. Worlds set visible to LAN players in the same local network also appear on this screen.
Option | Description |
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Brings the player to the Create New World screen to create a new world from scratch. |
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Allows the player to select a world template from the Marketplace, and then go to the Create New World screen to create it. |
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Windows devices only: Allows the player to import a world.[1][2] |
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Toggles the visibility of LAN worlds in the world list. |
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Allows the player to edit the world's settings. |
Realms[edit | edit source]

This tab lists all Realms by name along with the world. If the player has a Realm, worlds on the Realm are listed here as well. Unless already subscribed, a button advertising Realms Plus is displayed on top of the list.
Option | Description |
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Shows the player invitations to foreign Realms. |
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Allows the player to join a foreign Realm by invite code. |
Servers[edit | edit source]

This tab opens the server list, where the player can join the featured servers or (except on consoles) join other server by entering a server adress.
Option | Description |
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Brings the player to the Add Server screen to add a new server to the list. |
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Let the player join the selected server from the Servers tab. |
History[edit | edit source]
[hide]Java Edition Classic | |||||||
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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. | |||||||
[hide]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. | |||||||
[hide]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 | |||||
[hide]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. | |||||
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. | ||||||
[hide]Bedrock Edition | |||||||
1.20.30 | Preview 1.20.30.22 | ![]() | |||||
1.20.60 | Preview 1.20.60.21 | ![]() | |||||
1.20.80 | Preview 1.20.80.21 | ![]() | |||||
1.21.30 | Preview 1.21.30.24 | ![]() | |||||
1.21.40 | Preview 1.21.40.22 | ![]() | |||||
1.21.60 | The new Ore UI Play screen is released to the public and is no longer in preview only. |
Issues[edit | edit source]
Issues relating to "Select World" or "Play Screen" are maintained on the bug tracker. Issues should be reported and viewed there.
Gallery[edit | edit source]
Java Edition[edit | edit source]
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Select World in Beta 1.2.
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First image of worlds displaying the last played version.
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Prompt to backup a world when loading a new version.
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The "Select World" menu before Java Edition 1.20.5.
Bedrock Edition[edit | edit source]
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The World Selection screen before v0.7.0.
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World Selection screen from v0.7.0 to v0.8.1.
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World Selection screen in v0.11.0 (Moved the edit button).
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The Realms screen when not logged in from v0.7.0 to v0.7.5.
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The Realms screen when logged in from v0.7.0 to v0.7.5.
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World Selection screen in 1.12.0.
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Importing worlds in 1.2.0.
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Importing worlds in 1.2.0.
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The "Worlds" tab of the "Play" menu before the Ore UI redesign.
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The "Friends" tab of the "Play" menu before the Ore UI redesign.
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The "Servers" tab of the "Play" menu before the Ore UI redesign.
Legacy Console Edition[edit | edit source]
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The World Selection screen in TU0.
See also[edit | edit source]
- Ore UI, the Bedrock Edition UI refresh
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ MCPE-174595 — Missing Export and Import buttons on mobile devices — resolved as "Works As Intended".
- ↑ MCPE-180257 — Missing Export and Import buttons on Chromebooks — resolved as "Works As Intended".
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