If you’ve ever sunk 30+ hours into a 3DS RPG on Citra only to realize you have no clue how to back up your progress, you’re not alone. Thousands of users run into this confusion every month, because save locations aren’t spelled out clearly when you first install the emulator. This guide breaks down exactly where is the saved games on the 3ds citra emulator for every major platform, plus extra tips to keep your progress safe no matter what changes you make to your setup.
Where Is the Saved Games on the 3DS Citra Emulator, By Operating System
If you're looking for where is the saved games on the 3ds citra emulator for Windows, the first place to check is the default AppData path. Windows default save path is usually C:\Users\[Your Username]\AppData\Roaming\Citra\sdmc\Nintendo 3DS\00000000000000000000000000000000\00000000000000000000000000000000\title. Keep in mind the AppData folder is hidden by default, so you’ll need to toggle “Hidden items” on in your file explorer’s view menu to access it.
For Mac users, the process is similar but the path is different. Mac save location is ~/Library/Application Support/Citra/, with the same nested sdmc and Nintendo 3DS subfolders holding your individual game saves. The Library folder is hidden on Mac by default too, so you can access it quickly by holding the Option key while clicking the Go menu in Finder, then selecting Library from the dropdown list.
Linux users will find their saves in the local share folder. Linux save path is ~/.local/share/citra-emu/, again with the same subfolder structure for the emulated SD card. The .local folder is hidden, so you can either enable hidden file view in your file manager or paste the path directly into your address bar to pull it up.
For Android users, the save location varies slightly depending on your OS version. Android Citra save location is usually in Internal Storage > Android > data > org.citra.citra_emu > files > citra > sdmc. If you’re running Android 13 or higher, you may need to grant Citra full file access permission in your device settings to view these files from your default file manager.
How to Pull Up Your Citra Save Folder Directly From the Emulator
You don’t have to dig through hidden system folders or memorize different paths for every operating system to find your saves. Citra has a built-in shortcut that takes you straight to your user folder, no extra steps required. This shortcut is the fastest way to get to your files if you don't want to memorize the path for where is the saved games on the 3ds citra emulator.
To use the shortcut, open your Citra desktop app, click the File menu at the top left of the window, then select “Open User Directory” from the dropdown. This will pull up the root of your Citra installation folder immediately. From there, you just need to open the sdmc folder, then follow the standard Nintendo 3DS subfolder path to find all your individual game saves.
I use this trick all the time when I’m helping friends back up their saves, because it cuts out the hassle of enabling hidden folders entirely. The only catch is this option isn’t available on the Android version of Citra, so you’ll have to navigate the manual file path we listed earlier for mobile installs.
Common Reasons You Can’t Find Your Citra Saved Games
If you checked the default paths we listed and still can’t find your saves, you probably have a non-standard Citra installation. The most common culprit is portable mode. Portable mode Citra installations are popular for users who run the emulator off a flash drive or want to keep all their emulator files in one place. If you downloaded the portable zip version of Citra instead of the full installer, your save files are stored in the same folder as your Citra executable, not in the default system path.
Another common issue is a custom user directory. When you first set up Citra, it gives you the option to choose a custom folder to store all your user data, including saves, ROMs, and settings. If you selected this option during setup, your saves will be stored in that custom folder instead of the default system path. You can check if you have a custom path set by going to Citra’s Preferences > General, and looking for the User Directory field.
Sandboxed store installs are another frequent source of confusion. If you installed Citra via the Microsoft Store, Flatpak, or Snap, these versions run in a restricted sandbox that uses its own hidden file path. The default system paths we listed won’t work for these installs. For example, Flatpak Citra saves are stored in ~/.var/app/org.citra_emu.citra/data/citra-emu/ instead of the standard Linux local share folder.
Simple Rules for Managing Your Citra Save Files Safely
Once you find your save files, it’s smart to take a few small steps to make sure you never lose hours of progress to a glitch, emulator update, or accidental install deletion. These rules are easy to follow and will save you a lot of frustration down the line:
- Back up your entire Citra user folder once every 2 weeks to avoid losing progress from crashes or emulator updates that might reset your settings
- Avoid modifying raw save files with third-party save editors unless you have a separate backup of the original file, since corrupted saves are almost impossible to fix
- Label save backups with the game name and date so you can easily revert to a specific progress point if you run into a glitch or make a choice you regret in-game
- If you switch between desktop and mobile Citra, make sure you’re moving saves for the same game region to avoid compatibility errors that can break your progress
Cloud sync for Citra saves is also a great option if you play on multiple devices. You can move your entire Citra user folder to a cloud drive like Google Drive or Dropbox, then point Citra to that folder on all your devices to keep progress synced automatically. Just make sure you don’t have Citra open on two devices at the same time, or you might end up with conflicting save files that overwrite each other.
You should also always check save file compatibility if you’re downloading saves from other users. Saves for modded games, different game regions, or newer versions of Citra won’t work with your unmodified ROMs or older emulator installs, so it’s best to only use saves that match your exact game and setup.
Finding your save files doesn’t have to be a headache, even if you’re using a less common Citra install or operating system. Now that you know where is the saved games on the 3ds citra emulator, you can back up your progress, move saves between devices, and fix missing save errors without stress. If you still run into issues tracking down your files, you can always ask for help in community spaces for Citra users, where other fans will be happy to walk you through setup specific to your device.
