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Locating Undertale's file0 and undertale.ini

Updated 2026-10-28 · 4 min read

Undertale keeps its save in a hidden folder called com.tobyfox.undertale. Here is how to open it, what each file does, and how to back up or reset without losing anything.

The location

Undertale's save and settings files on a Mac are in this folder:

~/Library/Application Support/com.tobyfox.undertale/

The Undertale Wiki and PCGamingWiki give the same Mac path, and neither lists a different folder for the Steam, GOG or Humble builds. It sits inside your hidden Library folder. In Finder, choose Go > Go to Folder (⇧⌘G), paste it and press Return, or hold ⌥ with the Go menu open and pick Library. In Terminal:

open ~/Library/Application\ Support/com.tobyfox.undertale

If the folder is missing, the game has not written anything yet on this account. Play to the first SAVE point.

What the files are

The Undertale Wiki documents these names:

File	What it is
file0	Your SAVE. Using a SAVE point writes the state of the world here, and this is what loads when you start the game
file9	The autosave the game reloads after a Game Over. It writes it at hidden checkpoints and copies file0 into it whenever you load
file8	Created when Flowey absorbs the six human SOULs near the end of a Neutral run. It survives a True Reset
undertale.ini	Records the game keeps across runs and ordinary resets. A True Reset erases most of it
system_information_962, system_information_963	Present only after a Genocide Route: the first is written when the world is erased, the second after you give up the SOUL

There is one SAVE per user. The files are game data meant for the game, so copy them rather than editing them. If you see files not listed here, keep them with the rest.

Back up your save

Quit Undertale first so nothing is written during the copy. Then:

1. Open the folder with the commands above.
2. Go up one level and select com.tobyfox.undertale.
3. Hold ⌥ and drag it to your Desktop, so Finder copies instead of moving.

Rename the copy with a date. To restore, quit the game, move the current folder aside rather than deleting it, and copy your backup back in under the original name.

Resetting the game

The game has its own options first. Reset on the start menu erases most of your SAVE (your LV, EXP and progress) but keeps a few things, such as the name. True Reset appears only after the True Pacifist ending and clears most of undertale.ini as well.

For a completely fresh start, the wiki describes clearing the save folder. Do it safely:

1. Quit Undertale.
2. Back up the folder as above.
3. Drag the files out of the folder to a new folder on your Desktop (move, do not delete).
4. Start the game. It begins as if it were the first time.

Putting the files back restores everything.

After a Genocide run

The Genocide ending is stored in the two system_information files, which is why neither Reset nor True Reset removes it. The wiki's ways out are the in-game offer at the end, clearing the whole folder as above, or moving just system_information_962 and system_information_963 out of the folder, which removes the Genocide effects and leaves the rest of your progress.

The wiki adds a warning for the Steam version: Steam's cloud backs up system_information_962 and puts it back if you delete it. PCGamingWiki says that only happens on Windows, where the Steam build writes those files into Steam's own folder, and that the Mac build was not tested. If a removed file reappears on your Mac, that is the likely reason. The wiki also says GOG players using GOG Galaxy may need to turn off its cloud saving first.

Moving a save to another Mac

Install Undertale on the new Mac and run it once so the folder exists. Quit, then copy the contents of your backup into com.tobyfox.undertale. Saves from a Windows PC use the same file names, but the developer does not document them as interchangeable, so test with a copy and keep your original.

Steam and cloud saves

Undertale does not use Steam Cloud for its save files. Steam's store page lists no Steam Cloud support for it, and PCGamingWiki describes Steam Cloud as limited to the two Genocide files on Windows. So a backup you restore on a Mac stays as you put it, and the folder above is the only copy of your progress unless you back it up yourself. GOG Galaxy does offer cloud saves for the game.

When the folder is empty or the save is missing

• No folder at all: the game writes its first files at a SAVE point, so reach one and look again.
• Folder exists but file0 is missing: you have not saved on this run, or a reset moved the files out. Check the copy you made on your Desktop.
• Settings or endings forgotten: undertale.ini was cleared by a True Reset or moved out with the rest.

Whatever you do, work on copies and keep the original backup until the game has loaded and shown your progress.

Why a normal search misses it

~/Library is left out of Spotlight and Finder searches, and the files are named file0 and file9, not after Undertale, so typing the game's name finds nothing.

Finding the save folder next time

Typing undertale.ini into Everywhere lists the file inside com.tobyfox.undertale; press ⌘↵ to reveal the folder in Finder. Everything here sits in Application Support, which is scanned without extra permission. It matches names only, so it cannot tell you which route a save is on.

Common questions

Where is the Undertale save file on Mac?

In ~/Library/Application Support/com.tobyfox.undertale/. Your SAVE is file0, the Game Over autosave is file9, and undertale.ini holds records that carry across runs.

How do I reset Undertale on a Mac?

Use Reset on the start menu, or True Reset after the True Pacifist ending. For a completely fresh start, quit the game, back up the folder, then move its files out so the game starts as new.

How do I undo a Genocide run on Mac?

The Undertale Wiki says moving system_information_962 and system_information_963 out of the save folder removes the Genocide effects. Quit the game and back up the folder first.

Does Steam Cloud back up Undertale saves?

No. Steam lists no Steam Cloud support for Undertale and PCGamingWiki says it is not used for save data, so back up com.tobyfox.undertale yourself. GOG Galaxy does offer cloud saves.