The AppData folder contains application settings, files, and data specific to the programs on your Windows PC. By default, it is hidden in Windows File Explorer and includes three hidden subfolders: Local, LocalLow, and Roaming.
You may not access this folder frequently, but it holds important files, such as your bookmarks, saved sessions, and more.
In this guide, you will learn how to locate, unhide, and access the AppData folder in Windows.
What is the AppData Folder?
Applications in Windows typically store their settings and temporary data in the AppData folder. Each user account in Windows has its own AppData folder. As mentioned earlier, the AppData folder contains three subfolders: Local, LocalLow, and Roaming.
The Local folder is used to store data specific to a single Windows system, meaning the data is not synced across multiple PCs.
The LocalLow folder is similar to the Local folder, but it is used by applications with low integrity that operate under restricted security settings, such as Mozilla Firefox in private mode.
The Roaming folder stores data that is synced across multiple Windows systems. It is commonly used for saving settings such as bookmarks, saved passwords, and similar information.
How to View the AppData Folder
There are two ways to access the AppData folder: you can either navigate to it manually or use the “AppData” variable name.
You can manually access the AppData folder by going to the Users folder on your C drive. For example, in my case, the path is C:\Users\ADMIN.
Next, navigate to the “View” tab at the top and check the “Hidden items” box, as shown below:
You should now be able to see the AppData folder in your User folder.
You can also access the AppData folder directly using the AppData system variable. To do this, search for “Run” in the Windows search bar, as shown below, or press Windows + R to open the Run app.
In the Run app text box, type “%AppData%” and click OK. Windows will open the Roaming folder, which is located inside the AppData folder.
Wrap up
After reading this guide, I hope you are now able to locate the AppData folder on your PC.
Usually, you won’t need to worry about the data inside the AppData folder, which is why it is hidden by default. It is primarily used by application developers to store essential data needed by the applications.
Most everyday Windows users will only need to access or view the AppData folder if they need to back up their application data.