Where Does JOSM Store Preferences and Plugins?
Where JOSM keeps preferences.xml, plugins and tile cache on Windows, Mac and Linux, and how to reset it.
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JOSM splits state into three roots: preferences, user data and cache. The preferences file is the one people edit or delete most. Plugins live under user data. Tiles live in cache.
Paths follow each OS convention, with a legacy dot folder fallback on Linux. Java system properties can override every root, so check startup flags when the files are not where you expect. Flatpak installs use their own container tree. Deleting preferences.xml alone resets options while leaving plugins and cache in place for a faster recovery.
Where JOSM stores this, by platform
C:\Users\[Username]\AppData\Roaming\JOSM\preferences.xml
Preferences file plus plugins subfolder. Tile cache sits separately under Local JOSM cache. Delete preferences.xml to reset settings.
~/Library/Preferences/JOSM/preferences.xml
Preferences file in Preferences. Plugins live under Library JOSM and cache under Library Caches JOSM. Use Go to Folder to reach Library.
~/.config/JOSM/preferences.xml
Respects XDG paths. User data is under .local share JOSM and cache under .cache JOSM. Legacy installs may still use ~/.josm and Flatpak uses its own var tree.
Frequently asked questions
How do I reset JOSM settings without reinstalling?
Close JOSM, then delete or rename preferences.xml in the path for your OS. JOSM writes a fresh default file on next launch. Plugins and cache survive the reset unless you remove those folders too.
How do I install a JOSM plugin by hand?
Drop the plugin jar into the plugins folder for your OS, then enable it under Preferences, Plugins and restart. The folder must match your install type: check the Flatpak variant path if you installed from Flathub.
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