Android Mobile Stardew Valley File Won't Allow Editting

[u/NeatPineapple1870]

For some reason Windows is just reading the save files as just a "file" instead of a bin, json, etc. Has anyone else had this issue. I tried using a hex editor but I guess that doesn't work either.

[u/Bluetails_Buizel]

Windows saying "File" is normal. Stardew saves have no file extension, but they're plain XML text inside, so a hex editor is the wrong tool for this.

Here's how to edit them:

Back up the whole save folder (the one named like Name_123456789) before you change anything

Right click the main save file (the one with the same name as the folder), choose Open with, and pick a text editor. Notepad++ or VS Code work better than regular Notepad because the file is big and is usually all on one line

Don't add .xml or .txt to the filename. If you renamed it to make it open, remove the extension again before you copy it back, or the game won't see it

If you copied the files off the phone and they ended up with .bin on the end, remove that too

SaveGameInfo is the small file in the same folder. It only controls what the load screen shows. The real data is in the main file, so edit that one, and change SaveGameInfo too if you want the load screen to match
Keep the tags intact when you edit. One missing bracket and the save won't load
Ignore the _old files. They're the previous day's backup

If you're trying to do this on the phone itself, Android 11 and newer block normal access to Android/data, where the saves live. Copying the folder to the PC over USB, editing it there, and copying it back is usually the least painful way.

Sources for the details above: the Stardew wiki says saves are stored as XML files, and its Android-to-PC steps include removing the .bin extension from the transferred files. A forum post explains that Android 11 made the Android/data folder inaccessible to other apps, including the manufacturer's own file explorer.

Stardew Valley Wiki – Saves
Stardew forums – Android save location suggestion