How visualOS stores your data

Two layers, one truth

Layer 1 — the app’s working copy. Every edit you make is saved on your device within about half a second, into the browser’s (or app’s) internal storage. That’s why there is no save button — the “Saving… / Saved” indicator in the top bar is all that’s left of the concept. This layer makes visualOS instant and fully offline-capable.

Layer 2 — your connected folder. If you’ve connected a folder, visualOS writes everything into it about a second after each change: one master file plus a human-readable mirror of your folder structure (what’s inside). The folder is the source of truth. When the app starts, it loads from the folder — the internal storage is just a fast cache in front of it.

What that means in practice

• Your files are portable. Copy the folder to another machine, connect it there, and your entire workspace comes along — layout, notes, images, history.
• Sync is just a folder in your cloud. Put the folder in iCloud Drive or Dropbox and your own cloud carries it to your other devices. No visualOS server ever touches it. How to set it up.
• Deleting the app deletes nothing. Your work sits in your folder, in open formats.

Without a connected folder

Everything still works — data simply stays in the browser’s internal storage. Two caveats: it’s invisible (no files you can see or copy), and browsers may clear their storage under pressure or in private windows. visualOS asks the browser for persistent storage and warns you if saving isn’t possible, but our honest recommendation is: connect a folder, or at least export backups regularly.

Built-in safety nets

visualOS is deliberately paranoid about your data:

• Before anything substantial is replaced (a restore, a merge, adopting a newer version), the current state is snapshotted into the hidden .versions folder — restorable in one click.
• If the folder can’t be read safely (offline drive, cloud file not downloaded, damaged file), visualOS refuses to overwrite anything and tells you, rather than guessing.
• If the folder suddenly contains far less data than before, the app asks before loading it.
• If a backup copy can’t be written, the operation it was protecting simply doesn’t happen.