What do Folio's "changes need attention", conflict and offline messages mean?

Last reviewed November 4, 2026

Nothing you wrote is lost. When Folio can't save a change, or the same scene was edited on two devices, it keeps your text on this device and asks what you want to do. Open the message, read your text and the other version, and choose which to keep.

Start with the indicator

The status in the top bar shows one of: all changes saved, saving…, offline — will retry, couldn't save — retry, or a count such as 2 changes need attention. Select the count to open the Changes that need attention panel. It says that these changes are saved on this device and nothing is lost until you choose to discard it.

"This scene was changed somewhere else"

What it means: the scene was saved from another tab or device while you were writing here. Nothing has been overwritten, and autosave for that scene is paused until you choose.

What to do: choose one of three buttons.

• Keep both saves the other version as a new scene next to this one, so no words are lost. This is the safest choice if you aren't sure.
• Keep what I wrote here keeps your version. The other version is kept in the scene's history.
• Use the other version switches to the saved version. What you wrote is kept in the scene's history.

Either way, you can find the text you didn't pick under the scene's Version history. See how history works.

A change "needs attention" because it was refused

What it means: the server refused the change, and the panel shows the reason beside your own text.

What to do: choose Try again once you've dealt with the reason (for example, being under your project limit). Choose Copy my text to keep your words somewhere else. Choose Discard only if you really don't need it; Folio asks you to confirm with Yes, discard it.

"You're offline"

What it means: this device can't reach Folio. With Premium's offline writing on, you can open your projects and keep writing, and what you write is saved on this device and sent when you're back online. The notice also tells you how many changes are waiting to send. Select Check connection to try again.

"You were signed out of Folio"

What it means: your session ended while changes you wrote offline were still on this computer. Sessions can end when they expire, when the account's password is changed, or when the account is removed elsewhere.

What to do: sign in as the same account (the notice names your handle) and the changes are sent. The notice also lets you download them as a file, or, after a confirmation, remove them. Nothing is deleted on its own.

"Offline writing has ended for this account"

What it means: the account is no longer Premium (for example after a refund), or offline writing has been paused. Folio sends what you wrote offline and then removes the offline copy. A banner appears only if some changes were refused, and it offers your words back to download before anything is removed.

"Your browser cleared the offline copy" or "out of storage space"

• Browser cleared the offline copy: Folio fetches it again from your account. If changes you wrote offline hadn't been sent, Folio tells you how many and asks you to check your latest scenes. If none were waiting, nothing is lost.
• Out of storage space: this computer has no room, so offline writing can't save here. While you're connected, Folio saves straight to your account. Free up space to keep writing offline.

"We found writing from your last visit"

What it means: the connection dropped and the tab closed before a scene reached the server. Folio found the text on this device and put it back. It's saving now. You don't need to do anything.

How to avoid conflicts

Let the indicator say all changes saved before you switch devices or open the same scene in another tab. Writing the same scene in two places at once is what causes a conflict.

Still stuck?

Use the Help button in the top bar of the app. Tell us what happened, what you expected and the steps you took, and attach up to three screenshots. If you can't sign in, email us.