Backups & Version History

Last reviewed: 2026-09-15

Plainva protects your work on two levels: file versions (automatic snapshots of every single file as you edit and delete) and vault backups (regular ZIP archives of the whole vault, stored outside the vault folder). Both run in the background without any setup and can be tuned in the settings under Backup & version history.

File versions (snapshots)

Before every save Plainva stores a snapshot of the previous state — as a plain text copy under .plainva/backups/ inside the vault (this folder is hidden from the file tree, search and sync). To avoid hundreds of copies while you type, a Snapshot interval applies (default: at most one new version every 2 minutes). Deleting always snapshots, regardless of the interval.

Retention (configurable per vault):

• Snapshot interval: On every change / 30 s / 2 min / 5 min / 10 min
• Versions per file: default 100 — above that the oldest are removed
• Maximum age: default 90 days — older versions are removed permanently by a daily cleanup run (“Unlimited” turns this off)
• Large files: above 5 MB only the newest version is kept — see below

When you rename or move a file, its version history moves along with it.

Why large files are treated differently: a 90 MB attachment edited repeatedly could otherwise fill the vault with a hundred copies — nine gigabytes for one file. Above the limit Plainva keeps the newest version instead of the full history, and says so once per vault. Notes and ordinary images are far below it and are unaffected. A deletion is always saved in full, however large the file: the new version of a saved file is still on disk, but a deleted one is gone — there the snapshot is the only way back.

Viewing and restoring versions

Right-click a file in the file tree (or its tab), or use the ⋮ menu at the top right of the editor → Version history… opens the version list — for a note in its own window too, right there:

• The left side lists all snapshots grouped by day, with time and size.
• Restore replaces the current content with the selected version. Don’t worry: the current state is itself saved as a snapshot first — so a restore can always be undone.
• Restore as copy creates the version as a new file next to the original (Name (Version 2026-07-05 14-30).md) without touching it.

Images have versions too (with preview); other binary files can be restored without a preview.

Restoring deleted files

Because every deletion snapshots the file first, Plainva can bring deleted files back: right-click the vault name at the top of the file tree → Restore deleted files… (also reachable from the settings). The list shows all files whose snapshots still exist while the original is gone — Restore recreates the newest state at the original location (folders are recreated as needed), Versions… opens the full history of the deleted file.

Note: deleting a whole folder moves it to the operating system’s trash — for that case the system trash is the primary way back; in Plainva you may only find older snapshots of the contained files.

Automatic vault backups (ZIP)

In addition, Plainva backs up the whole vault as a ZIP file — by default daily in the background (when opening the vault, if the last backup is older than 24 hours). This protects you even if the vault folder itself is lost or damaged, because the ZIPs live outside the vault:

• The default destination is the app data folder (shown under Destination folder in the settings; Open folder takes you straight there).
• Via Choose folder… you can pick an external drive or a NAS instead; Default switches back to the app data folder. If the destination is currently unreachable (NAS off), the status bar mentions it quietly and Plainva retries later.
• Backups to keep (default: 7) caps the count; older ZIPs of the same vault are deleted automatically. Foreign files in the destination folder are never touched.
• Back up now starts a backup manually at any time; the status bar shows the run and its result.

The ZIP files are named VaultName_2026-07-05_14-30-00.zip and contain all notes, attachments and your .obsidian configuration — they do not contain the internal .plainva folder (the search index is rebuilt on the next open; file versions are deliberately not part of the ZIP).

Restoring from a ZIP: the ZIP is a completely normal archive. Extract it anywhere and open the extracted folder in Plainva as a vault — done.

Settings at a glance

Settings → Vault → Backup & version history:

Good to know

• File versions are ordinary copies under .plainva/backups/ — if push comes to shove you can open them without Plainva in any file manager.
• Plainva’s own sync never transfers .plainva. If you sync the vault folder with a third-party client (e.g. the Nextcloud app), the snapshots travel along — that costs some storage but does no harm.
• Sync conflicts are additionally protected via .CONFLICT files (see the FAQ); the version history complements that with the timeline of every file.

On mobile, a failed note save stops switching, reloading or removing the vault. Your input remains queued for another attempt. Notes with the same name in different vaults keep separate pending saves and drafts. A save conflict preserves the affected text; input typed afterwards is then saved separately or preserved in another conflict copy. Both shells order draft-journal writes and removals so a late completion cannot remove a newer snapshot. A failed conflict-copy write does not replace the mobile editor’s text.

A ZIP backup counts as successful only after all selected files were readable and the complete archive was saved. A failed run does not remove earlier archives or change the last successful backup time. On mobile, automatic failures name the vault; Back up now in the vault settings starts another attempt. Hidden user configuration such as .obsidian is included on both platforms. The directories .plainva, .git, .trash and node_modules are excluded at every depth. When several archives are created in the same second, a new filename receives a suffix such as _001.

A save is reported as complete only after the write has been confirmed. Text entered during an ongoing save remains unsaved until its own version is written. Desktop drafts belong to their editor session: completing an old session does not delete a draft from a newly opened editor. When external changes arrive at the same time, Plainva merges compatible changes; conflicting text remains available as a draft and a conflict copy.

Make clear choices when comparing files

Both filenames and locations are visible. Before replacing, the confirmation names the source and destination. If a file changes meanwhile, the comparison reloads.

• Replace current file with conflict copy: This file’s contents will be overwritten: Current file The replacement contents come from: conflict copy The conflict copy will then be deleted.
• Keep both files: This file stays unchanged: Current file The conflict copy is kept as a separate file: conflict copy
• Delete conflict copy: This conflict copy will be deleted: conflict copy This file stays unchanged: Current file
• Decide later

These files belong to different tasks. Recurring tasks with the same title can be separate instances. Both contents are kept as separate tasks.

Keep as separate tasks

A file changed after you opened it. The comparison has been reloaded. Review the current contents and choose again.

Merging line by line is a desktop tool; here you take one version whole or keep both.

Comparing a selected snapshot

The selected version shows added and removed lines against the current note, including when the diff is hidden. On desktop, Open in new window keeps that exact snapshot selected. If it disappears, Plainva reports that it is unavailable. Large files may have no line count; binary files have no text diff. Mobile provides the same counts in the full comparison screen.