> Each chapter keeps old copies of itself. Compare any snapshot with the current text, see what changed, and restore it if the rewrite did not work. # ![](/_astro/floppy-disk.APsKBYFA_1MLTeU.webp) Chapter Snapshots Old copies of every chapter, ready to restore Snapshots are version history for the chapters of a novel. Each chapter keeps old copies of itself. Compare any copy with the current text, see what changed, and restore it if the rewrite did not work. * $45 once, no subscription * Windows and macOS * Phone app included * Works offline [Buy NovelOS, $45 once](https://buy.novelos.studio/) [ Download for Free ![](/_astro/windows.BgLZZtb4_jj0G0.webp)Windows | ![](/_astro/apple.DpoFb0IJ_2gqwJ3.webp)macOS | ![](/_astro/android.U0XyjIh__1jgcYB.webp)Mobile ](/downloads/) [ ![The Snapshots dialog comparing a snapshot with the current text: added words highlighted and removed words struck through.](/images/1440/snapshots-compare.webp) Starts at 21:10 ](https://youtu.be/Wrey3NAX75U?t=1270) Part of the 25 minute walkthrough. [Watch the full tour from the start ](https://youtu.be/Wrey3NAX75U) [Watch on YouTube ](https://youtu.be/Wrey3NAX75U?t=1270) ## Keep a copy before a big change Each chapter keeps copies of itself as you work, and you can take one yourself before a rewrite. Pick a copy to compare: added words are highlighted and removed words are struck through. Name a snapshot Type a name and click Take snapshot before a big change. Named snapshots have a filled dot, so they stand out from the automatic ones. A chapter's history Every snapshot of the chapter is listed with its date and how many words the chapter has gained or lost since. Click one to see what changed. Compare a snapshot Each chapter keeps a history of snapshots. Compare one with the current text to see what was added and what was removed. ## Go back without losing the present Restore a snapshot and the chapter returns to that copy. The text you had is saved as a snapshot too, so a restore can be undone. The chapter, restored After a restore, the chapter shows the text of the snapshot you chose. Here it is back at the first draft, three paragraphs long. Nothing is lost The text you had before the restore is kept as a new snapshot at the top of the list. The struck-through lines are what the restore took out, and you can bring them back. Restore a snapshot Restore a snapshot to bring a chapter back to that version. The current text is kept as a snapshot first. ## Good to know * **Snapshots move with the project.** They travel between desktop and phone in the .novelos file, and a backup includes them. * **Name the ones that matter.** A snapshot you take yourself gets the name you type, such as "before cutting the prologue". * **Per chapter.** Going back in one chapter does not touch the others. * **Nothing uploaded.** Snapshots are kept in the project on your own device. ## Related features [See every feature → ](/features/) * [ The manuscript editor ](/features/manuscript/) Write the book in chapters and sub-chapters, with Zen, Typewriter and Vanishing modes and search that forgives typos. * [ Margin notes ](/features/margin-notes/) Comment on exactly the words you select, bookmark a paragraph, and work through every note from one list. * [ The Alchemist, line edits ](/features/the-alchemist/) Select the words you want polished and get suggested rewrites, each with its reason, to accept or ignore. Optional AI. * [ Write by voice ](/features/dictation/) Press Dictate and speak. Your words appear in the chapter with punctuation, and nothing you say leaves your device. * [ The phone app ](/features/mobile-app/) The same studio on iOS and Android with the same licence, and one file that moves a project between devices. ## Common questions ### Is this version control for my novel? Yes, for each chapter. Every chapter keeps old copies of itself that you can compare with the current text and restore. ### Do I have to remember to take snapshots? No. Chapters take snapshots automatically. You can also take one yourself and name it. ### If I restore an old version, do I lose what I have now? No. The text you had is kept as a snapshot when you restore. ### Do snapshots follow me to my phone? Yes. They travel with the project, and both apps can compare and restore them. ### Is it included in the $45? Yes, on Windows, macOS and the phone app, with no AI and no account. ## Guides for revision [Browse all articles → ](/blog/) [ ![](/_astro/exposition-timing-window.C3UFnI9B_Z1bB0dh.webp) Exposition in Motion: Give Readers the Right Fact at the Right Moment Place exposition where readers need it by testing what each fact helps them follow, judge, or reinterpret in the current scene. Read article → ](/blog/exposition-immediate-story/)[ ![](/_astro/blurb-synopsis-story-ledger.DsAU8jL__ZQG7Vc.webp) Book Blurb vs Synopsis: Build Promise and Proof Compare a book blurb with a synopsis, then use a promise-to-payoff ledger to write reader-facing copy and a spoiler-complete submission document. Read article → ](/blog/blurb-vs-synopsis/)[ ![](/_astro/dialogue-tag-clarity.DA55unOs_Z1JwpJY.webp) A Clarity Test for Every Dialogue Tag Test dialogue tags by speaker clarity, reset points, placement, action, and rhythm so readers never need to reconstruct who spoke. Read article → ](/blog/dialogue-tag-clarity/) ### Writing Tips & First Edition Access. Craft guides and product updates in your inbox. No spam, ever · Unsubscribe in one click ## Finish your story. Keep your tools. One payment and it is yours. No subscription, no account, no telemetry. Watch the full walkthrough before you buy. [ Buy NovelOS, $45 once ](https://buy.novelos.studio/) One-Time Payment No Telemetry See It First Releases are logged on the [changelog](/changelog/). What comes next is on the [roadmap](/roadmap/). Both are public and dated.