Backups Guide

Set up automatic backups to save your recordings locally and never lose important content.

Understanding Backups

Backups in CocoShot allow you to automatically save copies of all your recordings to a local folder on your computer. This provides an extra layer of security, ensuring that your important recordings are preserved even if something happens to the original files in your browser.

Note: If backups are not set up, CocoShot will still save the most recent recording in your device's memory, but only for the latest recording. For comprehensive protection, we recommend setting up automatic backups.

Benefits of Using Backups

  • Automatic saving of all recordings to your local machine
  • Easy access to recordings without needing to download them
  • Protection against accidental loss of recordings
  • Offline access to your entire recording library
  • Reduced need to manually download each recording

Setting Up Backups

To enable automatic backups:

  1. Open the CocoShot extension popup
  2. Click on the "Gears icon"
  3. Toggle the "Back up recordings" option to enable it

If you don't see the "Back up recordings" option, try reinstalling CocoShot from the Chrome Web Store.

Configuring Backup Location

After enabling backups, you'll be prompted to set up a local backup folder:

  1. Click on Select a folder to choose where recordings will be saved
  2. Choose an appropriate location on your computer with sufficient storage space
  3. CocoShot will create a "CocoShot Recordings" folder at that destination
  4. If you encounter issues with system folders, create a new folder first and select that instead

Granting Permissions

After selecting a folder, you'll be asked to grant permission for CocoShot to access and modify that folder. This is necessary to save recordings. Once granted, you'll be redirected to start recording.

If you prefer, you can click Not now to temporarily disable backups. You'll still be able to recover the most recent recording at any time, but won't have copies of all recordings.

Why the Backup Tab Stays Open

The backup tab remains open to avoid repeatedly asking for permissions. Chrome has a limitation where access to specific system folders persists only while the requesting page remains open.

You can close the tab manually by clicking the "Close tab anyway" button or right-clicking and closing it. However, you may be prompted again for folder access during future recordings.

Managing Backup Storage

Keep in mind:

  • Recordings are saved in WEBM format to preserve quality
  • WEBM files can be played in Chrome or converted to MP4 using various tools
  • Regularly check your backup folder to manage storage space
  • Consider periodically archiving old recordings to external storage

Stopping Backups

To disable backups:

  1. Open the CocoShot extension popup
  2. Click on the "Gears icon"
  3. Toggle the "Back up recordings" option to disable it

You can also stop backups by using the respective button in the backup configuration page.

Troubleshooting Backup Issues

If you encounter problems with backups:

Can't Select a Folder

  • Try creating a new folder first, then selecting it
  • Avoid selecting system folders that may have access restrictions
  • Ensure you have write permissions to the selected folder

Permission Errors

  • Make sure you're granting the necessary permissions when prompted
  • Check your browser's site settings for CocoShot permissions
  • Try restarting your browser if permissions aren't taking effect

Missing Recordings

  • Verify that the backup folder is still accessible
  • Check if the backup feature is still enabled
  • Ensure there's sufficient disk space available

Note: Recordings are backed up as WEBM files only, as the files are not processed. You can play WEBM videos by opening them with Chrome, or convert them to MP4 using any conversion tool.

With backups configured, you can record with confidence knowing that all your content is being automatically preserved to your local storage.