How to use Canvasola offline — and keep every map safe

Offline-first software sounds simple until something goes wrong. A browser update clears site data, a laptop is replaced, or a file was never exported because the app always seemed to save automatically. The habits in this guide prevent those situations without adding much friction.

Canvasola is a progressive web app. That means the app can be installed like a normal application and can reopen without a network connection after it has been loaded. Your local work is stored by the browser, while a `.canv` project file is a separate, portable copy that you control.

How Canvasola works offline

When you open Canvasola, the browser downloads the application shell and the assets needed to run it. Canvasola’s service worker caches those app resources so the editor can start again without contacting the server. After that first successful load, the core app is available offline.

Local autosave is separate from the offline cache. The app saves the current canvas into browser storage as you work. The “Saved locally” status in the top bar is telling you that this browser copy is current. It is not telling you that a backup file exists.

Install Canvasola in three steps

1. Load the app while connected

   Visit canvasola.com/app and wait until the editor is ready. Open a canvas and let the interface settle. This first visit is what gives the browser a chance to cache the app.

2. Use the browser’s install option

   On desktop Chrome or Edge, use the install icon in the address bar, or open File → Install Canvasola when that menu item is available. On iPhone or iPad, open the Share menu and choose Add to Home Screen. On Android, use the browser menu’s Install app or Add to Home screen option.

3. Launch the installed app once

   Open the installed Canvasola app while you still have a connection. Confirm that a canvas appears and that the app is not asking you to sign in. You are now ready to test offline access.

Installation is convenient, not mandatory. A browser tab can work offline too after it has loaded. Installing gives the app its own window and makes it easier to find later, which matters when you are working somewhere without reliable internet.

Verify offline access before you rely on it

Do not discover an offline problem on a train. Run a short test at your desk.

1. Open Canvasola and create a harmless test canvas.
2. Add one mind-map node or a short text block.
3. Disconnect Wi-Fi or turn on airplane mode.
4. Reload the page, or close and reopen the installed app.
5. Confirm that the canvas appears and that you can still pan, edit and export.
6. Reconnect and remove the test canvas when you are satisfied.

If the reload fails while offline, the first load probably did not complete, or the browser discarded the cached app. Reconnect, open Canvasola again, and repeat the test. Private browsing can also prevent or discard the storage needed for reliable offline use.

What works offline, and what needs a connection

Canvasola does not require an account for local work. That is also why local backups matter: there may be no server-side copy to recover if the browser’s data disappears.

Autosave is protection, not a backup

Autosave is designed to reduce the cost of a mistake: a refresh, a tab crash, or closing the window before you remember to save. It should not be your only copy of work that took an hour to produce.

The current canvas is saved into the browser. Workspace tabs are stored locally too, so the tab set can survive a normal reload. But browser storage is controlled by the browser, the operating system and the person using the device. It can be removed by clearing site data, resetting a profile, using private browsing, or moving to a different device.

Local autosave also does not synchronise between devices. Opening Canvasola on a laptop will not show the canvas you edited on a tablet unless you transferred a project file or used an optional cloud project.

The reliable habit is simple: when a canvas matters, save a `.canv` file. If you use several workspace tabs, save each important canvas separately. The file name can be descriptive and dated, such as research-map_2026-10-20.canv.

Build a backup routine you will actually follow

You do not need a complicated system. You need a rule for when a copy leaves the browser.

• Save a `.canv` file at the end of any session you would not want to repeat.
• Save before opening another project, because opening a file replaces the current canvas.
• Save before clearing browser data, resetting a device or changing browsers.
• Keep the previous version until you have checked the new file opens correctly.
• Store backups somewhere you control: a synced folder, an external drive or a document archive.
• Export a PNG or Markdown copy when someone else needs to read the work without Canvasola.

A useful naming pattern is project-name_YYYY-MM-DD.canv. If you make several versions in one day, add a short suffix such as _v2. The exact format matters less than being able to tell which file is newest and what it contains.

Project files can be up to 50 MB. If a project approaches that limit, the cause is usually embedded images or a very large amount of drawing data. Compress images, split unrelated work into separate canvases, and export a clean copy before the file becomes difficult to handle.

Restoring a project

Open Canvasola, choose File → Open Project (.canv), and select the file. The project replaces the current canvas, so save the current work first if you need it. After the project opens, check the mind map, App Builder frames and camera position before continuing.

To move work to another device, copy the `.canv` file using a USB drive, a synced folder or another file-transfer method, then open it in Canvasola on the new device. The app does not need to be online to open a local project file.

Images, notes and storage limits

Mind-map images must be smaller than 1.5 MB. The limit exists because images are stored with the map so that node thumbnails and drawings still work offline. A full-resolution photo can consume the available storage quickly and make project files much larger.

Before adding an image, resize it to the dimensions you actually need and compress it. A screenshot of a diagram rarely needs to be wider than the display where it will be viewed. If the image is only a reference, consider linking to it in a note instead of embedding a large file.

The same principle applies to the whole project. A mind map with hundreds of detailed nodes, images and drawings is still portable, but it takes longer to load and uses more memory. Separate long-running research maps from short working canvases when they no longer belong together.

Troubleshooting offline access

The app will not open without Wi-Fi

Open Canvasola once while connected and let the page finish loading. If you installed it, launch the installed version and test again. Check that you are not in a private window and that the browser has not been set to clear site data on close.

My latest changes are missing

Confirm you are in the same browser profile and on the same device. Browser storage is local, so a different profile or device has a different autosave. If you saved a `.canv` file, open that file instead. Do not clear site data while trying to recover; it may remove the only local copy.

The installed app looks out of date

Reconnect to the internet and reload the app so the service worker can receive the new version. Close and reopen the installed app if necessary. Your local canvases should remain, but saving a `.canv` project before a major update is still a sensible precaution.

Cloud projects are unavailable

Cloud projects need a connection and an account. Continue working locally; the canvas does not depend on cloud access. When the connection returns, open the cloud dialog and check the project state before assuming a local change was uploaded.

An image will not attach

Check that the file is below 1.5 MB. If it is larger, resize or compress it. Very large images are rejected deliberately to protect offline storage and project portability.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use Canvasola on a plane?

Yes, if the app has already loaded and the offline cache is intact. Local canvases, mind maps, mockups and exports work without a connection. Cloud projects will not.

Does Canvasola sync between my devices?

Local autosave does not synchronise across devices. You can move a `.canv` project file manually, or use the optional cloud projects feature when you have an account and a connection.

How do I back up everything?

Save each important canvas as a `.canv` project file and store those files outside the browser. Canvasola does not provide an automatic “download every tab” archive, so a routine of saving each canvas is the reliable approach.

What happens if I clear my browser data?

Local autosaves and cached app data can be removed. Downloaded `.canv` files and exported images are unaffected because they live in your normal downloads or file storage. This is why the project file matters.

Keep reading: install the app from the browser · install Canvasola on a phone · back up a .canv project file · work offline on a plane