StreamLive ProThis project is open in another tab: which copy wins
Project open in another tab, or "This project changed somewhere else"? Why StreamLive Pro warns you, and when to choose Reload latest or Overwrite with mine.
The editor saves every change by itself. When the same project is open in two places, two copies save over each other, and StreamLive Pro stops that from happening silently. A banner warns you when the project is open in another tab of the same browser. If the project was saved from another tab or another device after you opened it, your next save is held and you are asked which copy to keep: Reload latest or Overwrite with mine.
Symptom, cause, fix
| What you see | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| A banner at the top: "This project is open in another tab — changes may overwrite each other." | The same project is open in another tab or window of this browser | Close the other tab, then keep working here |
| A window: "This project changed somewhere else", "It was saved from another tab or device after you opened it" | Another tab or device saved a newer version after you opened yours | Reload latest to take the other copy, or Overwrite with mine to keep yours |
| The banner came back after you closed it | You switched project or opened the project again | Close the extra tab; the banner is closed per project |
| Changes made on the phone or a second computer are not here | This tab still shows the version it loaded | Reload the page before you continue |
Steps
- Find the other copy. Look for another tab or window with the editor, and think of a second computer or a teammate's browser that may have the project open.
- Decide which copy has the work you want. Usually it is the one you edited last.
- If this tab is the right one, choose Overwrite with mine. Your held changes are saved over the other version. Then close the other tab, or reload it before you touch it.
- If the other copy is the right one, choose Reload latest. This tab reloads with the newest saved version. The unsaved changes in this tab are dropped on purpose.
- Keep one copy open. Close the extra tabs. The banner goes away by itself once no other tab has the project open; you can also close it with the X.
- Check the save status. Next to the project name the status should read All changes saved. See Undo, history and autosave in the video editor.
Which button to press
| Situation | Press | What happens to the other copy |
|---|---|---|
| You worked here for the last half hour, the other tab was left open by mistake | Overwrite with mine | Its newer save is replaced by yours |
| You edited on a second computer and came back to an old tab | Reload latest | Nothing; this tab takes its version |
| You are not sure | Reload latest, then redo the last few changes | Nothing is overwritten |
| Both copies have changes you need | Reload latest, then add your changes again by hand | Nothing is overwritten |
The two copies are never merged line by line. One of them wins.
How the check works
- Same browser. Tabs of the same browser tell each other which project they have open, and the banner appears within seconds. This check does not see other browsers or other computers.
- Any tab or device. Each save carries the version the tab last saw. If someone saved a newer version in between, the server refuses the save, and the window asks you to choose. This covers other devices and long caption projects too.
- One tab is safe. Saves from the same tab never conflict with each other, even when the timeline and the captions save at the same moment.
What can go wrong
- You pressed Reload latest and lost recent edits. That is what Reload latest does. For captions, a version saved earlier in the Versions tab of the export window may still hold them; see Undo, history and autosave in the video editor.
- You pressed Overwrite with mine in both tabs. The tab that saves last wins. Close one of them first.
- The banner shows with only one tab open. A tab that was closed a moment ago can still be counted for up to about two and a half minutes. Close the banner with the X.
When to contact support
Write to [email protected] if the window appears again and again with only one tab open and no other device. Send the project name, your browser and its version, and the time it happened.
Related: Video editor timeline basics, Edit captions on the timeline.
Frequently asked questions
Can I edit the same project in two tabs?
You can, but they save over each other. Keep one tab per project; the editor warns you when there are two.
Does Overwrite with mine merge the two versions?
No. It saves your copy over the other one. Changes that exist only in the other copy are replaced.
Will I see the warning when the project is open on another computer?
Not the banner, which works between tabs of one browser. When the other computer saves, your next save is held and the window asks you to choose.
What happens to my changes if I choose Reload latest?
The changes in this tab that were not saved yet are dropped, and the tab loads the newest saved version.
Keep reading
Another translation is already running? Your plan's limit on parallel translations is reached. How long to wait, what counts as running, and stuck jobs.
My video export failed (Render failed)Render failed when exporting from the StreamLive Pro editor? What each export message means, from the hourly limit to a missing source video, and how to get the file.
The source video of my project is no longer storedSource video no longer stored in a subtitle project? What you can still open and download, why it happens, and how to get the captions back onto the video.
Could not parse the subtitle file: fixing an SRT importCould not parse the subtitle file? The editor found no timed lines in your SRT, VTT or ASS. The usual causes, how to check the file in a text editor, and the fix.
Want to try it? 7-day trial, no credit card.
Start free