How to Enable Autosave in Blender

Blender features built-in automated backup tools designed to protect your 3D projects from accidental data loss, software crashes, or power failures. This article provides a quick guide on how to enable Blender's autosave functionality, customize the save interval, and recover automatically saved files when needed.

Steps to Enable Autosave in Blender

  1. Open Blender Preferences: Click on Edit in the top menu bar and select Preferences from the drop-down menu.

  2. Access the Save & Load Settings: In the Preferences window, select the Save & Load tab from the left sidebar.

  3. Turn On Auto Save: Look for the Auto Save section. Check the box labeled Auto Save Temporary Files to enable the feature.

  4. Adjust the Autosave Interval: Set the Timer (mins) field to your desired frequency. The default setting is usually 2 minutes, meaning Blender will automatically save a backup copy of your file every two minutes.

  5. Save Preferences: Blender automatically saves preferences by default. However, to ensure your settings persist across future sessions, click the menu icon (three horizontal lines) in the bottom-left corner of the Preferences window and select Save Preferences.

How to Recover an Autosaved File

If Blender crashes or closes unexpectedly before you can manually save your progress, you can restore your work using the autosaved file:

  1. Open Blender.
  2. Go to File > Recover > Auto Save...
  3. A file browser window will open, displaying your temporary directory. Locate the file corresponding to your project (usually named with numbers or your project name followed by a .blend extension).
  4. Select the file and click Recover Auto Save.
  5. Immediately save the recovered file to your desired project folder using File > Save As.