How do I install LocalPM and use it offline?

LocalPM can run without an internet connection and can be installed so it opens like any other app. Your data still lives only in your browser, so the same rules about backups apply.

Working offline

Open /tools/localpm/ once while you're online. LocalPM then stores a copy of itself in your browser, so after that it works fully offline. You can open it, reload the page, and keep working with no connection.

While you're disconnected, an Offline badge appears in the LocalPM toolbar. Your changes keep saving to the browser as usual, because LocalPM never sends your data anywhere in the first place.

Installing LocalPM as an app

Installing gives LocalPM its own icon and window. The steps depend on your device, and the exact menu wording varies by browser version, so look for an option with a similar name if yours doesn't match.

• Chrome or Edge on a computer: open LocalPM and select the install icon in the address bar, or use the browser menu's install option.
• Chrome on Android: open LocalPM, open the browser menu, and choose Install app or Add to Home screen.
• Safari on iPhone or iPad: open LocalPM, tap Share, then choose Add to Home Screen.

Where the installed app keeps your data

On computers and Android, the installed app uses the same saved data as LocalPM in that browser. Projects you created in the browser appear in the app, and changes in one show up in the other.

On iPhone and iPad, a Home Screen app keeps its own storage, separate from Safari. Projects you created in Safari won't appear in the Home Screen app, and the reverse is also true. To move them, select Backup and export your data from one, then import the file in the other. See Can I back up or export my LocalPM data?

Updates

When a new version of LocalPM is published, a notice says "A new version of LocalPM is ready." with a Reload button. Select it when you're ready to switch. Updating never touches your data.

Keeping your data in place

LocalPM asks your browser to keep its storage persistent, so the browser doesn't clear it automatically when your device runs low on space. Browsers may grant or decline this. To check, select Backup: the Backup & restore panel shows how much storage the site uses and whether the browser has marked it persistent.

Persistent storage doesn't protect against everything. Clearing this site's data yourself still deletes all your projects. Keep exporting backups regularly.

What doesn't change

Installing or going offline doesn't add accounts or sync. LocalPM is still a single-user tool, and each browser, device, and iPhone or iPad Home Screen app has its own separate data. Read Does LocalPM work offline or across devices? for more.