Troubleshooting

Find the message or symptom you see, then follow its fix. Each entry names the exact text Lar shows, why it appears, and what to do. Entries apply to the browser app at app.lar.io unless marked Desktop only.

Protect your notes first

Do not clear site data, choose Erase this browser’s copy and start over, or reinstall until you have read the matching entry. Those actions delete the workspace and its key. If Lar still opens, save your recovery code in Settings → Security and export what you can first.

Lar will not open, or stays on “Opening your workspace…”

“Lar is open in another tab” / “Waiting for that tab to finish. Close it there, or try again.” Another tab holds the workspace. Two tabs normally work side by side; this appears when your browser does not support shared workers, or briefly while another tab starts. Fix: close the other Lar tab or window, then choose Try again.

“Reconnecting to your local workspace…” The tab lost its connection to the local workspace and is reconnecting. Fix: wait a moment. If it changes to Your local workspace could not reconnect., choose Reconnect, then Reload app. If every tab is stuck, close all Lar tabs and open one.

“Lar was updated in another tab. Reload to continue.” Your tabs are running different versions of Lar. Fix: reload the tab.

“This browser won’t remember how you unlock.” You opened Lar in an in-app browser, such as the one inside a chat or social app. Fix: open the page in Safari or Chrome instead.

The workspace is gone the next time you open Lar. Private and incognito windows usually discard site data when they close. Fix: use a normal browser window for your workspace.

Lar asks for a passphrase or recovery code

You forgot your passphrase. Fix: choose I forgot my passphrase and enter the recovery code you saved when you created the workspace. Lar then asks you for a new passphrase.

“Device unlock is not available here.” Some browsers and devices cannot provide device unlock. Fix: protect the workspace with a passphrase instead.

“This browser lost the key to your notes” The browser cleared its site data, so the notes stored here cannot be decrypted. Fix, in this order:

1. If you have a recovery code, choose Use my recovery code.
2. If the workspace was synced to your account, choose Erase this browser’s copy and start over, then Use a pairing or recovery code to bring the notes back.
3. If neither applies, notes that existed only in this browser cannot be recovered.

Creating a new recovery code in Settings → Security makes the previous one stop working immediately. Store the new code before you discard the old one.

Changes show “Saving…”, “Retrying local save…”, or “Offline”

“Saving…” or “Retrying local save…” does not clear. Lar could not finish writing to local storage yet. Fix:

1. Stop editing for a moment and keep the tab open so Lar can retry. Choose Retry now to force another attempt.
2. Check that the device has free disk space and that the browser is not blocking site storage. Settings → Security has tips for keeping the browser from clearing Lar’s storage.
3. Desktop only: check that the workspace folder is writable. Never delete the database’s journal (WAL) files by hand; they can hold committed data.

“Offline” or “Back online” These describe the network only. Local saves keep working offline, and Saved on this device confirms each write.

Sync is offline or degraded

Sync is optional, and Lar keeps working without it. Confirm that ordinary local editing still works, then:

1. Open Settings → Sync and check the Sync mode. For Self-hosted server, also check the Server URL.
2. Read the Connection row. It shows whether the workspace is not connected, connecting, syncing, or connected as your account.
3. For Peer-to-peer, make sure both devices use the same Room, Signaling URLs, and Room password, and are online at the same time. Peer-to-peer refuses to connect without a room password.
4. For Cloud or Self-hosted server, sign in from Settings → Account and check the Devices list.
5. Keep the tab open after connectivity returns so queued changes can send.

To add another device, use Add a device. It shows a one-time code that works once, within 10 minutes. See Configure sync.

An import did not look right

• Items are missing. Read the import report. Images and attachments from some sources are not brought across, and some constructs, such as Roam ((block references)), stay as plain text.
• CSV columns landed in the wrong properties. Re-run the import and check the column mapping before importing.
• Re-importing created duplicates. ICS calendars and Readwise are de-duplicated; Notion and Obsidian imports can create duplicates.

To stay safe with a large archive, import into a spare workspace first and keep the original export unchanged until you have reviewed the result. See Import & export.

AI is unavailable

• Browser and mobile: AI runs through the server’s AI service, and you cannot enter your own provider key. If Settings → AI provider shows Operator-managed AI, the server’s operator must turn AI on.
• Desktop only: open Settings → AI provider, check the provider and key, and choose Test.
• One Object never gets AI help: check whether it is set to Exclude from AI in its ⋯ menu.
• A request stopped: you chose Deny on a consent prompt, or (desktop) a spending cap was reached. The Activity list on the AI provider page shows every request and what happened to it.
• Semantic search is missing: it needs the on-device embedder, which only the desktop app has. Ordinary text search keeps working without it.

See AI assistant & actions.

A shared or published Object will not open

• A published page shows nothing readable. You need the whole address, including the part after #. That fragment carries the decryption key and is never sent to the server.
• A link that used to work stopped. The owner unpublished the page or revoked your access.
• You received a private share invite. Redeem it on the desktop app in Settings → Sync → Redeem an invite. Creating shares and web publications also happens in the desktop app.

Recover something you deleted

Pick the recovery that matches what you lost:

• a deleted Object: Trash (see Layouts and Saved Views);
• an earlier version of a body: Version history;
• a whole workspace: Backup and restore.

Gather diagnostics

Open Settings → About Lar. It shows the version and, on desktop, runtime and encryption details. Where it is offered, Export diagnostics previews and saves a ZIP that never includes notes, Objects, attachments, credentials, or encryption keys.

When you report a problem, include the exact error text and what you did just before it. Remove workspace content, tokens, published links, and local paths before sharing anything publicly.

Next: FAQ.