> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://www.tella.com/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Recover a cancelled or errored recording

> My recording was cancelled, crashed, errored, or failed before it saved and it never made it to my library or the Trash. How to recover a recording that didn't finish — browser crash, tab closed, app quit, network dropped, upload stuck. Don't delete it, don't clear site data, keep the desktop app installed.

This guide is for a recording that **never became a finished video** — it was cancelled, the app or tab closed, the recorder crashed, the network dropped, or it errored out before it saved. Because it never finished, it won't be in your library and it **won't be in the Trash** either.

<Note>
  Looking for a video that you deleted? Deleted videos go to the **Trash** for 30 days — see [How can I recover a deleted video?](/help/account/recover-deleted-video). To bring back a single clip you removed from the timeline, see [How can I recover a deleted clip?](/help/recording/recover-a-deleted-clip). This page is only for recordings that **never finished saving**.
</Note>

## Do these things right now

A recording that didn't finish can almost always still be recovered — as long as the original recorded data still exists. Before you do anything else:

<Warning>
  **Don't delete the recording.** Deleting a stuck or cancelled recording is the one action that can make it permanently unrecoverable.
</Warning>

* **Don't clear your browser site data, cookies, or storage** if you recorded on the web app or Chrome extension. The in-progress recording data can live in your browser's storage, and clearing it removes the source we'd recover from.
* **Keep the desktop app installed** if you used the Mac or Windows app. Don't uninstall it and don't delete its files — the local recording on your machine is what makes recovery possible.
* **Leave the recorder open** if it's still open. Closing it won't help and may stop an upload that's still trying to finish.

The sooner you reach out, the better the odds — recovery depends on the source data still being present.

## Find your recording's local files (Mac app)

The Mac app keeps the recorded files on your computer, which is what we use to recover a recording that didn't finish uploading.

1. Open the Tella Mac app.
2. In the **menu bar**, go to **Help → Open Video Folder**.
3. This opens the folder where Tella stores your recordings. Take a **screenshot** of this folder (or note the files inside) to send to support.

<Tip>
  Don't move, rename, or delete anything in this folder before contacting support — these files are the source we recover from.
</Tip>

## Find your recording's local files (Windows app)

If you used the Windows app, keep the app installed and don't clear its data. Note the **approximate date and time** you recorded so support can locate the recording on our end.

## Contact support as soon as possible

Reach out via the in-app chat (the **?** Help button) or email [support@tella.com](mailto:support@tella.com). Recovery is most likely while the source data still exists, so contact us promptly and include:

* The approximate **date and time** of the recording
* Which **recorder** you used: web app, Chrome extension, Mac app, or Windows app
* What happened (cancelled, crashed, app/tab closed, network dropped, errored, stuck uploading)
* The recording's **rough length**
* A **share link**, if one was ever created
* **Mac app:** a screenshot of your video folder (**menu bar → Help → Open Video Folder**)

See [support availability](/help/support/support-availability) for response times.

<Note>
  Recordings can often be recovered on our end even when they never appeared in your library. The most important things are to act quickly and to **not** delete the recording, clear site data, or uninstall the app in the meantime.
</Note>

## Related

* [I can't find my recording](/help/troubleshooting/cant-find-my-recording) — start here if you're not sure whether the recording finished
* [Why is my video taking so long to upload?](/help/troubleshooting/why-is-my-video-taking-so-long-to-upload) — for a recording that's still uploading but stuck at a fixed percentage