Guide

REFLO protected folders guide — where every record starts

REFLO Team2026. 7. 22. 오전 11:5712 min read

From adding a protected folder and making the first record through reading status, managing folders, and using an external SSD — the first step to starting REFLO.

REFLO’s timeline, restore, compare, and tracks — every feature starts from one thing: a protected folder. Add one protected folder, and files you work on inside it get a record every time you save, ready to restore whenever you need.

This guide is for someone who just installed REFLO: how to add a protected folder, read status, and manage it.

What is a protected folder?

A protected folder is a working folder REFLO watches.

Pick a folder, and that folder and the files under it become recording targets.
Every time you save (⌘S) inside it, REFLO quietly leaves a version. There’s nothing extra to do.
Working-file copies do not pile up inside the folder. History is stored in REFLO’s separate archive folder, so the working folder stays clean.

> Terms — in some places a protected folder is labeled a drive (for example “Edit drive”). They mean the same thing.

Adding a protected folder

Click Protection in the top header (shortcut ⌘1) to open the Protection panel.
Click Add protected folder.
Enter a name — for example Work folder, 2026 projects.
Click Choose folder… and pick the folder that holds your working files. As the on-screen hint says, “Choose a design or document working folder. Only the selected folder and files under it are recorded.”
Click Add, and protection starts.

When you pick a folder, a macOS permission window may appear. “This folder needs access so the app can create protection records safely” — you must allow it for records to accumulate.

If you don’t have a protected folder yet, the empty state on the History screen or the right icon rail also leads to Add protected folder.

After you add one — make the first record

One thing to know: adding a folder does not record the older files inside it all at once. Records accumulate from saves after you add it.

To see the first record right away:

Open a file inside the protected folder and save (⌘S).
Open the History screen (⌘2).
The first dot appears on the timeline. From here, the timeline guide flow begins.

Which folder should I pick?

We recommend picking the folder where working files live, by project. A range that’s too large, like the entire home folder, is harder to manage than the folder you actually work in.
A folder on an external SSD or USB can be protected the same way. (See “When you use an external SSD as a protected folder” below.)
Hidden and temporary files such as .DS_Store and ~$document.docx are automatically excluded from recording, so you don’t need to worry about them.

How to read protection status

Once protection starts, a status badge appears in the top header.

| Badge | Meaning | |---|---| | Safe | “Save completed normally.” — the usual healthy state | | Caution | There was a conflict or network error, but protection is still continuing | | Risk | An automatic protection snapshot was made before a risky action such as overwrite restore |

In the Protection panel (⌘1) you can check Connected / Offline per folder.

Managing protected folders

Manage from the folder card in the Protection panel.

Edit — change the name or folder path.
Disconnect — pause protection. Watching stops; Connect again resumes it.
Test — check that folder access is working.
Remove — after “Remove the “{name}” drive?” you confirm, it leaves the list. This removes the connection; already accumulated record files are not deleted at that moment.

After a macOS update or a folder move, if you see “Access to this folder has expired. Choose the folder again in Edit drive,” Edit and pick the same folder again to renew permission.

When you use an external SSD as a protected folder

A folder on an external disk is protected the same way as one on the internal disk.
Unplug the disk and that folder shows Offline; plug it back in and protection continues.
When you plug the external disk into another Mac, you may see “External or removable working folder needs access.” Choose folder again and pick the same folder once, and existing records continue.

Where does history accumulate?

Records (snapshots) accumulate by default in this Mac’s REFLO archive folder. That’s not inside the protected folder, so working-folder disk use isn’t affected.
In Settings, Storage folder can move the archive to an external drive and so on — for “when local space is low, an external drive, etc.”
If you save large files often and worry about space, we recommend turning on Delta (store only what changed). → Delta introduction

What changes by plan (summary)

Confirm details on the pricing page and in the app.

| Item | Free | Pro | |---|---|---| | Number of protected folders | 1 | No limit | | NAS · WebDAV | Not supported | Supported | | History retention | About 14 days | Effectively no limit |

On Free, trying to add a second folder shows “You’ve reached the Free plan protected-folder limit — Pro is required to add more protected folders.”

FAQ

I added a folder, but there’s no history for the older files

That’s expected. Records accumulate from saves after you add it. Open a file and save once, and the timeline starts from then.

I want to turn protection off for a bit

In the Protection panel, Disconnect that folder. Connect again to resume protection.

If I remove a protected folder, does history disappear too?

Remove drops the connection. Already accumulated record files are not deleted on the spot.

I moved the folder and get a permission error

Edit and choose the folder again. Access is renewed and protection continues.

Are subfolders protected too?

Yes. The selected folder and the files under it are all recording targets.

Which files are recorded?

Most working files are recorded, from design files such as PSD and AI through documents. .DS_Store, temporary files, hidden files, and similar are excluded automatically.