There is nothing more frustrating than losing hours of work due to a system crash or accidentally closing a program. Fortunately, LibreOffice provides a global configuration option for AutoSave and backup copies that applies to all modules, including Writer, Calc, Impress, Draw, Math, and Base.

In this guide, we will show you how to enable these features in just a few simple steps so you can work with greater peace of mind and avoid worrying about data loss.

Why configure global AutoSave?

When you enable AutoSave in one place, all LibreOffice modules will use the same settings. You do not need to configure Writer, Calc, or Impress separately. This is not only more convenient but also helps maintain consistency and reduces the risk of mistakes.

As a result, your documents will be protected regardless of the file type.

How to enable AutoSave and backup copies?

Open any LibreOffice application, for example, LibreOffice Writer.

Go to:

Tools → Options

(or LibreOffice → Preferences on macOS)

In the left panel, click:

Load/Save → General

Then enable these two key options:

Save AutoRecovery information every X minutes (e.g., every 5 minutes)

Always create backup copy

Click OK to save the settings.

From now on, all LibreOffice documents will be protected by these settings.

Where does LibreOffice store backup copies?

By default, LibreOffice stores backup copies in the following folders:

Windows:

C:\Users\YourName\AppData\Roaming\LibreOffice\4\user\backup

Linux:

~/.config/libreoffice/4/user/backup

macOS:

~/Library/Application Support/LibreOffice/4/user/backup

If you want to change this location, go to:

Options → LibreOffice → Paths → Backups

Additional tips

Use the Ctrl + S shortcut to manually save your document—this is when LibreOffice creates a backup copy.

It is a good idea to manually save a copy of your document to another location (such as an external drive) from time to time.

Keep in mind that the backup copy usually overwrites the previous version, so save important files under new names if you want to preserve older versions.

Instead of worrying about data loss, configure global AutoSave in LibreOffice. This way, every document—whether you are working on a text document, spreadsheet, or presentation—will be protected. It is a small step that can save you a great deal of time and stress.