Does jsbeeb Save My Progress, and Where Is My Data Stored?

Updated

jsbeeb does not keep your progress on its own servers. It gives you manual save states, load states, and a Rewind control so you can continue or undo a session, but the saved data lives in your browser or in your own Google Drive. The site is a static page served from an AWS bucket with no server logs and no personal information kept, so anything you want to keep long-term needs to be saved deliberately.

What jsbeeb actually saves

jsbeeb is a JavaScript BBC Micro emulator that runs in the browser. Its persistence features are session tools rather than automatic cloud backup:

  • Save state — captures the current machine state so you can return to it later.
  • Load state — restores a previously saved state.
  • Rewind — steps back through recent activity, useful for undoing a mistake without a full reload.
  • State — the menu area where save/load state controls sit, alongside Media, Fullscreen, and Help.

The default disc loaded is Elite, so if you reload the page you start from that default rather than from wherever you left off — unless you saved a state or your own disc.

Where your data is stored

Data Where it lives Notes
Save states Your browser / your own storage Not on jsbeeb servers
Discs and tapes you load Your browser session, or Google Drive if connected You choose the source
Google Drive connection Only what is needed to reach your own discs Never shared with jsbeeb developers
Analytics Cookies for simple usage tracking No server logs; static page on AWS

The privacy notice is explicit: there are no server logs, nothing is kept on the jsbeeb servers, and no personal information is kept. Logging in to Google Drive stores only what is needed to reach your own discs, and that is never shared with the developers.

How to keep progress you care about

  1. Use Save state before closing the tab or trying something risky.
  2. Use Load state to return to that point later.
  3. Use Rewind for quick undo during play, without committing a state.
  4. To keep files beyond the browser, connect Google Drive and save discs there, or download them to your own machine.

A practical example: if you are partway through a game and want to test a risky move, save a state first. If it goes wrong, load the state or rewind. If you want that progress to survive a browser clear or a different device, put the disc or state file in your own Google Drive or local storage — jsbeeb will not hold it for you.

Limits to be aware of

  • Nothing is backed up automatically to jsbeeb. If you do not save a state or your own file, a reload returns you to the default disc.
  • Google Drive access is scoped to reaching your own discs; it is not a general account system for the emulator.
  • Use is at your own risk, for lawful purposes, and the site is best in Chrome or Firefox.