🧠 Understanding LocalStorage Limits: What You Need to Know
(and What to Do If Things Go Wrong)
If you’re using a website with handy tools like sticky notes, notepads, or app customizations, there’s a good chance it stores your data using something called localStorage. It’s a powerful browser feature that lets a site remember your stuff even after you close the tab. But it has its limits — and knowing them can save you from frustration (or even data loss).
🔌 What is localStorage?
localStorage is part of your browser. It stores small pieces of information locally on your device. Think of it like a digital notepad that websites can write on.
- ✅ It’s fast
- ✅ It works offline
- ✅ It keeps your data even after closing your browser
- ⚠️ But: It’s not unlimited
⛔️ The Storage Limit
Each website (like nekypop.com) is allowed a certain amount of localStorage space.
In most modern browsers:
- Chrome, Edge, Brave, and other Chromium-based browsers now allow about 8 MB per domain.
- Firefox and Safari often limit this to around 5 MB.
- Mobile browsers or incognito/private windows may allow even less.
This limit is shared across everything stored via localStorage under that site — notes, preferences, drafts, settings, etc.
❌ Signs You’ve Hit the Limit
- Notes or settings disappear after refreshing
- You type something — but it’s gone next time
- The app feels buggy or forgetful
Behind the scenes, the browser is silently saying:
“❌ Sorry, no more space.”
✅ What You Can Do (as a User)
1. Back up your notes
If an app offers “Export” or “Download”, use it regularly to avoid losing important data.
2. Clear unused data
Delete old drafts or notes you don’t need anymore. Some apps offer a “Clear Cache” or “Reset” button to help with this.
3. Manually clear localStorage
Here’s how to clean it up yourself:
In Chrome, Edge, Firefox:
- Open the site (like
nekypop.com)
- Press
F12 to open Developer Tools
- Go to the Application (or Storage) tab
- Click Local Storage in the sidebar
- Right-click your domain and choose Clear
This erases saved notes and data for that site.
4. Clear site data (cache, cookies, storage)
If you’re having trouble or want to fully reset a site:
Chrome / Edge:
- Click the lock icon 🔒 next to the site URL
- Click “Site settings”
- Click “Clear data” (or “Clear storage”)
This clears cookies, cache, localStorage, and more.
You can also do it from Settings > Privacy > Clear browsing data and select a specific site.
5. Use fewer tools at once
Each tool on the site uses part of the same quota. Closing or cleaning one can free up space for others.
6. Use different browsers
Each browser (Chrome, Firefox, Edge, etc.) stores its own separate localStorage. You can divide your tools between them if needed.
📏 BONUS: Check Your Current Storage Usage
Want to see how much localStorage your browser is using for the current site?
💻 Paste this into your browser’s DevTools Console:
function getLocalStorageUsageMB() {
let totalBytes = 0;
for (let key in localStorage) {
if (localStorage.hasOwnProperty(key)) {
const value = localStorage.getItem(key);
totalBytes += (key.length + value.length) * 2; // 2 bytes per UTF-16 char
}
}
const totalMB = (totalBytes / 1024 / 1024).toFixed(2);
console.log(`Current localStorage usage: ${totalMB} MB`);
return totalMB;
}
getLocalStorageUsageMB();
✅ You’ll get a result like:
pgsqlCopyEditCurrent localStorage usage: 1.42 MB
This helps you stay under the browser’s limit (5–8 MB depending on the browser).
🚫 Don’t Use localStorage For:
- Passwords or personal/private info
- Legal or sensitive data
- Huge documents, files, or images
🔐 Summary
localStorage is perfect for small, helpful features — but it has limits and no built-in warnings.
- In Chrome and Edge: you may get up to 8 MB
- In Firefox, Safari, or mobile: expect 5 MB or less
- Back up what matters
- Check your current usage
- Clear or offload heavy data when needed
- Use browser tools or clear cache/cookies to reset storage fully
If your favorite tools rely on it, using localStorage wisely means your experience will stay smooth and frustration-free — even across many tools on the same site.
