Checkpoints & Rewind

Overview

Checkpoints are snapshots of your session at specific points in time. They capture both the conversation state and the file changes made up to that point, letting you "rewind" to an earlier state if needed.

This feature is invaluable when:

• The agent makes changes you want to undo
• You want to try a different approach
• Something breaks and you need to recover
• You want to compare different solutions

How Checkpoints Work

Checkpoints are created automatically at key moments:

• After the agent completes a significant task
• Before major file modifications
• At regular intervals during long sessions

What's Saved

Each checkpoint captures:

• Conversation State — All messages up to that point
• File Changes — Git-tracked modifications since session start
• Tool Execution History — What tools ran and their results
• Timestamp — When the checkpoint was created

Storage

Checkpoints are stored as part of the session data and synced with Claude Code's native checkpoint system. This means checkpoints created in C3 are accessible from the desktop CLI and vice versa.

Rewind Options

When you rewind to a checkpoint, you choose what to restore:

Code Only

Reverts file changes to the checkpoint state while keeping the full conversation history. Use this when:

• The agent's code changes didn't work but the conversation is valuable
• You want to try a different implementation approach
• You need to undo accidental deletions

Conversation Only

Truncates the conversation to the checkpoint while keeping current file changes. Use this when:

• The conversation went off-track but the code is fine
• You want to restart discussion with the agent
• Context is getting full and you want to compact

Both Code and Conversation

Fully restores the session to the checkpoint state. Use this for:

• Complete do-over from a known good state
• Recovering from major mistakes
• Starting a new approach from an earlier point

Using Checkpoints

Opening the Rewind Panel

1. Tap the Rewind button (clock icon) in the chat toolbar
2. The rewind panel slides up showing your recent checkpoints
3. The most recent checkpoint is marked with a "Latest" badge

Checkpoint Information

Each checkpoint in the list displays:

• Message Preview — The first part of your message at that point
• Timestamp — Relative time (e.g., "5m ago", "2h ago")
• File Changes — Number of files modified after this checkpoint
• Lines Changed — Lines added (green) and removed (red) since

Restoring a Checkpoint

1. Tap on the checkpoint you want to restore to
2. An action sheet appears showing your selected message
3. Choose your restore option:
   • Restore code and conversation — Rewind both to that point
   • Restore conversation — Fork conversation, keep current files
   • Restore code only — Revert files, keep conversation (only shown if files changed)
4. Tap "Never mind" to cancel

After Rewinding

When you restore a checkpoint:

• For conversation restores, a new forked session is created automatically
• Your original message is pre-filled in the input, ready to edit or resend
• A success message confirms the restore completed