diff --git a/src/components/VideoEditor.tsx b/src/components/VideoEditor.tsx
index a12c1f41..9b4b8406 100644
--- a/src/components/VideoEditor.tsx
+++ b/src/components/VideoEditor.tsx
@@ -297,23 +297,14 @@ export default function VideoEditor() {
       });
     }
   }, [status]);
-  useEffect(() => {
-const handleBeforeUnload = (e: BeforeUnloadEvent) => {
-  if (file) {
-    e.preventDefault();
-    e.returnValue = "";
-  }
-};
-
-window.addEventListener("beforeunload", handleBeforeUnload);
 
-return () => {
-  window.removeEventListener("beforeunload", handleBeforeUnload);
-};
-}, [file]);
 
   const isProcessing = status === "loading-engine" || status === "exporting";
-  const isMac = typeof navigator !== "undefined" && /Mac/i.test(navigator.platform);
+  const [isMac, setIsMac] = useState(false);
+
+  useEffect(() => {
+    setIsMac(typeof navigator !== "undefined" && /Mac/i.test(navigator.platform));
+  }, []);
 
   const intervalSeconds = useMemo(() => {
     if (duration <= 30) return 2;
@@ -717,7 +708,7 @@ return () => {
                   onClick={resetSettings}
                   className="text-sm font-heading font-bold uppercase tracking-widest text-[var(--muted)] hover:text-film-600 transition-all opacity-60 hover:opacity-100"
                 >
-                  Reset all settings
+                  Clear saved session
                 </button>
               </div>
             </div>
diff --git a/src/hooks/useVideoEditor.ts b/src/hooks/useVideoEditor.ts
index f2edb45c..03191fec 100644
--- a/src/hooks/useVideoEditor.ts
+++ b/src/hooks/useVideoEditor.ts
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ import {
   RECIPE_STORAGE_KEY,
   LEGACY_SETTINGS_KEY,
 } from "@/lib/editorPersistence";
+import { saveSessionFile, loadSessionFile, clearSessionFile } from "@/lib/sessionDB";
 
 const DEFAULT_TITLE = "Reframe — Resize, trim, and export videos in your browser";
 
@@ -155,20 +156,7 @@ export function useVideoEditor() {
     height: number;
     duration: number;
   } | null>(null);
-  const [recipe, setRecipe] = useState<EditRecipe>(() => {
-    if (typeof window === "undefined") return { ...DEFAULT_RECIPE };
-    const params = new URLSearchParams(window.location.search);
-    const encoded = params.get("settings");
-    if (encoded) {
-      const decoded = decodeRecipe(encoded);
-      if (decoded) {
-        return migratePersistedRecipe(decoded);
-      }
-    }
-    return loadPersistedRecipe(localStorage, migratePersistedRecipe({
-      soundOnCompletion: getStoredSoundPreference(localStorage),
-    }));
-  });
+  const [recipe, setRecipe] = useState<EditRecipe>({ ...DEFAULT_RECIPE });
   const [status, setStatus] = useState<ExportStatus>("idle");
   const [progress, setProgress] = useState(0);
   const [result, setResult] = useState<ExportResult | null>(null);
@@ -256,8 +244,33 @@ export function useVideoEditor() {
 
   useEffect(() => {
     if (typeof window === "undefined") return;
+    
+    // Auto-restore saved video session
+    loadSessionFile().then(async (savedFile) => {
+      if (savedFile) {
+        try {
+          const { width, height, duration: dur } = await extractMetadata(savedFile);
+          setDuration(dur);
+          setVideoMetadata({ width, height, duration: dur });
+          setFile(savedFile);
+        } catch (e) {
+          console.error("Failed to restore video session:", e);
+          clearSessionFile().catch(console.error);
+        }
+      }
+    }).catch(console.error);
+
     try {
       const params = new URLSearchParams(window.location.search);
+      const encoded = params.get("settings");
+      if (encoded) {
+        const decoded = decodeRecipe(encoded);
+        if (decoded) {
+          setRecipe(migratePersistedRecipe(decoded));
+          return;
+        }
+      }
+
       const recipeKeys = Object.keys(DEFAULT_RECIPE) as Array<keyof EditRecipe>;
       const hasRecipeParams = recipeKeys.some(key => params.has(key));
 
@@ -290,7 +303,10 @@ export function useVideoEditor() {
           }));
         }
       } else {
-        setRecipe((current) => loadPersistedRecipe(localStorage, current));
+        setRecipe((current) => loadPersistedRecipe(localStorage, migratePersistedRecipe({
+          ...current,
+          soundOnCompletion: getStoredSoundPreference(localStorage),
+        })));
       }
     } catch (e) {
       // ignore
@@ -412,6 +428,7 @@ export function useVideoEditor() {
         setDuration(dur);
         setVideoMetadata({ width, height, duration: dur });
         setFile(selectedFile);
+        saveSessionFile(selectedFile).catch(console.error);
 
         if (dimensionCheck === "warning") {
           console.warn(`[Reframe] High resolution video detected (${width}×${height}). Export may be slow.`);
@@ -626,6 +643,7 @@ export function useVideoEditor() {
     try {
       localStorage.removeItem(RECIPE_STORAGE_KEY);
       localStorage.removeItem(LEGACY_SETTINGS_KEY);
+      clearSessionFile().catch(console.error);
     } catch {
       // ignore
     }
@@ -657,6 +675,7 @@ export function useVideoEditor() {
     try {
       localStorage.removeItem(RECIPE_STORAGE_KEY);
       localStorage.removeItem(LEGACY_SETTINGS_KEY);
+      clearSessionFile().catch(console.error);
     } catch {
       // ignore
     }
diff --git a/src/lib/sessionDB.ts b/src/lib/sessionDB.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..57f0a1d7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/lib/sessionDB.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,82 @@
+const DB_NAME = "reframe-session";
+const STORE_NAME = "files";
+
+export async function saveSessionFile(file: File): Promise<void> {
+  return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
+    try {
+      const request = indexedDB.open(DB_NAME, 1);
+      request.onupgradeneeded = () => {
+        if (!request.result.objectStoreNames.contains(STORE_NAME)) {
+          request.result.createObjectStore(STORE_NAME);
+        }
+      };
+      request.onsuccess = () => {
+        const db = request.result;
+        const tx = db.transaction(STORE_NAME, "readwrite");
+        tx.objectStore(STORE_NAME).put(file, "currentVideo");
+        tx.oncomplete = () => { db.close(); resolve(); };
+        tx.onerror = () => reject(tx.error);
+      };
+      request.onerror = () => reject(request.error);
+    } catch (e) {
+      reject(e);
+    }
+  });
+}
+
+export async function loadSessionFile(): Promise<File | null> {
+  return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
+    try {
+      const request = indexedDB.open(DB_NAME, 1);
+      request.onupgradeneeded = () => {
+        if (!request.result.objectStoreNames.contains(STORE_NAME)) {
+          request.result.createObjectStore(STORE_NAME);
+        }
+      };
+      request.onsuccess = () => {
+        const db = request.result;
+        if (!db.objectStoreNames.contains(STORE_NAME)) {
+          db.close();
+          return resolve(null);
+        }
+        const tx = db.transaction(STORE_NAME, "readonly");
+        const getReq = tx.objectStore(STORE_NAME).get("currentVideo");
+        getReq.onsuccess = () => {
+          db.close();
+          resolve(getReq.result || null);
+        };
+        getReq.onerror = () => reject(getReq.error);
+      };
+      request.onerror = () => reject(request.error);
+    } catch (e) {
+      reject(e);
+    }
+  });
+}
+
+export async function clearSessionFile(): Promise<void> {
+  return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
+    try {
+      const request = indexedDB.open(DB_NAME, 1);
+      request.onupgradeneeded = () => {
+        if (!request.result.objectStoreNames.contains(STORE_NAME)) {
+          request.result.createObjectStore(STORE_NAME);
+        }
+      };
+      request.onsuccess = () => {
+        const db = request.result;
+        if (!db.objectStoreNames.contains(STORE_NAME)) {
+          db.close();
+          return resolve();
+        }
+        const tx = db.transaction(STORE_NAME, "readwrite");
+        tx.objectStore(STORE_NAME).clear();
+        tx.oncomplete = () => { db.close(); resolve(); };
+        tx.onerror = () => reject(tx.error);
+      };
+      request.onerror = () => reject(request.error);
+    } catch (e) {
+      reject(e);
+    }
+  });
+}