How to Revert a File to a Previous Version on a Mac

If you’re working on a Pages document on your Mac and accidentally made a mistake that you want to undo, it can be frustrating. Luckily, there is a feature on macOS that allows you to revert a file to a previous version. In this blog, we will guide you through the process of reverting a file on a Mac using the Pages application as an example.

1. Recognizing the Issue
   Suppose you made some changes to the cover of your Pages document the previous evening, but forgot to revert it before saving and quitting the application.

2. Reverting to the Latest Saved Version
   When you open the document again, you might instinctively try to undo the change using the standard cmd-Z shortcut, but it won’t work because it only functions within the current session. To revert to the last saved version, follow these steps:

   • Open the Pages application on your Mac.
   • Go to the “File” menu at the top-left corner of the screen.
   • Select “Revert To” from the dropdown menu.

3. Exploring All Versions
   If you want to explore all the available versions of the document, instead of just reverting to the latest saved version, follow these steps:

   • Open the Pages application on your Mac.
   • Go to the “File” menu at the top-left corner of the screen.
   • Select “Revert To” and then click on “Browse All Versions…” on the submenu.

   This will take you to the Time Machine view of that specific file, where you can see a timeline of all the previous saved versions.

4. Selecting a Previous Version
   In the Time Machine view, you can navigate through the timeline and select the version you want to revert to.

   • Use the timeline on the right side of the screen to scroll through the versions.
   • Each version is represented by a document thumbnail.
   • Click on the thumbnail of the version you want to revert to.

5. Reverting to the Chosen Version
   Once you have selected the desired version, you can revert the file to that specific state.

   • Click on the “Restore” button at the bottom of the screen.
   • The document will be reverted to the selected version, and any changes made after that version will be discarded.

By following these steps, you can easily revert a file to a previous version using the “Revert To” feature in macOS. This method is not limited to Pages; many other non-Apple applications that use documents, like MindNode and Numbers, also offer the same functionality.

Tags: Mac, Pages, reverting files, Time Machine view