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If your changes aren’t syncing across devices or tabs, try these steps:Check your internet connection:
  • ChaosPrep requires an active internet connection to sync data to the cloud
  • Offline changes are stored locally and will sync automatically when you reconnect
Verify you’re signed in:
  1. Check the sidebar - your profile should be visible at the bottom
  2. If you see a “Sign In” screen, you’ve been signed out
  3. Sign in again with the same Google account
Clear the cache and reload:
  1. Open browser DevTools (F12 or Cmd+Option+I)
  2. Right-click the refresh button and select “Empty Cache and Hard Reload”
  3. Alternatively, clear your browser’s site data for ChaosPrep
Force a sync:
  1. Make a small change (add a task, update a setting)
  2. Wait 5-10 seconds for Firestore to sync
  3. Check if the change appears on another device
If you’re using multiple Google accounts, make sure you’re signed in with the correct one. Each account has separate data.
Still not working?
  • Check the browser console (F12) for Firebase errors
  • Ensure your browser is up to date
  • Try signing out and signing back in
“Popup blocked” error:
  • ChaosPrep uses Google Sign-In via popup window
  • Check if your browser blocked the popup (look for an icon in the address bar)
  • Allow popups for ChaosPrep and try again
Google Sign-In fails silently:
  1. Clear your browser cookies and cache
  2. Disable any privacy extensions temporarily (Privacy Badger, uBlock, etc.)
  3. Try signing in from an incognito/private window
  4. Make sure third-party cookies are enabled for sval.tech and firebase.google.com
“Auth domain error”:
  • This happens if you’re accessing ChaosPrep from an unauthorized domain
  • Use the official URL: https://chaosprep.sval.tech
  • If you’re self-hosting, ensure your domain is added to Firebase Auth settings
Account not recognized:
  • ChaosPrep creates a new account the first time you sign in
  • If your data is missing, you might have signed in with a different Google account
  • Check your Google account email in the sidebar to confirm
ChaosPrep only supports Google Sign-In. Email/password authentication is not available.
ChaosPrep uses persistent local cache for offline functionality. If offline mode isn’t working:Enable cache in your browser:
  • ChaosPrep requires IndexedDB support
  • Some browsers disable IndexedDB in private/incognito mode
  • Check if “Block all cookies” is enabled (this breaks offline mode)
Clear and rebuild the cache:
  1. Sign in while online
  2. Navigate through all main views (Calendar, Timer, Syllabus, etc.)
  3. This forces Firestore to cache your data locally
  4. Go offline and test again
Browser compatibility:
  • Chrome/Edge: Full support
  • Firefox: Full support
  • Safari: Full support (iOS 13+)
  • Older browsers: May have limited offline capabilities
Clearing your browser data will delete the offline cache. You’ll need to reconnect to the internet to re-download your data.
Timer keeps resetting:
  • Check if you have multiple tabs of ChaosPrep open
  • Only use the timer in one tab at a time
  • Closing a tab while the timer is running will stop it
Time not incrementing:
  • The timer uses local time and calculates elapsed duration in milliseconds
  • If your system clock changes, the timer may behave unexpectedly
  • Restart the timer to fix the issue
Background tabs not updating:
  • When you switch to a background tab, the timer display catches up automatically
  • The time is still being tracked accurately even if the display is frozen
  • This is a browser power-saving feature
Lost timer session:
  • If you accidentally close the tab or browser, the unsaved session is lost
  • Always click “Stop” to save your session before closing
  • Timer sessions under 1 minute can be discarded (you’ll be prompted)
The timer continues running even if you navigate to a different view (Calendar, Syllabus, etc.) within ChaosPrep.
Friend added but not showing:
  1. Check your internet connection
  2. Refresh the Squad view (switch to another view and back)
  3. Ask your friend to refresh their app as well
Invite link not working:
  • Make sure the full URL is copied (including the ?invite= parameter)
  • The invite link is single-use and automatically adds both users to each other’s squads
  • If the link doesn’t work, ask the sender to generate a new one
Squad member shows as “offline” but they’re studying:
  • Online status is based on a heartbeat system
  • It may take up to 1 minute to update
  • If they’re using an old version of ChaosPrep, the presence feature may not work
Tasks not visible for squad member:
  • Check if they have shareTasks enabled in their settings
  • By default, task sharing is enabled, but users can disable it
Squad features require the ENABLE_SQUAD_FEATURE flag to be enabled. This is on by default in the official version.
Infinite spinner:
  • This usually means a Firebase query is hanging
  • Check your internet connection
  • Refresh the page
Tasks not appearing:
  • Verify the tasks exist by switching to the Day View (click on any date)
  • Check if you’re viewing the correct month/week
  • Ensure tasks have valid dates in YYYY-MM-DD format
Drag and drop not working:
  • Make sure you’re dragging a task card, not clicking a button inside it
  • Drop the task onto a date card in the calendar
  • If it’s not working, try refreshing the page
Week starts on the wrong day:
  • ChaosPrep uses Monday as the start of the week (ISO 8601 standard)
  • This cannot be changed in settings
Task disappears after adding:
  • Check your internet connection
  • The task might be saved locally but not synced to Firestore
  • Try refreshing the page to see if it reappears
Changes not persisting:
  • Make sure you click “Save” or press Enter to confirm changes
  • Some actions (like checking off a task) save automatically
  • Others (like editing task text) require explicit confirmation
Duplicate tasks appearing:
  • This can happen if you rapidly add tasks while offline
  • Let Firestore finish syncing (wait 5-10 seconds)
  • Manually delete the duplicates
Task stuck in “completed” state:
  • Check the task’s completion status in the Day View
  • If it’s marked complete, uncheck it to reopen
  • Tasks can also have scores (MockTest feature) - check if marks are entered
“Install” prompt not appearing:
  • ChaosPrep must be served over HTTPS
  • The prompt only appears if you’ve visited the site multiple times
  • Some browsers (Firefox desktop) don’t support PWA install prompts
How to manually install:Chrome/Edge (Desktop):
  1. Click the ⋮ menu (top right)
  2. Select “Install ChaosPrep” or “Apps → Install this site as an app”
Chrome/Edge (Mobile):
  1. Tap the ⋮ menu
  2. Select “Add to Home screen”
  3. Follow the prompts
Safari (iOS):
  1. Tap the Share button (square with arrow)
  2. Scroll down and tap “Add to Home Screen”
  3. Tap “Add”
Safari (macOS):
  • Safari does not support PWA installation on macOS
  • Use Chrome or Edge instead
Firefox:
  • Firefox supports PWAs on Android only
  • Tap the menu (⋮) → “Install”
Once installed, ChaosPrep will open in a standalone window without browser UI, just like a native app.

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Browser compatibility

ChaosPrep works best on modern browsers with full ES6+ support. Fully supported:
  • Chrome 90+ (Desktop & Mobile)
  • Edge 90+
  • Safari 14+ (iOS & macOS)
  • Firefox 88+
Partial support:
  • Older browsers may have issues with offline mode, drag-and-drop, or animations
Not supported:
  • Internet Explorer (any version)
If you’re using an outdated browser, some features may not work correctly. Update to the latest version for the best experience.

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Firebase connection issues

If you see Firebase-related errors in the browser console: Common Firebase errors: permission-denied:
  • You’re not signed in, or your session expired
  • Sign out and sign back in
unavailable:
  • Firebase is temporarily unreachable
  • Check your internet connection
  • Retry after a few seconds
quota-exceeded:
  • You’ve hit Firestore’s free tier limits (rare for individual users)
  • Wait a few hours for the quota to reset
app-deleted:
  • Firebase app configuration is missing or invalid
  • This is a developer issue - contact support
You can monitor Firebase status at status.firebase.google.com

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Cache clearing instructions

If you’re experiencing persistent issues, clearing ChaosPrep’s cache and data can help. Chrome/Edge:
  1. Open DevTools (F12 or Cmd+Option+I)
  2. Go to the “Application” tab
  3. Click “Clear storage” in the left sidebar
  4. Check “Unregister service workers”, “Local storage”, “IndexedDB”
  5. Click “Clear site data”
  6. Reload the page
Firefox:
  1. Right-click the page → “Inspect”
  2. Go to the “Storage” tab
  3. Right-click each storage type (Cookies, Local Storage, IndexedDB) and select “Delete All”
  4. Reload the page
Safari:
  1. Safari menu → Settings → Privacy → Manage Website Data
  2. Search for “chaosprep” or “sval.tech”
  3. Select and remove
  4. Reload the page
Clearing site data will log you out and delete all locally cached data. You’ll need to sign in again and let Firestore re-sync your data.

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Still need help?

If none of these solutions work:
  1. Check the GitHub issues page to see if others have reported the same problem
  2. Open the browser console (F12) and look for error messages
  3. Take a screenshot of the error and create a new issue on GitHub
  4. Include details about your browser, operating system, and steps to reproduce the problem
The ChaosPrep community is active and helpful - you’ll usually get a response within 24 hours.

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