Mac: Where is Save As?
I’m often asked why Save As… is missing from my apps.
It isn’t gone, but it has been de-emphasized in favor of the new Auto Save + Versions system. This change isn’t specific to my apps—it’s part of the macOS platform.
History: Save As, Duplicate, and Versions
Before 2011, Save As… was how you copied an open document. Choose Save As…, provided a new name and format, and the app wrote a separate file and switched you to it. The process was simple, explicit, and manual.
Auto Save and Versions
In 2011, Apple introduced OS X 10.7, bringing Auto Save and Versions as part of a new document architecture. Under this system:
- Documents are automatically saved as you work
- Versions are created that you can later browse and restore.
- Use Revert To to browse prior versions and restore changes.
This fundamentally changed the workflow: instead of using “Save As…” to create copies or backups, macOS automatically maintains a history of changes for you.
Hidden Save As
Old habits die hard. In OS X 10.8, Apple restored Save As… as a hidden option. To see it, hold down the Option key while the File menu is open. It effectively does: Duplicate + Save + Close Original.
Why might it be hidden? Because when you use Save As… and then use Revert To, you can only see versions from the new document, not the original. This can be confusing.
The Modern Workflow
On current macOS releases, the main document commands are:
- Save[1] — happens automatic saving as you work
- Duplicate — create a new document copy in a new window
- Revert To — browse and restore previous versions of a document
The Auto Save + Versions system replaces the classic Save As… workflow. The OS now manages saving and versioning automatically, while still allowing you to access the old manual workflow when desired.
When you create a new document, use Save to name it, but you don’t need to make this decision right away. If you quit without saving, the untitled document (with its changes) is still restored next time you open the app[2]. ↩︎
To complicate things, there are different ways to adopt Auto Save + Versions. Some apps will prompt you to save these untitled documents when you quit, while others (all my apps) will just restore them automatically next time you open the app. ↩︎