Gemini CLI: Chats Are Not Saving, despite Saving them?

Understanding the Challenges with Saving Chats Using Gemini CLI

For users leveraging Gemini CLI to manage chat sessions, understanding the nuances of the save functionality is crucial for an efficient experience. Recent feedback from the community highlights some common confusions regarding the saving process, especially when attempting to update existing saved conversations.

Observations on Save Behavior

When issuing the command “/chat Save,” the system confirms the creation of a checkpoint or save point. However, users have noted that this command only effectively creates new save files when a unique filename is specified. In other words, attempting to save to an already existing filename does not append or update the previous save.

For example, a user named “test” initially saves their chat with the command:

/chat save u/test

This creates a save file labeled “test.” When they resume this chat, add new prompts or continue the conversation, and then use the save command again with the same filename, no additional data is saved. To update the chat history, they must specify a new filename, which could lead to clutter and confusion.

Restoring and Persisting Chat Data

When closing and reopening the chat session, the system correctly reverts to the last saved checkpoint. However, any interim prompts or questions entered after the last save are not retained unless a new save is performed with a different filename. This behavior can be unintuitive for users expecting the save function to update existing files automatically.

Visual Evidence

Screenshots shared within the community illustrate this process effectively:

1. The initial save point confirms the creation of a new checkpoint labeled “test.”

2. After resuming the chat and adding additional prompts, attempting to save again with the same file name does not include the new prompts, indicating the save did not update the existing file.

3. Upon reopening the chat, only the data from the last save point is present, missing recent inputs such as the current date query.

Implications for Users

This behavior suggests that the Gemini CLI’s save feature currently treats each save command as creating a new checkpoint rather than updating existing ones. To ensure all interactions are stored appropriately, users should:

• Use unique filenames for each save to prevent overwriting

• Manually manage filenames to reflect different stages of the conversation

• Confirm the saved checkpoint reflects recent prompts before ending the session

Conclusion

Understanding the limitations and intended functionality of the save feature in Gemini CLI can help users better manage their chat histories. If the goal is to maintain a continuous update within