Language‑selector change isolates per‑language drafts in LeetCode editors

Short answer

Changing the language dropdown does not delete your draft for the previous language. LeetCode keeps drafts keyed per problem and per language, so switching languages only swaps what the editor displays — the starter template or the last saved draft for the newly selected language. Switching back to the first language normally restores your earlier draft. A Reset, by contrast, is destructive: it discards the draft for the currently selected language and restores that language's official starter template, but it does not touch drafts for other languages.

Answers to the three questions

1. Does changing the language dropdown discard the previous language's draft? No. The editor view is replaced, but the underlying draft for the prior language is preserved and reappears when you switch back.
2. Are drafts independent and retrievable after a switch plus a reset? Drafts are stored independently per language. A reset only wipes the draft of the language selected at the moment you click it. Drafts for other languages survive the reset and remain retrievable by switching to them.
3. What happens when you log in from another device? Drafts are tied to your account, so the most recent saved state for each language syncs and is available on the new device. The caveat is timing: drafts save automatically but not necessarily on every keystroke, so very recent edits made just before closing a tab may not have synced yet.

Confirmed facts vs. likely explanation

LeetCode publishes no formal specification for draft persistence, so none of this is contractually guaranteed. What is well established through consistent, widely reproduced behavior is the per-language keying of drafts and the destructive scope of Reset. The exact sync timing across devices and the autosave interval are the least certain parts and have changed with UI updates over time.

How to verify for your account

Because behavior can shift with LeetCode updates, a two-minute empirical check is more reliable than any documentation:

1. Type distinctive code in Language A, wait a few seconds for autosave, then switch to Language B. Confirm the editor shows B's template or draft.
2. Switch back to A and confirm your code is still there.
3. Click Reset while on B, then switch to A again — A's draft should be intact while B shows the starter template.
4. Open the problem in a different browser or device and confirm both drafts appear per language.

If you want to see the storage mechanics directly, open DevTools and inspect the site's local storage / IndexedDB for draft entries keyed by problem and language. This is read-only inspection and safe to do.

Practical caveats

• Clearing browser data or using a logged-out/incognito session can lose unsynced drafts.
• Do not rely on drafts as long-term storage for solutions you care about — copy important code locally or submit it, since persistence behavior is undocumented and can change.
• If a draft appears missing after a language switch, switch back before assuming it was deleted; the most common cause is simply viewing the wrong language's editor state.