Local History snapshot inconsistency in PyCharm system directory

Local History Tracking Behavior

PyCharm utilizes a proprietary internal database to track file changes independently of a Version Control System (VCS). This feature captures snapshots of content and stores them within the IDE's system folder to allow for the recovery of deleted code or reverted changes.

Snapshot Trigger Uncertainty

While Local History persists across restarts, the specific mechanism that triggers a snapshot—whether it is tied to a manual save, an auto-save event, or a specific file system buffer flush—appears to vary. This creates uncertainty regarding the granularity of recovery points when working across different operating system file systems.

What are the deterministic triggers that force a Local History snapshot in PyCharm 2024.x? Does the IDE rely on OS-level file change notifications or internal timer-based snapshots?