Changes not reflected in browser (even without Turbopack)

[AbelSanzDev]

Hi ,

In my Next.js 15.4.5 project on macOS, sometimes after saving a file, the browser doesn’t update with the latest changes.
At first, I thought it was due to --turbopack, so I disabled it, but a few days later the issue returned.
Now the only way to see changes is by opening the site in Google Chrome Incognito.

Environment:

• Next.js: 15.4.5
• React: 19.1.0
• Node: 22.x
• pnpm: 10.6.1

Has anyone else experienced this issue? Any tips on how to solve it?

[Anipaleja]

Hi @AbelSanzDev,

I’ve seen similar issues with Next.js where the browser doesn’t update with saved changes, even after disabling Turbopack. Here are some tips that helped me and others troubleshoot this:

1. Clear browser cache and hard refresh
   Sometimes the browser aggressively caches files. Try a hard reload (Cmd+Shift+R / Ctrl+Shift+R) or clear cache manually. Opening in Incognito often bypasses cache, which explains why it works there.
2. Check for service workers
   If your app or any dependency registers a service worker, it might cache old files. Open DevTools > Application > Service Workers and unregister any active workers during development.
3. Restart the Next.js dev server
   Stop and start your dev server. Sometimes HMR or Fast Refresh breaks and restarting fixes it.
4. Delete .next folder
   Remove the .next build cache folder and restart the server to force a full rebuild.
5. File watcher limits on macOS
   MacOS sometimes hits file watching limits that prevent Next.js from detecting changes. Try increasing those limits by running:

sudo sysctl -w kern.maxfiles=524288
sudo sysctl -w kern.maxfilesperproc=524288

Then restart your machine.

6. Try a different package manager
   Since you’re using pnpm, there might be issues with file symlinks affecting watchers. Test with npm or yarn to see if the problem persists.
7. Check editor save settings
   Some editors save files atomically or in a way that doesn’t trigger watchers properly. Try different editors or adjust save settings.

If none of these help, consider creating a minimal reproducible repo and sharing it here so the community can help debug further.

Hope this helps!

[icyJoseph]

Hi,

is this still happening? do you have a repository? I've seen that some people have issues with AI powered IDEs not correctly saving the file.

I suggest this because it looks link in your case it is intermittent. Could we see more of the codebase? A couple of weeks ago I found this discussion, #81538 (reply in thread) maybe it is the same case for you?