File recovery for unsaved work refers to retrieving a document that was being edited but never properly saved to its permanent storage location. This commonly occurs due to software crashes, power outages, or accidentally closing the application without saving. Unlike opening an intentionally saved file later, this involves accessing temporary backups or autosaved versions that modern software automatically generates during your work session to mitigate data loss.

Many applications have built-in mechanisms for this. Microsoft Word and Google Docs, for instance, typically try to recover unsaved documents automatically when the application restarts after a crash, presenting a recovery pane. Integrated Development Environments (IDEs) like Visual Studio Code often create temporary local copies of files being worked on. Cloud-based platforms, including webmail editors or content management systems, often continuously autosave draft versions.

The main advantage is preventing potentially devastating data loss, acting as a critical safety net. However, limitations exist: the feature must be enabled beforehand, it might not cover every software (especially older or very simple apps), and unsaved changes made just before the crash can still be lost. This protection encourages users to rely less on manual saves but underscores the importance of understanding specific software's autosave behavior and saving manually at key points despite these safeguards.