How can I force Vue.js to re-render a form to fix v-model de-sync after a tab sleep?

One common workaround is to force the component (or at least its form) to re-render when the browser restores the page. That way, Vue re-applies the v‑model bindings based on your JavaScript state. One way to do this is by using a dynamic key on your form (or a wrapping element) that you update when the page is shown. For example, you can listen to the window’s pageshow event and, if the page is restored from the bfcache, modify a key so that Vue recreates the element:

HTMLCopied
<template>
  <form :key="formKey">
    <label>
      <input type="radio" value="0" v-model="selected"> Option 0
    </label>
    <label>
      <input type="radio" value="1" v-model="selected"> Option 1
    </label>
    <!-- more form inputs -->
  </form>
</template>

<script>
export default {
  data() {
    return {
      selected: 0,  // initial value specified in JS
      formKey: 0,
    }
  },
  mounted() {
    window.addEventListener('pageshow', this.pageshowHandler)
  },
  beforeUnmount() {
    window.removeEventListener('pageshow', this.pageshowHandler)
  },
  methods: {
    pageshowHandler(e) {
      // The persisted property is true if the page was restored from cache.
      if (e.persisted) {
        // Increment key to force re-render of the form
        this.formKey++
      }
    }
  }
}
</script>

Explanation

• Dynamic Key: By binding a dynamic :key (e.g., formKey) to the <form> element, you force Vue to treat the element as new when the key changes.
• pageshow Event: The pageshow event fires when a page is loaded from the browser's cache (typically with the persisted property set to true). Detecting this lets you know when to force a re-render.
• v‑model Source of Truth: Since v‑model uses your component’s JavaScript state as the source of truth (ignoring the initial DOM attributes), re-rendering the form ensures that the restored DOM state is discarded and replaced with the JavaScript state.

This approach keeps your users’ positive experience with back/forward navigation intact while ensuring that the Vue state and the DOM inputs remain in sync.