Support

SpeakPad requires an iPhone or iPad running iOS 17 or iPadOS 17 or later. It is a universal app, available on both iPhone and iPad.

Yes. Downloading, speaking and every accessibility feature are free, with no time limit or ads. SpeakPad Pro is an optional purchase for additional caregiver tools, available only behind the caregiver lock.

Core communication works offline. Buying or restoring Pro, downloading voices and using iCloud require an internet connection.

In Caregiver Mode, tap any empty cell to add a new word: type a label, pick a symbol, and tap Add. To edit an existing word, tap it. Tapping a folder opens it; to edit the folder tile itself, tap Select, choose the folder, then tap Edit. To rearrange, tap Select, choose a word and tap Move, then tap an empty cell to move it there or another word to swap the two. To add a folder that opens a sub-board, tap Add → New Category. If the board is full, the add screen offers ways to make room, such as Add a Row or Choose Another Board. Searching the symbols available for your profile’s symbol set is free, and so is reusing any symbol already on this profile’s boards. Each profile can assign 30 new built-in symbols free, and Pro lets you assign more. Personal photos and text stay free.

In Caregiver Mode, tap More (⋯) at the top right, then tap Board Settings and adjust the rows and columns. If you make the grid smaller, words that no longer fit are moved to empty cells, or onto a More page when there is no room, rather than deleted. Sub-board grid size is locked to the home board so tile sizes and motor planning stay consistent.

SpeakPad uses Fitzgerald Key color-coding, a system widely used in speech therapy. Green = verbs (actions), orange = nouns (things), blue = adjectives (describing words), pink = social words, purple = questions, yellow = pronouns (people), brown = prepositions (where), and gray = other. This color consistency helps children find words faster through visual pattern recognition.

Words that have other forms show a small … mark in a corner. Press and hold one on the communication board to see its other forms. For example, holding 'go' shows 'going', 'went', 'goes', and 'gone'. Tap a form, or slide to it and let go, to add it to the message bar; it is spoken when Speak on Tap is on. SpeakPad includes these variants for common words in all nine of its languages, and you can add your own to any word in its Word Forms section.

Your child can tap Find in the message bar to search or browse the words they can reach and add one to their message (on iPhone and narrower iPad screens, it is in the message bar's … menu). In Caregiver Mode, tap Find in the bar along the bottom to search across all boards. Tap a result to jump straight to that board and word.

In Caregiver Mode, tap Select in the bar along the bottom, tap the items you want to change, then tap Hide (tap Show to bring them back). Hidden items appear grayed out in the editor but are completely invisible to the child on the communication board. This lets you introduce vocabulary progressively without permanently removing words, a technique called Progressive Disclosure. For an automatic version of this, see vocabulary stages.

In Caregiver Mode, tap Add → New Category, choose Schedule, give it a name, and tap Add. Add a word for each step of the routine, in reading order. Your child sees a First card for the step happening now and a Then card for the next one, so a schedule with two steps works as a First/Then board. Tap Finish Step to move on, and use the timer to count down 1 to 15 minutes for the current step. Progress starts again each day, and hiding a step skips it for a day without deleting it. To turn an existing board into a schedule, open More → Board Settings and turn on Show as Schedule.

Yes. In Caregiver Mode, open Settings → Boards & Vocabulary and turn on Dark Board under Button Appearance. It puts a black background behind the words. Some people find symbols easier to see this way, and the screen gives off less light at night. Every word stays in the same place. Each profile has its own setting, and it is free. It is separate from your device's Dark Mode, so the board only changes when you choose.

First, check that your device is not on silent (mute). On iPad, check Control Center or the side switch if your model has one. On iPhone, flip the ring/silent switch on the left side so no orange is showing. Also make sure the volume is turned up. SpeakPad uses a special audio mode that should play through silent mode, but some devices require the ringer to be on.

In Caregiver Mode, tap Settings, then Communication. In the Voice section, tap the current voice’s name to see every available voice for your selected language, and adjust speed and pitch with the sliders below it. Higher-quality voices are labeled Enhanced or Premium. Tap Preview to hear a sample. Irish uses the two voices built into SpeakPad instead: choose Pádraig or Siobhán. For English, SpeakPad Voices lists SpeakPad's natural-sounding voices, which you can download with SpeakPad Pro; playing a sample is free.

Yes. In Caregiver Mode, tap Settings, then Communication, then Language. Turn on Show Bilingual Labels and choose a Second Language. Under Buttons Show, choose the language that comes first on every button and is spoken. Under Speak, choose that language only, or both, one after the other. Turn on Language Switch Button to give your child a button in the message bar that swaps the two languages with one tap. Each profile can have its own language pair.

Yes. When adding or editing a vocabulary item, you can choose a photo from your device's photo library.

SpeakPad includes 26,000+ symbols. New profiles start with SpeakPad’s own symbols, drawn for this app; any word without one yet uses a classic AAC symbol. A profile keeps the symbol set it started with, so an update never changes a picture your child already knows; to switch, open Settings → Boards & Vocabulary → Symbol Set. Profiles using the SpeakPad symbol set can search all 26,000+ symbols. Profiles using the classic set search only the classic symbols; SpeakPad’s own symbols become available when you choose the SpeakPad set. Searching the available symbols is free, and so is reusing any symbol already on this profile’s boards. Each profile can assign 30 new built-in symbols free, and Pro lets you assign more. Personal photos and text stay free.

A Visual Scene Display (VSD) uses a real photo - such as a playground, bedroom, or kitchen - as a communication board. Tappable hotspots are placed on the image, and when your child taps one, SpeakPad speaks the word or phrase. VSDs are great for contextual communication in familiar environments.

In Caregiver Mode, tap Settings, then Boards & Vocabulary, then Vocabulary Set. There are two kinds. Topic boards, such as Mealtime or Emotions, add their boards alongside your child's words: you choose an empty cell for the link, and nothing already on the board moves. Complete sets (Starter, Large Buttons, School Vocabulary and Teen Social) replace every board in the current profile, including words you added. Starter, School Vocabulary and Teen Social keep core words in the same places; Large Buttons has its own smaller layout, so its buttons sit in new places. Tap one to preview its home board before you confirm. SpeakPad makes an automatic backup before replacing anything; to get your previous boards back, use Restore Rollback Backup on the same screen. Picking a set under Recent Sets installs a fresh copy without the words you added. Your first set and one more change per profile are free, and adding topic boards is always free. Further changes of complete set require Pro; your current boards remain usable.

In Caregiver Mode, tap More (⋯) at the top right, then tap Share Board. This exports the board you're viewing as a .speakpad file you can send via AirDrop, email, Files, or any other method. To move a whole profile between devices, use Export to File under Settings → Data & Backup instead.

In Caregiver Mode, open Settings → Accessibility → Switch Scanning. Enable scanning and choose Row-Column, Linear or Group. Auto-Scan advances on a timer; press to select. In Manual Scan, press the primary switch to advance, then hold it or press the second switch to select. A large on-screen switch lets you try scanning without hardware. Direct hardware input supports compatible keyboard-style and game-controller switches, not every Bluetooth switch. Pair your device in iPhone or iPad Settings and check its input mode against the switch guide. Other hardware may need iOS Switch Control.

In Caregiver Mode, tap More (⋯) at the top right, then tap Print Board. SpeakPad generates a printable PDF of the current board. You can choose the orientation and paper size, include linked boards and bilingual labels, print each word as a card to cut out, and switch on larger text or black-and-white mode, then print or share the PDF.

When adding or editing a word in Caregiver Mode, find the Pronunciation field (when adding, tap More Options to show it). Type exactly how you want the voice to say it. Useful for names, places, or words the voice mispronounces (for example, labeling a tile 'Gran' but typing 'Grahn' so it sounds natural). Leave it blank to speak the label as written. To use a real voice instead, tap Record My Voice on the same screen.

In Caregiver Mode, tap a word to edit it, then tap Word Forms to open that section. Type a form, such as a tense (went, going) or a plural (dogs), and tap + to add it. SpeakPad fills in built-in forms for common words in every language it offers; tap Reset to Defaults to restore them. These forms appear when a child presses and holds that word on the communication board.

Yes. SpeakPad imports Open Board files (.obf boards and .obz archives) used by CoughDrop, Cboard, and several other AAC tools. In Caregiver Mode, tap Settings, then Data & Backup, tap Import from File, then choose a file from Files, AirDrop, or email. A .obz archive can contain one or many .obf boards plus images. Symbols, labels, colors, and folder links are preserved where possible. TD Snap page sets (.sps, .spb) and TouchChat files (.ce) open the same way. Those apps' own symbols stay with them: words get a matching SpeakPad symbol where there is one, and your own pictures come across.

Yes. For a complete SpeakPad backup, open Settings → Data & Backup and use Export to File to create a native .speakpad file. To share boards with other AAC tools, use Export to Other AAC Apps (.obz) on the same page; this needs SpeakPad Pro. The exported .obz archive contains Open Board .obf files that CoughDrop, Cboard, and other compatible tools can open. Importing boards and sharing .speakpad files are free.

Yes, in SpeakPad 3.0.1 or later. Drawing is free. In Caregiver Mode, open Settings → Communication and turn on Show Draw Button. Tap Draw in the message bar to open the pad; on a portrait iPhone, it is in the message bar's … menu. Draw with a finger or supported Apple Pencil, change colors, erase, undo or clear. Add to Board passes through the caregiver lock, then lets you label and place the drawing as a word. The pad keeps a separate drawing for each profile and is hidden while in-app switch scanning is enabled.

In SpeakPad 3.0.1 or later, open Settings → Usage Analytics in Caregiver Mode and find Goals. With Pro, use Add Goal to set a communication goal, then Start Data Session to measure its use. Review the session to mark prompted uses and see progress over time. Pro also provides printable data sheets and goal progress in PDF reports. Viewing existing goals and raw data exports stay free, as do ordinary target-word counts and dated session notes.

In Caregiver Mode, open Settings → Accessibility. Under Tapping, Hold Duration makes a tap count only after a short hold, and Ignore Repeat Taps ignores a tap that comes too soon after the one before. Both apply to the board, the message bar and the keyboard. Start with a short time and watch how your child does. For a child who can't reliably tap at all, try Switch Scanning.

Yes. Each child gets their own profile with separate boards, voice, language, and settings. To switch, tap the gear icon, pass the caregiver lock, then tap Settings → Switch Profile. Create new profiles on the same screen, and rename the current one in Settings → Name & Photo. Two profiles are free. Creating a third or later profile requires Pro.

In Caregiver Mode, tap Settings, then Data & Backup, then tap Back Up Now to save to iCloud. To save a backup file instead, tap Export to File on the same page to create a .speakpad file you can store or share.

On your old device, open Caregiver Mode and go to Settings → Data & Backup. Either tap Back Up Now (iCloud) or Export to File to save a .speakpad file (via AirDrop, Files, or email). On your new device, install SpeakPad. If it finds your iCloud backup, the first setup screen offers Restore From Backup; otherwise, finish setup, then open the same Data & Backup page: restore the iCloud backup from the list, or tap Import from File to load your .speakpad file.

In Caregiver Mode, tap Settings, then under Caregiver tap Usage Analytics. You'll see word frequency charts, daily communication counts, and session data. Choose Today, Week, Month or All to set the period. To export a report, scroll to the Export Data section for PDF Report for Therapist; Export as CSV, Export as JSON and Plain Text Report are just below it. Analytics data is stored on the device and never sent to us; it leaves only in an export you make or in your own iCloud backup. The dashboard and raw CSV/JSON exports are free. Formatted activity PDF reports require Pro. Printing a communication board stays free.

With SpeakPad Pro, yes, for devices signed in to the same iCloud account. In Caregiver Mode, tap Settings, then Data & Backup, and turn on Keep Devices in Sync on each device; on the second device, first restore this profile's latest iCloud backup from the same page. When a newer backup from another device arrives in iCloud, SpeakPad shows an Update Available prompt; tap Update to apply it. You can also turn on Update Automatically When Safe to apply changes without asking when this device has no unsaved edits. A safety copy is always made first, so you can take back any update with Undo Restore on the same page. Without Pro, you can still move boards yourself: back up to iCloud on one device and restore on the other, or send a .speakpad file.

Yes, with Share With the Team in SpeakPad 3.0.1 or later. In Caregiver Mode, open Settings → Data & Backup and use the share button under Share With the Team. Each person uses their own iCloud account. Starting a share and publishing edits require Pro; accepting an invitation and applying an offered update are free. Changes are published when you leave Caregiver Mode. Recipients choose when to apply them; this is not simultaneous editing. Opening an invitation link asks for the caregiver lock first. If a colleague's update is waiting, apply it before your own changes are shared. Applying replaces this device's boards and updates or removes the goals, sessions and notes shared earlier; a safety backup lets you undo it. Boards, photos, recordings, goals, sessions and notes are shared, while each device keeps its own settings and raw usage history. iCloud must be available and allowed by your organization.

Core words are the top rows of your home board, everyday words like 'want' and 'help', repeated at the top of every grid board inside it. They are always one tap away, no matter which category board you navigate to. Turn on Keep Core Words on Every Board and set how many rows they use in Settings → Boards & Vocabulary.

Tap symbols to build a sentence in the message bar at the top of the screen. Press the blue Speak button to read the full sentence aloud. Tap any word tile to hear just that word. To clear the whole message, tap the × button; if you clear it by mistake, tap Undo to bring it back. Your recent sentences are saved automatically: tap the clock icon to recall and re-speak previous messages, or pin a frequent one as a Saved Message. On iPhone and narrower iPad screens, History is in the message bar's … menu, and on a portrait iPhone so is Clear.

Tap the keyboard button in the message bar (labeled Type on larger iPads) to open a full keyboard over any board, so you never lose your place; on iPhone and narrower iPad screens it is in the message bar's … menu. Turn on Suggest Words While Typing in Settings → Communication and SpeakPad suggests whole words with their pictures as your child types, based on common words and their own message history, all processed on-device, never sent anywhere. Tap a suggestion to accept it. This is ideal for users who are developing literacy skills. Caregivers can show or hide the keyboard button in Settings → Communication, or add a dedicated keyboard board with Add → New Category.

Saved Messages are reusable phrases you can pin for quick access. Open History in the message bar and tap the pin next to a sentence; on iPhone and narrower iPad screens, History is in the message bar's … menu. In Caregiver Mode, open Settings → Saved Messages to add, reorder or remove them.

Modeling Mode lets a caregiver or therapist show language on the child's own board, the technique known as aided language stimulation. Tap the gear icon, pass the caregiver lock, then tap Model in the bar along the bottom, or choose Modeling Mode from More. Your taps build a separate message, so they stay out of the child's own message, history, and usage data. Taps still speak if Speak on Tap is on; to model silently, turn Speak on Tap off in Settings → Communication. The first time, a short primer explains how to model. Tap Done Modeling to hand the board back, with the child's unfinished message restored.

SpeakPad Starter, School Vocabulary and Teen Social have a Safe folder on the Help & Repair board, with words such as “Don't touch me”, “They hurt me” and “I feel unsafe”. They are tapped like any other word, but they stay out of usage data, reports, word prediction and History, because a child may be telling someone about the adult who reads those. A caregiver can still remove a word.

SpeakPad supports 9 languages: English, Spanish, French, Arabic, Portuguese, Hindi, Simplified Chinese, Dutch, and Irish. Board labels, starter boards, speech, and the app interface are available in every one of them. Apple has no Irish voice, so SpeakPad speaks Irish with two voices of its own, built into the app. You can also enable bilingual mode to show labels in two languages at once.

In Caregiver Mode, tap Settings, then Switch Profile. Swipe left on the profile you want to delete and tap Delete. This removes all boards, settings, and history for that profile. To keep the profile but start it again, open Settings → Reset or Delete and choose Reset This Profile: its boards return to defaults and its custom words, photos and usage data are cleared. SpeakPad makes a safety backup first.

In Caregiver Mode, tap Add → New Category, choose Visual Scene, give it a name, and pick a photo from your library (or use one of the built-in demo scenes). Tap Add and the hotspot editor opens. Tap anywhere on the photo to place a hotspot, then give it a label and choose a category color. Drag a hotspot to move it; tap it to select it, then drag its corner to resize it. To change hotspots later, open the scene in Caregiver Mode and tap Hotspots in the bar along the bottom.

Optional SpeakPad Pro purchases support development. In Caregiver Mode, open Settings and tap See SpeakPad Pro. You can also help by leaving an App Store review or sharing SpeakPad with other families.

In Caregiver Mode, tap Settings, then Name & Photo, just below Switch Profile. Tap the avatar to take a photo, choose one from the library, or remove the current picture. The photo appears on that page and in the profile list.

Vocabulary stages reveal the starter board's words gradually, so a child isn't overwhelmed early on. There are three: First Words (requests, people, and social basics), Growing (adds describing words, questions, and positions), and Everything (all starter words). Raising the stage only reveals more words; buttons never move, so a word stays where a child first learned to find it. Words you add yourself are always shown. Set the stage in Settings → Boards & Vocabulary; setup also lets you start with some words hidden.

Completely. SpeakPad collects no data at all. See our Privacy Policy for details. Privacy Policy

Enter a wrong PIN five times and the lock switches to a multiplication problem, so a forgotten PIN never locks you out. Solve it to get in, then set a new PIN in Settings → Caregiver Lock. If you're using a math-problem lock (the default), there's no PIN to forget; just solve the sum shown on screen. You can switch between lock types (easy math, hard math, or 4-digit PIN) in the same place. If your school's device management service set the PIN, ask your IT team.

Use Apple's Guided Access. Open your device's Settings → Accessibility → Guided Access, turn it on, and set a passcode. Return to SpeakPad and triple-click the top button on iPad (the side button on iPhone, or the Home button on older devices); the first time, tap Start. To end it, triple-click again and enter your passcode.