User guide

The welcome screen sets the language and starting board for your first conversations.

In the Fast AAC app

1. Choose your language.
2. Choose a starting board.
3. Tap Get Started.

Available boards depend on your device. You can change the layout later in Library.

Editing controls are available after unlocking the communication screen.

In the Fast AAC app

1. If locked, tap Screen lock. Enter your password if asked.
2. Choose Edit Mode to change pages, or the gear for Settings.
3. Use Exit or Exit Settings when finished. Lock the screen again.

Library offers ready-made vocabulary pages to add to your current setup.

In the Fast AAC app

1. Choose a page source, then a page.
2. Tap Add Page.

Pages add vocabulary. Templates change the wider setup.

A template provides a different starting arrangement of pages and vocabulary.

In the Fast AAC app

1. Choose a template → Apply Template.
2. Review Keep Custom Folders or Delete All Folders.
3. Confirm when ready.

Create a backup first. Applying a template can replace existing folders.

These building blocks organize vocabulary and connect different parts of the app.

In the Fast AAC app

1. Tile — a word, phrase, or action.
2. Folder — a page of tiles, reached from the folder bar or a linked tile.
3. Library — ready-made Pages and Templates.

The sentence bar brings selected words together before reading them aloud.

In the Fast AAC app

1. Tap word tiles in order.
2. Tap Speak sentence.
3. Use Delete word for the last word, or Clear sentence to start again.

Word alternatives help a sentence use the right tense or form.

In the Fast AAC app

1. Press a word marked with a dot at the top left.
2. Slide to the form you want.
3. Release to choose.

Word alternatives are available for English and Spanish.

Keyboard Assist adds typed words to conversations alongside tile-based vocabulary.

In the Fast AAC app

1. Set Keyboard Assist to Enabled.
2. Return to your page and tap the keyboard icon.
3. Type into the sentence bar.

Tile Location Finder searches vocabulary and shows where a matching tile lives.

In the Fast AAC app

1. Enable Tile Location Finder.
2. Tap the locator icon → search for a word.
3. Choose a match → Go To Tile.

Available on tablets.

Recommendations offer possible next words or phrases while a sentence takes shape.

In the Fast AAC app

1. Choose a Recommendation Style.
2. Set Max Recommendations; choose 0 to hide them.
3. Enable Use Only My Phrases to limit suggestions to your saved phrases.

My Phrases gives sentence suggestions a personal collection of familiar expressions.

In the Fast AAC app

1. Tap Create and enter your phrase.
2. Select a saved phrase to Edit or Remove.

Each tile can represent a word or phrase with its own image, color, and voice.

In the Fast AAC app

1. Choose Add, or select a tile → Edit.
2. Set its name, image, color, and voice.
3. Tap Save.

An empty + tile also opens the editor to add a word in that position.

Personal photos can make tiles easier to recognize for familiar people, places, or objects.

In the Fast AAC app

1. Choose an image from your device.
2. Tap Save.

A tile can use a recorded voice or an audio file for its sound.

In the Fast AAC app

1. Choose Record → speak → Stop.
2. Play it back, then Save.
3. Use the upload arrow (Upload Audio) for an audio file, or Remove Voice to remove a recording.

Additional Options fine-tunes one tile without changing the whole page.

In the Fast AAC app

1. Pronunciation — change how the word is spoken.
2. Column Span / Row Span — make the tile larger.
3. Override Padding / Override Font Size — adjust this tile only.
4. Tap Set → Save.

Add Tiles turns a list of names into several vocabulary tiles in one go.

In the Fast AAC app

1. Enter names separated by commas.
2. Choose a color → Save.

A page can be reorganized as vocabulary needs change, with hidden tiles kept for later.

In the Fast AAC app

1. Drag a tile to another position, empty slot, or folder.
2. Tap its eye control to hide or show it.
3. Drag to the trash can to remove it.

Create a backup before removing vocabulary.

Folders group related vocabulary into pages with their own names and icons.

In the Fast AAC app

1. Choose Add, or select a folder → Edit.
2. Set its name and icon → Save.
3. Use the eye to hide it, or the up/down arrows to reorder it.

To remove a folder, choose Edit → Delete and confirm.

A folder-linked tile opens another vocabulary page when selected.

In the Fast AAC app

1. Choose a Target Folder.
2. Or choose Library to add a ready-made page.
3. Tap Set → Save.

Use Previous Folder to make a back tile. Speak When Pressed and Add To Sentence control its speech.

Paint Mode applies a chosen color to several tiles without opening each editor.

In the Fast AAC app

1. Tap the right chevron (›) on the top editing panel, or swipe across it, to find Paint Mode.
2. Choose a color, then tap tiles to recolor them.
3. Hold a swatch for color variants.
4. Tap the selected color again to finish.

A Scene turns areas of a picture into hotspots with their own spoken text.

In the Fast AAC app

1. Choose the tile’s image in Image.
2. Open Manage Behavior → Scene.
3. At the end of the hotspot list, tap Add Hotspot → draw a rectangle → pencil → enter Spoken text.
4. Tap Set → Save.

Scene editing is available on tablets.

Each hotspot has an adjustable position, size, color, and label.

In the Fast AAC app

1. Select a hotspot; use its pencil to edit Spoken text, or choose a color.
2. Drag to move it; use its handles to resize.
3. Use the eye control to hide or show its label.

Expand scene gives more room and controls for label position and border width.

Scene selections can speak immediately, join a sentence, or do both.

In the Fast AAC app

1. Enable Speak When Pressed to hear each hotspot.
2. Enable Add To Sentence to add selections to the sentence bar.
3. Tap Set → Save.

Nearby word tiles add vocabulary that can be used alongside the picture’s hotspots.

In the Fast AAC app

1. Use Column Span / Row Span to size the Scene tile.
2. In Edit Mode, add or drag ordinary tiles into the remaining grid spaces.

A video tile plays a selected portion of a local video or YouTube clip.

In the Fast AAC app

1. Choose Custom Video, or paste a YouTube link → Load.
2. Adjust the start/end controls or drag the range handles.
3. Tap Preview → Set → Save.

Custom Video works offline. YouTube needs a connection and one-time consent on each device. Large videos may be omitted from backups with a notice.

Keyboard behavior lets tiles act as letters, spaces, or other typing controls.

In the Fast AAC app

1. Choose Key, Space Bar, Speak Sentence, Backspace, or another keyboard action.
2. Tap Set → Save.

Available on tablets. To open a keyboard page, link to its folder.

Symbol Set changes the artwork library used across your vocabulary tiles.

In the Fast AAC app

1. Open Symbol Set.
2. Choose Standard, FluentCore, or FluentCore Focus.
3. With FluentCore selected, use Skin Tone for supported artwork.

FluentCore and FluentCore Focus require Premium.

These settings shape the board’s overall look and the way tile labels appear.

In the Fast AAC app

1. Color Scheme — choose an appearance.
2. Tile Font — Calm, Clean, Friendly, or Inclusive.
3. Tile Style — Button, Flat, Island, Divided Island, or Inset Island.

Rows and columns determine how many tile positions fit on a page.

In the Fast AAC app

1. If Rows and Columns aren’t visible, tap the right chevron (›) or swipe across the top editing panel.
2. Adjust Rows and Columns.
3. For one folder only: Folders → Edit → Override Grid Size.

Without Override Grid Size, the sliders change the shared grid.

Spacing and text controls help balance readable labels with room between tiles.

In the Fast AAC app

1. Use the right chevron (›) or swipe across the top editing panel to find each group of sliders.
2. Use Tile Roundness, Tile Spacing, and Tile Padding.
3. Adjust Tile Font Size, Folder Font Size, and Folder Icon Size.

More controls are on the next toolbar page. On iPhone, swipe through the toolbar.

Layout settings control the sentence area and how folders appear during communication.

In the Fast AAC app

1. Sentence Bar Size — change the sentence area.
2. Show Folder Bar / Show Only Folder Icons — simplify navigation.
3. Tile Text Layout, Folder Marker, and Folders To Pin — refine your page.

Locked columns stay in place while the rest of the board scrolls.

In the Fast AAC app

1. Tap the lock below a column to keep it fixed.
2. Tap again to unlock it.

Speaking Voice controls the sound and accent of the app’s synthesized speech.

In the Fast AAC app

Speaking Rate makes speech slower or faster while keeping the selected voice.

In the Fast AAC app

1. Adjust the rate.
2. Use Test to listen.

These options control speech feedback during tile selection, typing, and sentence playback.

In the Fast AAC app

1. Instant Speak — speak each tile as it is selected.
2. Keyboard Speech → Speak Characters — hear each typed character.
3. Speech Utterance — highlight words during sentence speech.

The app language and speaking voice are separate choices that can be matched.

In the Fast AAC app

1. Select your language.
2. Check Speaking Voice for a matching voice.

Your own tile names and recordings may need separate updates.

Activation gestures determine whether a selection happens at touch-down or when the finger lifts.

In the Fast AAC app

1. Open Tile Activation Gesture or Folder Activation Gesture.
2. Choose On Tap for activation at touch-down.
3. Choose On Release to allow movement before lifting your finger.

Screen lock can require a password before someone changes the app’s setup.

In the Fast AAC app

1. Enter an unlock password and recovery email → Save.
2. Return to the main page and use Screen lock.
3. Enter the password when unlocking editing controls.

Anti Glare adds a subtle paper texture to the app’s appearance.

In the Fast AAC app

1. Set Anti Glare to Enabled for a subtle paper texture.

Visible vocabulary and navigation can be reduced to suit the current conversation or learning stage.

In the Fast AAC app

1. Hide unused tiles or folders with their eye controls in Edit Mode.
2. Adjust Sentence Bar Size and Show Folder Bar in Settings → Layout.
3. Set Max Recommendations to 0 to hide suggestions.

Password recovery uses the email address saved when the unlock password was set.

In the Fast AAC app

1. Choose Forgot in the unlock dialog.
2. Check the recovery email you set for a temporary password.

On iPhone, Forgot is shown as an icon.

A backup keeps a saved version of your setup for later recovery or transfer.

In the Fast AAC app

1. Choose Create.
2. Name the backup → Create.
3. Use Export Backups → Export to keep a copy outside the app.

A saved backup can replace the full setup or add selected pages to the current board.

In the Fast AAC app

1. Select a backup → Restore.
2. Choose Full → Restore to replace the active setup.
3. Or choose Partial → select pages → Import.

Partial adds copies and keeps your current board and settings. Back up before a full restore.

A password-protected backup file carries a setup outside the app or to another device.

In the Fast AAC app

1. Select a backup → Export → enter an Export Password → Export. Save or share the file.
2. On the receiving device: Import → choose the file → enter the same password → Import.

Import replaces the active setup. Back up first and keep the export password. Use .fastaacbackup files between iOS and Android.

Air Send and Air Receive transfer a saved backup between nearby compatible devices.

In the Fast AAC app

1. Receiving device: open Air Receive.
2. Sending device: select a backup → Air Send.
3. On the receiver, Accept. Then select the received Local Backup → Restore.

Requires Premium. Use Export / Import between iOS and Android.

Page QR shares a vocabulary page through a code another device can scan.

In the Fast AAC app

1. Tap the right chevron (›) on the top editing panel, or swipe across it, to find Page QR.
2. Select a folder → Page QR → Generate.
3. On the other device: Page QR → Load → Scan, or Import a QR image.
4. Point at the code → Add Page.

Use a backup for Scenes or custom media. QR sharing works without an internet connection.

An exported page provides a printable or shareable copy of the vocabulary layout.

In the Fast AAC app

1. Select your folder.
2. Tap the right chevron (›) on the top editing panel, or swipe across it, to find Export.
3. Choose PDF or PNG.
4. Save or share the exported page.

Use PDF for a printable page; PNG for an image.

These checks help narrow the problem to device audio, the speaking voice, or one tile.

In the Fast AAC app

1. Check device volume and the current audio output.
2. Open Settings → Language; select a voice and test the speaking rate.
3. If only one tile is affected, check its recording and pronunciation.

Vocabulary may be hidden, stored in another folder, or recoverable from a backup.

In the Fast AAC app

1. Unlock → Edit Mode. Check its eye control.
2. Check other folders, or use Tile Location Finder on a tablet.
3. If it was deleted, check a saved backup.

Media playback may depend on device permissions, the original file, or a YouTube connection.

In the Fast AAC app

1. Allow microphone access when recording.
2. Reselect the original photo, audio, or video file.
3. For YouTube, check your connection and tap Retry. On a new device, enable YouTube in Video setup.

Premium unlocks optional features, with purchase and restoration handled through your device’s app store.

In the Fast AAC app

1. Fast AAC is free to download, with an optional one-time Premium purchase.
2. Open the Premium purchase screen in the app for the current features and price.

App Store and Google Play purchases are separate.

Resetting replaces the active board and settings with a fresh setup.

In the Fast AAC app

1. Create and export a backup first.
2. Choose Reset All Settings and review the reset options.
3. Confirm only when you want to replace the active setup.

Reset replaces tiles, folders, and settings. Saved backups remain available.

Media cleanup frees space by removing files the app no longer needs.

In the Fast AAC app

1. Choose Remove Unused Media.
2. Review the confirmation → Remove.

On iPhone, the button is Remove Media. Media used by tiles or backups is kept; recent imports are kept for 24 hours.

A short description of the issue and your device helps support understand what happened.

In the Fast AAC app

1. Email support@fastaac.com.
2. Include your device, app version, and what you were trying to do.