How-To Guide
A practical guide to finding words, building messages, using Personal, changing Options, creating custom pages, and getting an app-like experience on your device.
Qixtap is a visual communication app built around tappable words and pictures. The main screen is divided into a message bar, a vocabulary board, subcategories, and a main category bar.
Tap a tile and its word or phrase is added to the message at the top. Use Speak to read the full message aloud, Back to remove the last item, and Clear to empty the message.
The center of the screen shows the available tiles for the selected category. Qixtap uses pages instead of one long scrolling board, so common vocabulary appears first and less-common vocabulary can be reached on later pages.
Build a message by tapping tiles in the order you want them spoken. The message bar keeps the sentence together while you move between categories, so you can combine words from different parts of Qixtap.
If you make a mistake, tap Back to remove only the last item. Tap Clear when you want to start over. When the message is ready, tap Speak.
Qixtap's web/PWA version uses the browser or device speech system. The exact voice can therefore sound different on iPad, iPhone, Android, Windows, or another device.
When this Option is enabled, Qixtap speaks each tile immediately as it is selected while still adding it to the message. Turn it off if you prefer to build the full message silently and use Speak only when the sentence is ready.
Personal is the first main category and is designed for information that is specific to the person using Qixtap. A caregiver can enter optional information in Settings, and Qixtap turns those entries into ready-to-speak sentences.
Examples include a name or preferred name, age, birthday, school or therapy location, teacher, therapist, parent or caregiver names, city, phone number, favorite food or drink, favorite show, favorite activity, favorite color, and pet.
Each regular Personal field has a Show control. Turn Show off when information should remain saved in Settings but should not appear on the Personal communication board. Leaving a field blank also prevents that generated sentence from appearing.
Emergency contact name and phone can also be entered. When either is provided, Qixtap can create a ready-to-speak emergency-contact phrase.
Settings are caregiver-protected. Tap Settings and enter the adult PIN to make changes. In the current alpha build, the default PIN is shown in the PIN prompt; change it before regular use.
Beginner provides broad everyday vocabulary. Intermediate adds more advanced vocabulary and sentence-building words. Advanced adds the full vocabulary library, more complex construction, contractions, and typing. Levels are cumulative, so higher levels keep the vocabulary from lower levels.
Expands the caregiver-entered Personal fields described above. Fill in only what is useful, and use each field's Show control to decide whether it appears on the communication board.
Switch between Cartoon, Real, and ASL visual treatments. The selected style applies to the communication tiles where supported.
When enabled, Qixtap speaks an individual tile as soon as it is selected. The tile is still added to the message bar.
Choose a maximum of 15, 20, 25, or 30 items in the message. Once the limit is reached, Qixtap stops adding new items until space is cleared.
Shows a warning when the message is getting close to the selected limit and a full-message notice when the limit is reached.
Turns the Print button on or off. When enabled, Print is still protected by the adult PIN. Printing is intended for the currently displayed communication board/page.
Change the caregiver PIN to a new 4–8 digit number. Settings and protected printing use this PIN.
Shows the exact Qixtap build currently loaded. This is useful when reporting a problem or confirming that an update has reached the device.
Clears Qixtap's cached app files and reloads the newest available build. It does not erase the saved PIN, Personal information, Options, or custom pages.
Create, edit, or delete personal one-screen boards. The available tile picker follows the currently selected Skill Level, while already-saved custom pages are kept if the level changes.
Saves the current Options and returns to the communication board. Most Options are also saved as they are changed.
In Settings, select + Add Custom Page, give the page a name, and choose the tiles you want included. Qixtap currently supports up to 10 custom pages. Existing pages can be edited or deleted from the same Settings area.
Once at least one custom page exists, Custom appears in the main category navigation. Each custom page is designed as a one-screen board for quick access to a focused set of vocabulary.
Advanced Skill Level adds a Type button. Type a word or sentence using the device keyboard, then either speak it directly or add its words to the message bar. Added words still respect the selected message-length limit.
On the Go is designed for fast access to practical words and phrases when the full vocabulary library is not needed. On smaller phone screens, Qixtap opens in On the Go by default so larger quick-access choices are immediately available.
Qixtap supports both portrait and landscape use. Tablet remains the primary full communication experience, while phone use is intentionally streamlined.
For a more app-like experience, open Qixtap in Safari, open the Share menu, choose Add to Home Screen, and use the web-app option when your version of iOS offers it. Qixtap can then launch from its Home Screen icon without navigating back to the website each time.
On Android, open Qixtap in a supported browser such as Chrome and look for Install app or Add to Home screen. The exact wording can vary by Android version and browser.
Open Settings and check the Version. If an update is expected, use Clear Cache & Reload. This refreshes Qixtap's app files while keeping saved user data.
Check the page indicator below the vocabulary board. Swipe/drag horizontally or use the previous/next arrows to move through the category's pages.
The selected message-length limit has been reached. Use Back to remove one item, Clear to start over, or ask a caregiver to choose a larger limit in Settings.
Printing is off by default. A caregiver must enable Printing in Settings. The Print button then appears and remains protected by the adult PIN.
Typing is an Advanced-level feature. Change Skill Level to Advanced to make the Type button available.
The current web/PWA build uses the browser/device speech system, so available voices and pronunciation can differ between platforms.
Qixtap is still being actively tested and refined. The current web version lets people use the communication system now while the project continues toward a more complete release.
Planned work includes continued interface and vocabulary refinement, more visual and customization options, continued improvements to On the Go, and future native releases—Android first, with iOS planned later. Spanish support is being considered as an optional future addition, but it is not guaranteed for launch or any specific future release and should not be treated as a promised feature when deciding whether to purchase Qixtap. If added, initial Spanish support may focus on translated core vocabulary and common communication rather than full sentence construction.
Feedback from real use will help shape what changes next. Features, wording, visuals, and layouts shown in the alpha may change as Qixtap develops.
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