Frequently Asked Questions

Your photos are safe! All the card photos you took are automatically saved to your iPhone's Photos app assigned to an album called "CardKeepApp". These photos will remain on your device even if you delete the app.

Your card data (text information) is only stored locally on your device - we don't have any servers or cloud backup. However:

Photos: If you have iCloud Photos enabled, your card photos automatically sync to iCloud as part of your regular photo backup.

Backup reminders: The app uses smart reminders (after 7+ days OR 5+ new cards) to suggest exporting your memory data for extra protection

Yes! The backup system makes this easy:

Step-by-step transfer:

1. Before switching: Export a backup from your old phone
2. Photo transfer: Ensure iCloud Photos is enabled for automatic photo sync
3. On new phone: Download CardKeepApp and import your backup file
4. Restore complete: All your cards, photos, and data are back!

Read the complete backup guide →

CardKeepApp now uses an ultra-efficient photo reference system:

• App size: About 10-20MB
• Card data: Extremely small (just text info + photo references)
• Photos: Only stored in your Photos app, not in CardKeepApp
• 100 cards: App data only ~2-5MB (previously was 50MB+)
• 1000+ cards: Still under 50MB of app data

Since CardKeepApp now references photos stored in your Photos app rather than keeping copies:

• Deleted photos = broken cards: The card information remains, but photos won't display
• Re-add: You can now re-add photos to existing cards from your photo library

CardKeepApp v1.3.0+ offers two backup options with different photo handling:

Complete Backup (Recommended for New Devices):

• 100% photo restoration - photos restore automatically with card data
• No manual work required - everything works immediately
• No dependency on iCloud Photos sync or photo identifiers
• Larger file sizes but guaranteed success
• May create duplicate photos in Photos app, but ensures complete preservation

Quick Backup (Photo Reference Limitations):

• All card information restores perfectly (sender, occasion, dates, notes, tags)
• Photos require manual re-linking due to Apple's photo identifier changes
• Use CardKeepApp's edit feature to re-select photos from your iCloud Photos
• Ultra-lightweight files but requires photo management if moving to a new device

Bottom line: Complete Backup eliminates the traditional photo restoration complications - choose the backup type that fits your needs!

CardKeepApp v1.3.0+ includes two backup types to meet different needs:

Quick Backup (Photo References Only):

• Ultra-lightweight: Less than 1KB per card
• Fast: Quick export and import process
• Photo links: References photos in your Photos app
• Best for: Regular backups, same device restore, reliable iCloud Photos sync

Complete Backup (Includes Photo Data):

• Self-contained: Includes full-resolution photo data
• Guaranteed restoration: Works regardless of Photos app contents
• File sizes: About 400KB per card with typical photos (25 cards = ~10MB, 50 cards = ~30MB, 100 cards = ~50MB)
• Best for: Device migrations, long-term archival, unreliable iCloud sync

Both Types Include:

• Complete card data (sender, occasion, dates, tags, notes)
• Easy sharing via email, AirDrop, Files app, or cloud storage

Read the complete backup guide →

Manual backup with smart reminders:

• Manual Export: You control when and where to save backup files
• Weekly Reminders: Shows reminders after 7+ days OR 5+ new cards since last backup
• Intelligent Triggers: Checks on app launch and after saving new cards
• User Control: "Remind Later" (7 days) or "Don't Remind" (365 days) options
• Card Count Tracking: Shows how many cards you have to backup
• Last Backup Date: Tracks when you last created a backup

CardKeepApp handles two types of data:

Photos (Automatic via iCloud Photos):

• Saved to your Photos app "CardKeepApp" album
• Automatically backed up if iCloud Photos is enabled
• Remain safe even if you delete the app

Card Data (Manual Export):

• Sender names, occasions, dates, tags, personal notes
• Must be exported manually to backup files
• Lost if app is deleted without backup
• Ultra-lightweight files for easy storage and sharing

Yes, if you have a backup!

Deletion scenarios:

• Individual cards deleted: Import from most recent backup to restore them
• App deleted: Reinstall CardKeepApp and import your backup file
• New phone: Install CardKeepApp on new device and import FULL backup

What you need for successful restore:

• Backup file: The export file from CardKeepApp (FULL BACKUP FILE)
• Photos available: Card photos accessible through iCloud Photos sync or FULL backups file

Restore Results:

• Card data: Always restores completely (sender, dates, tags, notes)
• Photo visibility: Depends on iCloud Photos sync status
• Best case: Complete restore with all photos on the same device with iCloud Photos enabled

Import scenarios:

• Wait some time: Due to the way iOS works, sometimes it will not display all the photos on import, Especially if you are importing a large collection, scroll up and down and open a few photos and eventually you should see them
• i see only some of my photos: Wait a bit longer, the app MUST be open while importing and large collections can take some time
• Testing: During testing of imports, it was found to take up to 5 minutes to import 500 cards with between 1 and 4 photos each on older iPhones / iPads, it will also depend on the size of the photo being restored

What you need for successful restore:

• Backup file: The export file from CardKeepApp
• Photos available: Card photos accessible through iCloud Photos sync on the original device, or a full backup file for a new or restored device

Restore Results:

• Card data: Always restores completely (sender, dates, tags, notes)
• Photo visibility: Depends on iCloud Photos sync status or a full backup file

Recommended backup schedule:

Regular Schedule:

• Monthly: Export a backup at the beginning of each month (Quick Backup)
• After bulk adding: When you add 10+ cards in a session (Quick Backup)
• Before major events: Phone upgrades, iOS updates, etc. (Full Backup)
• Seasonal cleanup: When organising or reviewing your collection (Full Backup)

Storage Strategy:

• Multiple locations: Save to Files app, email yourself, cloud storage
• Name with dates: "CardKeep_Backup_2024_January.json"
• Keep recent backups: Store last 3-6 months of backups

Two Different Photo Restoration Methods:

CardKeepApp v1.3.0+ uses different approaches depending on your backup type:

Complete Backup - Direct Photo Restoration:

• Embedded photos: Actual photo data is stored in the backup file
• 100% reliable: Photos restore automatically with card data but bigger file sizes
• No dependencies: Works regardless of Photos app contents or iCloud sync
• Result: Immediate, complete restoration on any device
• Note: May create duplicate photos in Photos app, but ensures complete preservation

Quick Backup - Photo Reference Restoration:

• Photo references: Uses iOS Photos library identifiers
• iCloud dependency: Requires photos to exist in Photos app on the same device the backup was taken
• Same device: Works well for restoring to the same device
• New device limitation: Photo links may break due to Apple's photo ID changes
• Result: Card data always restores, photos depend on Photos app availability

How to edit cards:

1. Open any saved card from your collection
2. Tap the "Pencil" button in the card detail view
3. Make your changes to any field
4. Tap "Save" to keep your updates

No more deleting and recreating cards for simple changes!

Learn more about card editing →

Photo options:

• Take Photo: Use your camera to capture new photos with portrait or landscape framing and cropping options
• Choose from Library: Select existing photos from your photo library - photos are used as-is without cropping
• Smart Management: The app intelligently prevents photo duplicates

This is perfect for adding older greeting cards to your collection using photos you've already taken!

Learn more about photo options →

No, cropping is not available for library photos.

When you select existing photos from your photo library, they are imported in their current format without cropping options. Here's what you need to know:

For library photos:

• Photos are used exactly as they appear in your library
• No cropping or editing options are available within CardKeepApp
• Tip: Use the Photos app to crop images to your desired format before selecting them

For camera photos:

• Full cropping and framing options are available
• Choose portrait or landscape orientation
• Adjust the crop area to focus on the important parts of your card

You can add up to 5 photos per card with our improved photo type selection:

• Front: The outside cover design
• Inside: The heartfelt message inside
• Back: Any special notes or signatures
• Extra 1: Additional details or close-ups
• Extra 2: More special details

This lets you capture every detail of your greeting cards with proper organisation!

Yes, completely! CardKeepApp works 100% offline. You don't need internet to:

• Add new cards
• View your collection
• Search through cards
• Take photos

Everything is stored locally on your device.

No, you can only delete cards one at a time. This is an intentional design decision for safety!

Why we designed it this way:

• Prevent accidents: Multiple deletion could accidentally remove cards you want to keep
• Encourage reflection: Each card deserves individual consideration before deletion
• Safety first: We want to prevent irreversible bulk mistakes
• Backup reminder: Gives you time to create a backup if you're doing major cleanup

It can be slower, but the goal is to protect your card data and photos reliably.

This is an Apple iOS limitation, not a CardKeepApp choice!

Technical explanation:

• iOS behaviour: When using Apple's document export system, iOS shows "Move" instead of "Save"
• File handling: The system is technically moving the file from the app's temporary directory to your chosen location
• Standard practice: You'll see this "Move" behaviour in many other iOS apps that export documents
• More accurate: "Move" is actually more technically correct than "Save" in this context

Your backup file:

• Gets safely moved to your chosen location (Files app, cloud storage, etc.)
• Remains accessible for future imports
• Works exactly the same as if it said "Save"

Yes! You can share your card information and photos, but it shares the basic data (not the exact app display format). The share feature includes:

• Card photos
• Sender information
• Occasion and dates
• Your personal notes

Recipients will get this as a standard message (Shared via Email, iMessage etc) with photos, not as a CardKeepApp card.

Here are the key limitations to be aware of:

Read full limitations guide →

On iPhone, CardKeepApp is designed exclusively for portrait mode. The interface is optimised for iPhone's portrait orientation to provide the best experience for viewing and managing greeting cards.

iPad users: The app supports both portrait and landscape orientations on iPad for a more flexible experience on the larger screen.

The card layouts and photo viewing work best in portrait mode, which is why iPhone is locked to this orientation.

Currently, CardKeepApp is built specifically for iOS to provide the best possible experience on Apple devices. It is designed for iPhone and iPad.

Yes! CardKeepApp is fully compatible with iPad and supports both portrait and landscape orientations on the larger screen.

iPad advantages:

• Larger screen for better photo viewing
• Portrait and landscape orientation support
• Same full feature set as iPhone version

The app works great on both iPhone and iPad, giving you flexibility to use whichever device you prefer!

CardKeepApp requires iOS 16.0 or later for the best performance and access to all features.

Why iOS 16.0+:

• Modern photo handling: Latest identifier system for better photo references
• Enhanced performance: Optimised for current iOS capabilities
• Security: Latest privacy and security frameworks
• Reliability: Access to most stable iOS APIs

CardKeepApp only requests essential permissions:

• Camera: To photograph your greeting cards
• Photo Library: To save card photos to your device

That's it! No location, contacts, or other unnecessary permissions.

Read our privacy policy →

CardKeepApp needs camera permission to photograph your greeting cards. To fix this:

1. Go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Camera
2. Find CardKeepApp in the list
3. Toggle it ON
4. Return to CardKeepApp and try taking photos again

CardKeepApp needs Photos access to save your card images. To enable this:

1. Go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Photos
2. Find CardKeepApp in the list
3. Select "All Photos"
4. Return to CardKeepApp and try saving again

Note: CardKeepApp requires "All Photos" access because it needs to read the photos it saves to display them in your card collection. Since photos are now referenced from your Photos app rather than stored as copies, the app must be able to access them to show your cards.

This usually happens when:

• Photos were deleted: Someone deleted photos from the "CardKeepApp" album in your Photos app
• Storage full: Your device ran out of storage while saving

Try these troubleshooting steps:

1. Close and reopen CardKeepApp completely
2. Check permissions: Ensure Camera and Photos access are enabled
3. Check storage: Make sure you have at least 100MB free space
4. Restart your iPhone if the problem persists
5. Update the app if there's a new version available

If crashes continue, please contact us at [email protected] with your iPhone model and iOS version.

The CardKeepApp album should appear automatically when you save your first card. If it's missing:

• Check Albums tab: Open Photos app > Albums tab > scroll down to find "CardKeepApp"
• Search for it: Use the search function in Photos app
• Save a test card: Try saving one card to trigger album creation
• Check permissions: Ensure CardKeepApp has Photos access

Refunds are handled by Apple through the App Store. You can:

1. Go to Settings > [Your Name] > Media & Purchases
2. Tap View Account
3. Find your purchase and request a refund

Or visit Apple's Report a Problem website.

Apple typically offers refunds within a reasonable timeframe if you're not satisfied.

Yes! CardKeepApp supports Apple's Family Sharing. One purchase can be shared with your Apple iCloud family members.

However, remember that each person's cards are stored locally on their own device - family members won't see each other's card collections unless a restore is done from a FULL backup file, Photos DO NOT sync across devices.

Here are some organisation strategies:

Consistent naming: Always use the same format (e.g., "Mum" not sometimes "Mother")
Smart tags: Use tags like "Family", "Work", "Special", "2024"
Specific occasions: Be specific - "Birthday" vs "Birthday-40th"
Date accuracy: Enter when you received it, not when it was given

Read our organisation guide →

More photography tips →

Absolutely! CardKeepApp has powerful search features:

• Search by sender name
• Search by occasion
• Search by date or year
• Search by custom tags
• Combine multiple search terms

The search is smart too - typing "birth" will find "Birthday" cards!

Learn advanced search tips →

Setup steps:

1. Go to Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud > Photos
2. Turn on "iCloud Photos"
3. Wait for photos to sync to iCloud
4. Export a backup from CardKeepApp monthly

Why both are important:

• iCloud Photos: Protects your actual card images
• Export Backups: Protects all your card data (sender info, tags, notes)
• Together: Complete restoration ability on any device!

Photo Protection (Automatic):

• Enable iCloud Photos in Settings
• Let photos sync automatically to the cloud
• Keep regular iPhone backups

Data Protection (Manual):

• Regular backups: Backup monthly from CardKeepApp for routine protection
• Device migration backups: Full Backup before major device changes
• Email backup files to yourself or save to Files app/cloud storage
• Files are automatically named with backup type and date

Transfer Process:

• Before phone upgrades: Export Full Backup (ensures 100% photo restoration)
• On new device: Install CardKeepApp, import Full Backup - photos restore automatically
• Result: Complete collection restored with all photos and data instantly!