Help & FAQ

Quick answers to the questions we get most. Can't find yours? Email hello@palmcards.app.

Getting started

Does PalmCards work on iPad?

Yes. PalmCards supports iPhone and iPad on iOS or iPadOS 16.4 or later. The layout adapts to your screen, including a narrower Split View, and present mode gives cards more room on iPad. Your decks stay on each device. Export a deck or backup file and import it on the other device to move your work; there is no automatic sync.

How do I create a deck?

Tap the plus button on the Decks screen. You can start blank and add cards yourself, paste a speech or outline and have it split into cards, or describe the talk and let AI draft a first version for you to shape.

What makes a good card?

Short cues, not sentences. A card has a heading (the point of that beat) and a few cue lines you expand on out loud. If you can read a card in a glance, it's right. If you're reading it word for word, it's a script, and scripts are what PalmCards is here to save you from.

Can I set a time for each card?

Yes. Open a card and set a target time. While you present, PalmCards compares where you are against your targets and gives you a gentle pacing nudge if you're running ahead or behind.

Presenting

How do I move between cards?

Swipe, or tap the edges of the screen. You can also use the volume buttons, once you turn that on in Settings. A Bluetooth clicker works through the same setting, but only if it sends volume keys. A presentation remote that sends page-up and page-down does nothing in PalmCards, and a remote that needs a USB dongle will not pair with an iPhone at all.

My volume buttons aren't changing cards.

Check that volume-key advance is switched on in Settings. It's off by default. Volume up goes forward, volume down goes back. The system volume indicator will still flash briefly, that's normal. If you are using a Bluetooth clicker rather than the phone's own buttons, it only moves the cards if it sends volume keys.

Can I make the text bigger while presenting?

Pinch to zoom during a talk. PalmCards remembers your zoom level for next time. There's also an app-wide text size setting in Settings.

Will my screen dim mid-talk?

No. "Keep screen awake" is on by default so the display stays lit while you present. You can turn it off in Settings.

Rehearsing

What does rehearse mode do?

It runs your talk like the real thing while timing every card. When you finish you get a summary showing your total time and how long you spent on each card against its target, so you can see which cards took more or less time than planned. Rehearsal measures timing; it does not record, transcribe or assess your speech.

AI tools

What can the AI do?

Draft a deck from a description, split a pasted speech into cards, or tighten and expand a card’s notes. Use Ask to request a change in your own words. Pro also includes Likely questions for Q&A preparation.

How do I use Likely questions?

With Pro, open a deck’s menu and choose "Likely questions", or find it in AI Tools and pick a deck. AI suggests questions based on your talk, with starting points for answers. Choose the ones you want to add as cards, then edit the answers and check any facts. These are suggestions, not a prediction of what your audience will ask.

Does the AI make things up?

AI can make mistakes. It is instructed to work from what you give it and leave prompts like "give the key number" where facts are missing. Check facts, names and figures before using a draft, and edit it into your own words.

Is there a limit on free AI use?

The free tier includes 3 free AI generations in total, shared across drafting, splitting and card rewrites, including Ask; they do not reset each month. PalmCards Pro removes that limit. Likely questions is a Pro feature. If the AI is ever unavailable, paste-to-cards falls back to splitting your text on the device, so you're never stuck.

Backups, import and export

How do I back up my decks?

Settings, then "Back up all decks". That saves every deck into a single file you can store anywhere, like iCloud Drive or email to yourself. To restore, use "Import deck" and pick that file.

What files can I import?

Word documents (.docx) and plain text files (.txt or .md) drop straight into "From your notes", ready to split into cards. You can also import PalmCards deck files, the .palmcards.json created by Export deck or Back up all decks. You'll find "Import a file" right on the New deck screen.

PDFs aren't supported yet, and neither are Pages or Google Docs files. For those, open the document, copy the text, and paste it into "From your notes" instead. That works with anything you can copy from.

Can I print my cards?

Yes. Open a deck and export it as a PDF. You’ll get printable cards, three to an A4 page. Free exports include a "Made with PalmCards" footer; Pro exports remove that footer. The cards and page layout are the same.

Sound and haptics

I turned on sound effects but hear nothing.

Update to the latest version of PalmCards. Sound effects now play even with the iPhone silent switch on, because turning them on is a deliberate choice. If you still hear nothing, check your volume isn't at zero.

Pasting into PalmCards isn't working.

The first time you paste, iOS asks for permission to read your clipboard. If it was declined, go to iPhone Settings, find PalmCards, and set "Paste from Other Apps" to Allow.

PalmCards Pro

What does Pro include?

Pro includes unlimited AI drafting and card rewrites (including Ask), Likely questions, every template and unbranded PDF export without the PalmCards footer. Free includes unlimited decks and cards, full presenting and timed rehearsal with history, backups, starter templates, 3 free AI generations and PDF export with the footer.

Does Pro include a free trial?

Eligible annual subscriptions include a 7-day free trial. Check the offer in the app. It checks App Store eligibility and shows the available price and offer before you confirm a purchase.

How do I cancel or manage my subscription?

Subscriptions are handled by the App Store, not by us. Go to Settings on your iPhone or iPad, tap your name, then Subscriptions, and you can change or cancel there. Cancelling keeps Pro until the end of the period you've paid for.

I bought Pro but it's not showing.

Make sure you’re signed into the Apple account you purchased with, then open "Upgrade to PalmCards Pro" in Settings and tap "Restore purchases" on the Pro screen. Reopen the app if needed. If Pro still does not appear, email us for help.

Try your next talk

Download PalmCards free on the App Store for iPhone and iPad. Create a deck, add your points and rehearse once before you present.

Privacy

Where is my data stored?

On your device. PalmCards has no accounts and no login, and we can't see your decks. The only time card text leaves your phone is when you choose to use an AI feature, and that's spelled out in our privacy policy.