Inks User Manual

This page explains how Inks works today. For the thinking behind the product, see Our Philosophy.

1. Start a letter

On the Letters tab:

• Tap Compose to enter Quick Write and get the words down first.
• Touch and hold Compose to enter the full flow: choose stationery, write, then add pauses, an envelope, effects, and music.
• On first use, complete the full flow once by touching and holding Compose. Both entry points are available afterward.

A recipient is not required. You can write for yourself and decide whether to share only after the letter is finished.

2. Save and seal

Your work is saved as a draft while you write. After you finish and seal it, the letter becomes a completed .mbx item stored on your device.

Postscripts and follow-up notes are different. A postscript is a short line added to the back of the paper while you are writing—like a small secret or surprise waiting there.

After the letter is finished, you may think of something new when you open it again. Add a follow-up note from the detail view; it keeps the time it was written without changing the original letter.

3. Read and replay

Letters you write and letters you import both open on their finished content. You do not have to watch the whole writing process first.

To see how a page was written, start Replay on that page:

• pause, resume, or seek through the writing timeline;
• moving to another page shows that page's finished content first;
• an interrupted replay position lasts only for the current viewing session;
• reopening the letter always returns to normal reading first.

4. Share and export

Finishing a letter does not send it. Sharing is always a separate action that you initiate.

• .mbx letter file: preserves the body, writing process, attachments, and related presentation for import into Inks. It is the best option for complete delivery or backup.
• Images / PDF: useful for static archives and quick sharing.
• Video / Live Photo: useful for a playable excerpt, but cannot be imported as a letter.

If a letter is protected by a password, security question, time, location, page, or selected-area rule, it can currently be exported only as an .mbx file so that the protection cannot be bypassed.

The current version does not upload letter text to our servers merely to share it.

5. Local storage and backups

Letter content stays on this device by default and does not automatically become a cloud backup.

Export important letters as .mbx files and keep copies somewhere you trust. Uninstalling the app, device loss, or an incomplete system backup may cause locally stored content to be lost.

6. Accounts and plans

Your first letter can be completed with a local identity. From the second letter, Inks prompts you to sign in so contact identity remains consistent and purchases, entitlements, device access, profile details, and badges can be tied to your account.

Account sync is not letter sync. Profile details and entitlements may belong to your cloud account, but letter bodies, attachments, and .mbx content are not uploaded automatically.

Inks keeps the complete core writing experience free and offers two ways to upgrade:

• Inks Pass: everything in Lifetime while subscribed, plus tools to upload and manage your own writing resources, save reusable resources from imported letters, and use Pass-exclusive resources updated by Inks.
• Lifetime: a one-time purchase that keeps advanced styling, stats, access controls, and official Lifetime resources available.

Lifetime owners can subscribe to Inks Pass at an exclusive price. While active, it provides exactly the same access as the standard Inks Pass; when it expires, Lifetime access remains.

Current prices and included features are shown in the app and the App Store.

7. Permissions and privacy

• Inks reads only the photos you select and does not scan the full library.
• Face ID and Touch ID are handled locally by iOS; Inks does not receive biometric source data.
• Password protection is available for basic access control; question, time, and location rules depend on your current entitlement.
• Analytics covers non-content usage events and necessary technical context, and can be turned off in Settings.

8. Long-term availability

Building and maintaining a service has real costs. We will make every reasonable effort to keep Inks available and reliable over the long term.

An .mbx file keeps the letter body, writing process, attachments, and resources needed for reading together in one file. Inks also already supports image, PDF, video, and Live Photo exports.

We will continue to support .mbx files that Inks has already created. Even if Inks is no longer maintained, we will provide a standalone reader that can be downloaded and used offline so the letter's core content—including text, images, and handwriting—remains viewable. Password-protected letters will still require the original password, processed only on your device; neither the file nor the password will be uploaded for this purpose.

This commitment protects long-term readability; it does not protect the only copy of a file from device damage, accidental deletion, or app removal. For important letters, keep an .mbx, image, or PDF export somewhere you control.

9. Get help

See Help for common operations, plans, and troubleshooting. If the issue remains, contact us through Support & Feedback.