Bring boards from another app

Already have boards in another AAC app — Snap Core First, Boardmaker, TouchChat, LAMP — or on paper? You don't have to rebuild them from scratch. SpeakAnyWay can bring them in two ways: from an OBF / OBZ export file, or from a screenshot or photo. Both land you on an editable board you own.

What you'll need

• A SpeakAnyWay account (free works)
• Either an OBF / OBZ file exported from your other app, or a clear screenshot/photo of the board you want to bring in

Where to start

1. Go to Make a board (app.speakanyway.com/boards/new).
2. Under Choose how to start, you'll see four tiles. Two of them are for bringing boards in:
   • Import OBF / OBZ — for boards you exported from another app as an OBF or OBZ file.
   • Import a screenshot — for a photo or screenshot of a board (paper or on-screen).

Pick whichever matches what you have.

Option A — Import an OBF / OBZ file

OBF (.obf) and OBZ (.obz) are the open file formats most AAC apps use to export boards. If your other app can "export board" or "share board file," this is the cleaner path — it brings the layout and words across, not just a picture.

1. On /boards/new, click the Import OBF / OBZ tile.
2. Step 1 — Pick a file. Drop your .obf or .obz file on the dropzone, or click Choose file to browse. Files up to 25 MB are accepted. SpeakAnyWay analyzes the file first so you can confirm what's coming in before anything is created.
3. When it finishes, you'll see Analyzed — ready to import and "Looks good — we found everything we need." (There's a Show technical details link if you want to inspect the manifest and raw data.)
4. Step 2 — What about the symbols? Many OBZ files bundle proprietary symbol sets (SymbolStix, PCS, etc.). Pick how to handle the images:
   • Import structure only (Recommended) — brings in the boards, layout, and words, but skips the bundled images. You re-add pictures from SpeakAnyWay's library (or real photos) afterward.
   • Import structure and bundled images — brings in everything, including the file's images. Only choose this if you have a license that allows redistributing those symbols to your account. Imported images stay private to your account.
5. Click Import board. The file becomes a new board in your account — edit, rename, or delete it any time.

Option B — Import from a screenshot or photo

No export file? Snap a picture. This works for a printed paper board, a laminated binder page, or a screenshot from any app.

1. On /boards/new, click the Import a screenshot tile.
2. Paste an image or Upload a screenshot/photo of the board.
3. (Optional) Give the board a name and, if you know it, the number of columns — leave it blank and SpeakAnyWay will try to detect the grid from the image.
4. Click Create Board. AI reads the grid and rebuilds it as an editable board.

Screenshot import uses AI, so it draws on your AI credits — see AI credits and costs. A clear, straight-on photo with readable labels gives the best result.

After importing

• The imported board lands in your account like any other board. Open it in the editor to fix labels, swap pictures, adjust colors, or rearrange tiles — see Edit a board.
• Nothing is assigned to a communicator automatically. Use Assign to communicator from the board's ⋯ menu when it's ready.
• Imports aren't always perfect — an odd label or a missing image is normal. Treat the imported board as a strong starting point, then tidy it up.

Common questions

• Which apps export OBF/OBZ? Most do — Snap Core First, Boardmaker, TouchChat, CoughDrop, and others have an "export" option that produces .obf or .obz. Check your app's share/export menu.
• My import is missing pictures. That's expected if you chose Import structure only (the recommended option). Add images per tile from SpeakAnyWay's library, or upload real photos — see Edit a board.
• Can I import several boards at once? An OBZ file can contain a whole linked board set, and SpeakAnyWay brings the set in together. Screenshots are one board per image.
• The screenshot import got the grid wrong. Try again with the number of columns filled in, or use a cleaner, straight-on photo. You can also just fix the layout in the editor afterward.
• Is my imported board private? Yes — imported boards (and any images you brought with them) are private to your account by default.

Still stuck?

Email hello@speakanyway.com with the file or screenshot you're trying to import and a note on what went wrong. Real person, usually within a day.