Frequently asked questions

A keyguard is a physical cover that sits over a touchscreen device with a hole cut out for every button (or cell) on your communication board. The raised edges around each hole help you find and press the cell you want cleanly, without accidentally hitting the ones next to it.

Anyone who finds it hard to press the right button on a modern touchscreen.

Your "board" is the layout of buttons, or cells, on your communication app's screen. It's often called a grid or gridset too.

Today we make keyguards for iPads: 20 models across the whole range, from the very first iPad up to the latest Air and Pro. Dedicated AAC devices from Tobii Dynavox, Smartbox, PRC-Saltillo and Jabbla are coming soon. If you can't find your device, get in touch.

It should, whatever app you use. The keyguard is built from a screenshot of your communication board rather than being tied to one particular app. Apps popular with our customers include Proloquo2Go, TD Snap, TouchChat, LAMP Words for Life and Grid. It also works with non-AAC apps, though those might need a bit more manual work.

Yes. When you order, you tell us whether the device is in a case. If it isn't, the keyguard covers the full front face; if it is, the keyguard is made to fit the opening your case leaves around the screen. You'll need to measure the uncovered glass (width, height and the corner radius) so the fit is exact.

It's held on by small reusable adhesive pads. They grip through a microscopic surface texture, the way a gecko's foot does, rather than chemical glue, so they leave no sticky residue and can be lifted off and repositioned. If they pick up dust and lose grip over time, just rinse them with water and a little neutral soap and the grip comes back. Try not to touch the sticky side with your fingers or a cloth.

It's made from a black bio-compatible PET plastic. Unlike acrylic keyguards (also sold as Plexiglass or PMMA), ours don't shatter dangerously, and unlike common 3D-printed keyguards, they aren't easily deformed by heat.

Yes. You can clean the keyguard with common neutral detergent or dishwasher soap, and the reusable adhesive pads wash the same way.

Tap "Start an order" and follow the guided steps. You upload a screenshot of your communication board, pick your exact device (search by name or the model number on the back), tell us whether it's in a case, fine-tune the design, then print a quick paper test to check the fit before you pay. All you need is the screenshot and, if the device is in a case, a measurement of the screen opening. Everything happens in your browser and saves as you go.

On a modern iPad, press the Top and either Volume button together (older iPads with a Home button: Home + Top); the shot saves to Photos. If pressing the buttons is hard, turn on AssistiveTouch (Settings, Accessibility, Touch) for a one-tap screenshot, or say "Hey Siri, take a screenshot". A clean, straight-on shot of your whole board works best, and PNG, JPG or HEIC all work. The upload step also has a helper with steps for iPhone, Windows and Android.

Yes, you're in full control. The app finds the cells on your board automatically and lays an opening over each one, then you can drag, resize, add, delete or merge cells, change the hole shape and size, and use helpers like edge-snap and "Straighten" to line up rows and columns. If detection misses something you can adjust its sensitivity and re-run it, and a 2D editor and 3D preview show exactly how it will look with your screenshot underneath.

With your device in its case, measure the uncovered glass (the screen plus any glass the case doesn't cover) for both width and height. For the rounded corners you print a corner-radius gauge at actual size, lay a corner of the opening over each printed shape until one matches, and enter that number.

The paper-test step lets you download an actual-size (1:1) PDF, print it, and lay it over your device to check every hole lines up. Print at 100% (not "fit to page") and check the calibration bar measures exactly 100 mm, then tick the box to confirm the fit. If the design is too large to make, this step tells you and pauses checkout so you can email us.

Yes. Your work saves automatically as you go, and your design link (or QR code) lets you reopen it on any device, so you don't have to finish in one sitting.

A flat £35 with UK delivery included, the same price for every keyguard whatever its size or however many cells it has. A faster delivery upgrade is available at checkout for a small extra charge, and you can reorder any time for the same price.

Yes, it's called Pay it forward. Tick to add £5 to your order and the next person to order gets £6 off theirs, with us covering the extra £1; it's anonymous both ways. And if someone has already paid it forward when you shop, you'll see a £6-off gift waiting in your cart, applied automatically. The gift comes off the keyguard price only, not shipping or your own donation.

Open a share link like atkeys.com/discount/YOURCODE (it remembers the code for you), or type the code into the "Discount code" box in your cart. It comes off the keyguard price only, not shipping or a donation.

Each keyguard is the flat £35. For a larger order, get in touch at hello@atkeys.com and we'll see what we can do.

At the standard checkout you can pay by card, and depending on your device with a digital wallet or Pay by Bank. If you're buying for a school or organisation, you can instead choose "Pay by bank transfer" (we show the account details, and start making your keyguards as soon as the money lands, usually within a couple of hours) or ask for an invoice.

Yes. Choose "Get an invoice" from the cart, give your organisation, contact and delivery details, and a PO number if you have one (it's printed on the invoice), and we send a numbered PDF invoice you can pay by bank transfer or card. You can put several keyguards on one invoice.

When you order we email you an order confirmation. If you pay by invoice, you also get a numbered PDF invoice for your records.

At this moment we're not a VAT-registered business, so no VAT is added: the £35 is the full price you pay.

We aim to make your keyguard within 48 hours, then send it tracked. Standard delivery is free (Royal Mail Tracked 48, about 2-3 working days in the post), and you can upgrade to Royal Mail Tracked 24 for next working day at an extra £1.00. Both are fully tracked; these are targets rather than guarantees, as final timing depends on the courier. If you order several keyguards, they arrive together in a single tracked parcel.

We currently ship to UK addresses only.

Yes. Every order goes tracked with Royal Mail, and we email you the tracking the moment the courier makes its first scan. The tracking number is also on your order page, with a clickable link to follow it (we recognise Royal Mail, DHL and Parcelforce). If it doesn't arrive, email hello@atkeys.com and we'll chase it.

Because every keyguard is custom-made and orders enter production automatically, once production has started an order can't be changed, cancelled, or refunded for a change of mind (the 14-day distance-selling cancellation right doesn't apply to bespoke goods). If you spot a mistake or need to cancel, email hello@atkeys.com straight away and we'll do our best to catch it before production starts.

We'll put it right. Email hello@atkeys.com within 30 days of delivery with your order number and a photo or two; you don't need to send the item back before we assess it. If it was our error (for example the holes don't match the design you approved), the fix is on us, including return postage where needed, usually a free replacement, or a refund where a replacement isn't possible. Approved refunds reach your original payment method in about 5 to 10 working days. Please do check your design and use the paper test first, since we build to the design you approve.

Nothing in our policy reduces your legal rights. Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 goods must be of satisfactory quality, fit for purpose, and as described, and if they're not you may be entitled to a repair, replacement, or refund, including the short-term right to reject faulty goods within 30 days. These quality rights apply even though your keyguard is custom-made; it's only the 14-day change-of-mind cancellation that doesn't (see above).

We may decline or cancel an order, for example because of limited production capacity. If we cancel an order you've already paid for, we'll refund you in full.

No. A keyguard is a physical accessory placed over a touchscreen; it's not a medical device and we make no clinical claims about it. If you have any doubt about safety or suitability, it's best to speak to a qualified speech and language therapist, occupational therapist, or assistive technology professional.

We collect the screenshot and layout you create, your email, delivery address and order details, and payment confirmation (we never see or store your full card number). We don't sell your data, and we share it only with trusted providers who help us run the service, such as payment, storage, email, and making and delivering your keyguard. We keep it only as long as needed, then delete or anonymise it. We use a little browser storage to hold your session and in-progress design, and our payment provider may set cookies to process payments securely; we don't use advertising trackers.

You keep ownership of the screenshots and designs you upload; you give us permission to use them to make and deliver your order and to improve our service, including the automatic detection. If you'd like your design removed sooner, email hello@atkeys.com and we'll do so where we're not legally required to keep it. Under UK data protection law you can also ask for a copy, corrections, deletion, or a portable copy, and complain to the ICO.

Yes. Many AAC users are children or adults supported by a parent or carer. If you place an order or upload data on someone else's behalf, please make sure you have the authority to do so; we only use the data to fulfil the order.

No account is needed to order; it appears in your account automatically when you sign in later with the same email you used at checkout. To sign in, enter that email on the sign-in page and click the one-time link we send you. There's no password to set up or remember.

Sign in with the email you ordered with, and your orders page shows each order's status, such as Paid, In production, Manufactured or Shipped. Open one for full details and, once dispatched, the tracking number. If an order doesn't appear, make sure you signed in with the exact checkout email, or email hello@atkeys.com.

Yes, and it's meant to be easy: keyguards are priced so you can reorder whenever your needs change. Open the order in your account and use "Reorder: add all to cart" to copy the exact designs into your cart, or "Copy & edit" to tweak one before ordering it again.

Go to your account at atkeys.com/account and open the order showing a "Payment still needed" note, then follow its "View & pay" link to complete payment. Production starts once it's paid.

Email us at hello@atkeys.com with any question about your order or anything else, and we'll get back to you.