Help / FAQ

Will my saves survive an app update?

Usually yes — as long as you have not deleted the app. Paths, jams, and settings stay on your device. App Store updates normally keep them.

There is no cloud backup yet. Deleting the app clears all local saves on that device. Reinstalling will not bring them back.

Paths, jams, and the trial clock are also kept in an on-device backup file inside the app. If iOS clears web storage under space pressure, those saves come back the next time you open the app. Still use Export paths if you want a file you can keep or move to another device.

What are the two kinds of save?

Both live on your device. Save a path from Build; find it on the Paths tab. Record a Jam on Play or Build, then save to the Jam library. When you tap Share, iOS opens the usual sheet (Messages, Mail, Files, AirDrop…) — we do not upload that file for you.

Jam is not a microphone. It remembers the notes you played on the on-screen keyboard, a connected MIDI piano, and path cards, then plays them back with the app piano sound. It does not capture the piano’s own speakers or the room.

Does it sync across devices?

Not yet as automatic cloud sync. Paths stay on this device — use Export paths on the Paths tab to keep a backup file, then Import on another device.

One purchase per Apple account covers your household with Family Sharing. We do not add a separate “max 3 devices” lock.

How much does it cost?

Free to download on the App Store. You get 7 full days to try everything — the same features as after purchase.

After the trial, a one-time purchase unlocks the app permanently (not a subscription). Family Sharing lets one household buy once.

In the app (More), you see how many trial days are left so day 8 is not a surprise. After you buy, paths and jams stay on your device.

Can I restart the 7-day trial by deleting the app?

No. Your 7-day full trial is tied to this device. Deleting and reinstalling PianoAnyway does not start a new trial on the same iPhone or iPad.

Which devices are supported?

• OS: iOS / iPadOS 16+. One app for iPhone and iPad.
• Strongly recommended on iPad (including iPad Pro). iPhone works — for on-screen chords use landscape; portrait multi-finger chords are genuinely hard. One app; connect MIDI when you have a piano.
• Mac / Android: in development — not available yet.

Do I need MIDI to name a chord?

No. On Play → What am I playing?, hold 2–3 notes on the on-screen keys — or on a connected MIDI piano. The app names the chord either way. You do not need a piano to try this.

Best on iPad. On iPhone, use landscape for on-screen chords — portrait multi-finger chords are genuinely hard.

Can I use an acoustic piano?

Yes. Paste or build your Path, then use the blue keys on screen as hand guides while you play on your acoustic piano. Gold edges show notes that usually work in this key.

If your piano has USB or Bluetooth MIDI, you can also connect it so the app follows along. Either way, you can practice paths and transpose with PianoAnyway.

Drums & sounds

• Drums: real free sample hits (808 / 707 style).
• Piano: soft synth voice, kept light for older iPads.

Speaker buzz on older or small devices?

Heavy kick on small speakers is common. Try headphones, or lower drum volume in More → Sound.

How do I connect MIDI?

1. Open the PianoAnyway app (not Safari — the website cannot be your main MIDI surface on iPhone / iPad).
2. USB: plug the piano into the iPhone / iPad with a MIDI / USB cable (and an Apple Camera Adapter if the phone still uses Lightning). Then tap Connect MIDI.
3. Bluetooth: if the piano has Bluetooth MIDI, stay in PianoAnyway — tap Bluetooth MIDI on More or on Play. You do not need GarageBand or another app.
4. Some pianos (including Kawai KDP110) can use USB or Bluetooth, not both at once. Unplug the cable before pairing Bluetooth. One piano can talk to one device at a time.

Does Bluetooth MIDI work in the app?

Yes. Pairing uses Apple’s Bluetooth MIDI window inside PianoAnyway. If the piano appears as Not Connected, that is only a scan — tap that row, wait for Connected, then the checkmark. The checkmark only closes the window; it does not connect.

Bluetooth MIDI does not appear under iPhone Settings → Bluetooth. Always pair from the app button. A cable is usually a little more stable and a little lower latency; Bluetooth is for when you do not want a cable.

Does Rec record my piano?

No microphone, and not the piano’s speakers. MIDI only sends which keys you pressed. Rec remembers notes from the on-screen keyboard, a connected MIDI piano, and path cards, then plays them back with the app piano.

To capture this piano’s own tone you would need a microphone or an audio cable. We do not do that. The iPad microphone is not used.

After you stop Rec, the jam list shows two lines. Cards appear only if Play was running. You played lists the notes from the on-screen keyboard and the MIDI piano. Replay is the app piano — not this piano’s speakers.

Why don’t the on-screen keys match my piano?

The strip is not a tiny 88-key piano — about two octaves. The note names are right; a very low or high chord is shifted into view.

Blue = notes for this card. Purple = what you are playing. Green = a note you play that is also blue. On Build, green/purple do not auto-advance (that happens on Play).

Gold edges = notes that usually work in this key — safe to explore with your other hand (especially in Guide mode).

How do I edit path cards?

On Play and Build, your path is a row of cards. The lit card is the one in focus.

• Hold a card to hear it.
• ‹ › move the card left or right.
• × removes a card.
• Drag a card to reorder (Build and Play).
• ＋ adds after the lit card (Build — tap a palette card first).
• Clear (top right) empties the whole path.

Many songs loop about 4 cards (like 1–5–6–4). More cards are fine to explore; fewer can sound more like one song.

Build is where you stack cards and Save a named path. Play loops the cards and can auto-advance when you hit the blue keys (unless Guide mode is on).

Circle — how does the keyboard work?

On Circle, tap a chord in the wheel. The keyboard below shows blue keys for that chord — tap them to play it yourself.

Use the KEY dial to change key. The wheel and keyboard follow. Good for exploring keys and chord shapes — not for saving a full song path (use Build for that).

What is the 30s Guide?

Tap 30s (top bar) for a short guided loop. Guide mode on Play starts with about 4 cards — a common song length. No score, no rush.

① Press blue keys first (left-hand foundation for this card). ② Explore gold-edge keys with your other hand. ③ Tap the next card when you are ready — auto-advance is off in Guide mode.

Outside Guide, Play loops the cards on your path. Rec saves what you played (app piano sound, not a mic).

What happens when the 7-day trial ends?

The app stays installed. Play, Build, Paths, Circle, and Practice lock until you buy once (not a subscription). More stays open so you can buy, Restore Purchases, read Help, and export your paths.

We do not delete your paths or jams when the trial ends. Buy or Restore to keep playing them in the app; export if you want a backup file first.

Refund, Restore, Family Sharing

One purchase unlocks the app on that Apple account. Family Sharing lets the household use it — we do not add a separate device cap. Restore Purchases is on More (new phone, reinstall, or a family member). If a parent must approve the buy (Ask to Buy), the app waits and unlocks after approval — it is not a failed payment. A refund or revocation locks the app again; Restore after a valid purchase brings it back.

App vs website

Play, MIDI, and saves live in the app. This site is for intro, Help, and Privacy.

Is this an online course?

No. PianoAnyway is a tool for accompanying, transpose, and making sound first — not a graded lesson subscription or falling-notes game.

Whether you already know some music or you are just starting to explore, adults and kids can share the same bench — play at your own pace, and use paths as sparks for arranging or song ideas.

Can I search a song title?

No licensed song library. Templates are common progression shapes (like 1–5–6m–4), not an official chart for a specific hit.

123 / Do-Re-Mi / ABC

The same path can show as numbers, solfege, or letters. Transpose keeps the path; letters follow the new key.

Blue keys — must I press them all?

No. Blue keys are a guide, not an exam. A few chord tones are enough. Gold edges are safer notes to explore. If the stretch feels wide, try 15 / 13 / 135 or an inversion.

Practice

Light mini-games for your ear — hear a chord or pick by feel. Not a ranked exam, and nothing is uploaded. Playback uses the same Play variations (Layout / Feel / Inversion) as Play.

Why did the whole path suddenly sound different?

Play variations — Layout, Feel, and Inversion — are all global: the same path, Build blocks, Circle chords, and Practice games follow them on purpose. Layout = hand shape on each card. Feel = Block / Broken / Waltz…. Inversion = which note is lowest. If everything suddenly plays one-by-one, set Feel → Block. If the bass note feels wrong, set Inversion → Root. This is different from the Feel tags on cards (Home / tension).

How do I back up paths and jams?

Open More → Backup (Files / iCloud Drive). Tap Export backup — one JSON file with your paths and jam takes. In the iOS share sheet, pick Files or iCloud Drive. Use Import backup to restore. This is manual — not automatic cloud sync.

Export before you delete the app or switch phones. The Paths tab Export paths still works for a paths-only file.

How do I use Singer range → Key?

Open More → Singer range → Key. Pick a voice comfort zone and about how high the song feels. The app suggests raising or lowering Key. Tap Apply Key shift when you agree — path degrees stay the same; only Key moves.

This is a comfort helper, not a vocal coach. You can still turn the Key dial by hand anytime.

How does Sustain pedal → next chord work?

Connect a MIDI piano with a sustain pedal. Open More and turn on Pedal flips path chord. Each press of the sustain pedal advances to the next card on your path. Turn it off if you only want normal sustain.

Needs a real MIDI pedal signal — on-screen keys do not act as a pedal.

Feel tags

• Home / tension / … — how this chord feels in the key.
• Start / leave / turn / home — story stickers on the path (tap to change).

Do you upload my recordings?

No. Paths and jams stay on your device. Full text: Privacy.

Questions & feedback

Please email [email protected] — include device model, OS version, app version, and what happened.