Support & FAQ
Answers to common questions about DrawBuddies.
Getting started
How do I start drawing?
Open the app and tap the pencil icon (or "New Drawing") on the home screen. Pick a brush, choose a color from the palette, and start drawing on the canvas. It's designed to be simple enough for young kids to jump right in.
What are coloring pages?
Tap "Coloring Pages" on the home screen to see a collection of outlines kids can color in. Select a page, pick a color, and tap inside any area to fill it — no staying inside the lines required!
How do I undo a mistake?
Tap the undo button (curved arrow) in the toolbar to step back one stroke at a time. You can keep tapping to go further back.
Together mode
What is Together mode?
Together mode lets two or more kids draw on the same canvas at the same time from separate devices. Each device sees everyone's strokes in real time — great for siblings, classmates, or drawing with a friend nearby. Devices connect directly to each other over Wi-Fi or Bluetooth; no internet connection is needed.
What do I need to use Together mode?
All devices must:
- Have Wi-Fi or Bluetooth turned on (at least one radio on each device — both on gives the best connection)
- Be physically near each other (in the same room)
- Have DrawBuddies installed
- Have the Local Network and Bluetooth permissions granted
How do I allow the Local Network and Bluetooth permissions?
The first time Together mode is used, iOS will ask two things:
- "DrawBuddies would like to find and connect to devices on your local network." — Tap Allow.
- "DrawBuddies would like to use Bluetooth." — Tap OK.
If you accidentally denied either permission, re-enable them in Settings → Privacy & Security → Local Network (for Local Network) or Settings → DrawBuddies (for Bluetooth).
How do I start or join a Together session?
On any device, tap Together from the home screen. One device starts a session (becomes the host) and others can discover and join it. Each device is shown a short, fun generated name like "Blue Rabbit" — no names are entered or shared.
Together mode is not connecting — what should I try?
- Make sure Wi-Fi or Bluetooth is on for both devices — at least one radio must be active. Both on gives the best chance of a fast connection.
- Confirm Local Network permission is allowed for DrawBuddies on every device (Settings → Privacy & Security → Local Network).
- Confirm Bluetooth permission is allowed for DrawBuddies on every device (Settings → DrawBuddies).
- Make sure Airplane Mode is off (or, if on, that Wi-Fi or Bluetooth is manually re-enabled).
- Try closing and reopening the Together screen on one or both devices, then wait 10–15 seconds for discovery.
- If devices share a Wi-Fi network but still can't find each other, some routers block device-to-device traffic — move the devices closer so they can fall back to Bluetooth or peer-to-peer Wi-Fi.
- Joining an in-progress drawing over Bluetooth can take longer than over Wi-Fi — give it up to 30 seconds before retrying.
Is Together mode safe? Does it use the internet?
Yes, it's safe. Together mode uses Apple's Multipeer Connectivity framework, which sends drawing data directly between nearby devices — over the same Wi-Fi network, via peer-to-peer Wi-Fi, or via Bluetooth. Nothing goes through the internet or any server. All traffic is encrypted end-to-end (including Bluetooth), so only devices that are physically nearby and joined to the same session can see the shared canvas.
Saving & sharing
How do I save a drawing?
Drawings are saved automatically to the app as you work. To save a copy to your device's Camera Roll, tap the share button and choose "Save Image." This is protected by a parental gate — a grown-up must press and hold the button to unlock it.
How do I share a drawing?
A parent or guardian can press and hold the share button to open the iOS Share Sheet, then choose how to send the drawing (AirDrop, Messages, email, etc.). Sharing is handled entirely by iOS — DrawBuddies does not send your drawings anywhere on its own.
How do I delete a drawing?
In the gallery, swipe left on any drawing (or press and hold) to reveal a Delete option. Deleting removes it from the app. To remove all app data entirely, delete the DrawBuddies app from your device.