iPadOS 26 / iOS 26 Coming Soon – Tips to Avoid Issues with AAC Apps

Posted on September 10, 2025 by OMazing Kids

Major iPadOS / iOS update coming soon. Apple announced it will release iPadOS 26 & iOS 26 on September 15, 2025.

Tips for those using an iPad or iPhone for AAC:

⚙️ Toggle off it automatically installing iOS updates in the device Settings.
⏳ Wait for any bugs to be worked out. There are always things that Apple and App Developers need to fix especially after major iOS updates.
⚠️ Backup all customized AAC files BEFORE installing a major iOS update.

If your device is on a MDM device management system then you may not have control over it updating but you should still have a way to backup your customized AAC vocabulary files / grid sets / page sets / board sets to safeguard them and to have a way to restore them if needed.

https://www.apple.com/os/ipados/

https://www.apple.com/os/ios/

Looking for in-depth AAC feature matching resources? See this blog post: https://bit.ly/5aacFeatureMatchingResources. That post also includes videos comparing the best AAC apps on various devices on various platforms.

Looking for more AAC resources? Check out the Resource Links page here on my blog: https://omazingkidsllc.com/omazing-kids-aac-resource-links

Have a question? The best way to reach me is via Facebook messaging over on my OMazing Kids page: https://www.facebook.com/OMazingKidsAAC/

Angela Moorad, MS, CCC-SLP, Founder of OMazing Kids, LLC, OMazing Kids AAC Consulting

• Teachers Pay Teachers Store: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Omazing-Kids-Aac-Consulting

• YouTube: https://youtube.com/user/amoorad1

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• AppPeeps Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/OMazingKidsAppPeeps/

• GoTalk Now AAC & GoVisual Visual Scene Apps – Ideas and Sharing Facebook Group: https://bit.ly/GoTalkNowAACappGroup

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/omazingkidsaac

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• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/angelamooradomazingkidsaac

• AppRaven AAC App Collections: https://bit.ly/AAConAppRaven

• Blog: https://omazingkidsllc.com / Resource Links page: https://omazingkidsllc.com/omazing-kids-aac-resource-links

Backup AAC Customized Programming (updated 11/4/23)

Posted on March 21, 2021 by OMazing Kids

It’s critical to backup customized programming in any AAC apps. This includes making sure that you’ve backed it up in at least one way outside of the iPad. The options for doing this vary by app.

Here are links to where you can find the instructions for several AAC apps:

Alexicom (several apps): toggle on iCloud backup in Settings
Avaz: https://bit.ly/3cUlAl1
Bridge Communication (auto save): https://bit.ly/3tEZutu
Clicker Communicator: https://bit.ly/393iMB0
CoughDrop (sync): https://bit.ly/311hBxB
GoTalk Now: https://bit.ly/3f3kxBY (section 8, Users Guide also in the app)
Grid for iPad: https://bit.ly/3945c05
LAMP Words for Life: https://bit.ly/2PiHNBi
Proloquo2Go: https://bit.ly/3122ynp (auto backup to iCloud), more options under the Protect, recover, and share vocabulary section: https://bit.ly/3vK4Fdr
Speak for Yourself: https://bit.ly/3vPePK3
Talk Suite: https://bit.ly/38ZTTWY (page 92)
TD Snap: Via myTobiiDynavox (User, Page Set, Page Bundle). Sync (Page Set). Export/ Import Locally (User, Page Set, Page Bundle) – see manual for details: https://bit.ly/3AgESvL. Video: https://bit.ly/3EhVB2W
TouchChat with WordPower: https://bit.ly/3r5rULp

Resources:

AAC Tutorial: Backup / Restore / Share Customized Programming in AAC Apps: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/AAC-Tutorial-Backup-Restore-Share-Customized-Programming-in-AAC-Apps-6940629

Note: : I deactivated this resource on TPT on 11/2/23 when I learned that iOS 17 / iPadOS 17 made some significant changes to how AirDrop works. Prior to this you could AirDrop and the AAC file that you sent would go straight to that AAC app on the receiving device with a confirmation message to tap to import it. As of iOS 17/ iPadOS 17 this is no longer the case. One of the developers of Speak for Yourself shared the following information in a comment in the AAC for the SLP group: “AirDrop now uses the Files app to receive vocabulary. If it’s a managed device (through an MDM or third party insurance-covered device), it may have the files app removed. It’s going to affect any of the apps and any files that you’re trying to AirDrop. It’s doesn’t affect photos, only files.”

Info from Apple: https://developer.apple.com/forums/thread/737971?page=1#767265022 (On iOS 17, the behavior of saving an AirDropped file to the Downloads folder (and then launching Files.app) is intended. That is part of the effort to avoid directly passing a file to an app that declares itself as a handler of the file type but isn’t really the file handler that the user expects.)

At this point I’m going to see if AAC app developers come up with a work around or if Apple rolls back this process before deciding whether or not I will update this resource.

Five Feature Matching Resources for AAC Apps (comparing features in AAC apps) + several videos comparing AAC apps across platforms (iPad, Android, Amazon Fire, Windows): https://bit.ly/5aacFeatureMatchingResources

Using Guided Access and Screen Time to Prevent Exiting an App + preventing deleting apps, installing apps and in-app purchases + info for those using Android, Amazon Fire and Windows devices (updated 7-16-22): https://omazingkidsllc.com/2020/10/20/using-guided-access-to-prevent-exiting-an-app-updated-info-for-2020/

Looking for in-depth info about features AAC apps? Check out these resources:

iOS Symbol-Based: https://bit.ly/SymbolBasedAACapps
iOS Text-Based: https://bit.ly/TextBasedAACapps
Visual Scenes & Video Visual Scenes: https://bit.ly/AACvsd
AAC Feature Matching Resource Bundle (includes all three, save 10%): https://bit.ly/aacFeatureMatchingBundle. If you are looking to purchase resources for several staff / team members, take a look at the Multiple Licenses discount (saves 20%)
Robust Android AAC Apps (Google Play & Amazon Fire): https://bit.ly/RobustAndroidAACappChart
Affordable and Free AAC apps & AAC-Related Apps (iOS, Android, Amazon Fire, Windows & a few web-based options): https://bit.ly/BasicAffordableAACchart