Troubleshooting

Kalam uses the device’s own built-in voices.

• Check the device volume and that it isn’t muted or on silent.
• If the device has no voice for the board’s language, Kalam stays silent on purpose and shows a small muted-speaker icon on the message bar (tap it to dismiss). That means a voice is missing, not that the app is broken.
• Fix it in the device’s settings, not Kalam’s: open Text-to-speech (Android: Settings → System → Languages & input → Text-to-speech output) and install a voice for your language.
• Meanwhile the completed message stays visible in the message bar, so the person can still communicate.

The board runs fully offline, but some device voices only work online.

• In the device’s Text-to-speech settings, install an offline (downloadable) voice for your language. On Android this is usually a “download” next to each voice.
• Test it honestly: install the voice, turn on airplane mode, and press SPEAK on a tile.
• If no offline voice exists for your language on that device, Kalam shows the muted-speaker icon when offline — the board still works visually, and speech returns online.

Kalam listens for a button press; it doesn’t pair anything itself. A paired remote that does nothing is sending a key Kalam isn’t set to recognise.

• Confirm the remote is paired in the tablet’s Bluetooth settings (not in Kalam).
• Try its buttons: Kalam recognises Space, Enter, and the number keys 1, 2, 3 out of the box.
• If none work, teach Kalam the button: gear menu → “Set up switch,” press it once, then again to confirm.
• Space and Enter always keep working as a fallback, whatever you set.

• Quickest fix: gear menu → scan speed → slow / medium / fast.
• If it’s almost right, the finer controls are in gear menu → “Other scan settings.” They’re separate from the slow/medium/fast setting, so adjusting them won’t get wiped when you change speed.
• If the person overshoots the moment a new area lights up, increase Zone pause.

• Tile edits persist only when you press Save — a brief “Saved” confirms. Left without saving? Kalam asks first (“Discard changes?”); if you discarded, re-open the tile and Save.
• A red save-error instead of “Saved” usually means device storage is full or blocked (some private-browsing modes block saving to the device). Free up space, or use a normal (non-private) window, and try again.
• Everything is stored locally on that device only. If changes vanished after clearing browser data or resetting, that’s a reset — see the next item.

Kalam keeps everything on the device — there is no cloud copy. A reset, a “clear data,” or a new tablet starts Kalam blank.

• This is what the backup file is for: Settings → Backup → Import → choose your kalam-backup file. Kalam shows a summary and asks you to confirm before replacing anything.
• Without a backup, the customisation will need to be entered again. Export a backup so this is covered next time.
• A backup only opens in a version of Kalam it was made for; if it can’t, Kalam tells you why rather than importing it half-right.

• Not installed yet? Accept the install prompt, or on iPad use Share → Add to Home Screen. Then always open Kalam from its home-screen icon, not a browser tab.
• The very first launch right after installing opens the page you installed from (often the website) — that’s normal. Tap Open Board; every launch after opens straight to the board.
• On a desktop or laptop the installed app opens in its own window rather than true full-screen — expected on desktop, and fine because desktop is the setup machine, not the bedside one. On the tablet it opens full-screen.

Kalam can’t override the device’s own screen timeout.

• In the device’s display settings, lengthen the screen timeout (or set it not to sleep while the person is using the board).
• Keep the tablet on its charger at the bedside — a “never sleep” setting drains battery faster.

• Tap the board once so it is active. A background browser tab won’t receive key presses.
• Make sure you’re on the board, not the caregiver editor — switch presses are ignored while the editor is open, so a caregiver’s typing can’t disturb the board.
• If a key does nothing at all, try the other one — both Space and Enter select — and check the keyboard is connected.

Kalam recognises several keys as “select” (Space, Enter, 1/2/3) so most remotes work out of the box — but that can mean a remote’s other button also triggers a selection.

• Use “Set up switch” (gear menu) to teach Kalam the one button you want. It learns that button alongside the always-on Space/Enter fallback.
• Choosing a clear, dedicated button and briefing the person to use only that one is the reliable fix.