TECH SUPPORT Q & A FOR USERS

Here is our #1 most common question!

Q. I can't get sound out of the app. My other apps work fine. I think it isn't working. What do I do?
A. We get this question several times a week. And it typically goes like this: "I have sound on my other apps, but not yours. What's wrong?" For the newer iPads, swipe DOWN from the upper right corner of your screen and look for a bell. The bell is the icon for sound. Tap on it to de-select it so it's not on mute. If you have an iPad Air 2, the mute button is located on the floating dock which can be opened by sweeping upward on the bottom of your screen. For older iPads, there is a mute button there next to the volume button. Switch it on.  If that doesn't work,, go into your settings>General>Sound and make sure it is turned on. 

In 100% of the cases--100%--that has been the culprit. It often takes us several emails to make someone actually look at their mute button/control settings  because it seems illogical that other apps have sound and ours don't. But trust us, that's what it is! Apple would not approve an app that does not have working sound, and the sound doesn't just stop working for no reason after you have been using it successfully. It's the mute button/mute button setting folks!  for older iPads, take a look at this YouTube video to help you: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBfJmfZt7lE

For newer iPads look at this video: https://osxdaily.com/2019/01/31/how-mute-ipad-turn-off-sound/

Q. I have one of your apps, and I love it, but it's crashing sometimes and not working right. What should I do?
A. This is a question we get at least once a month--about the full version of one of our apps, not the Lite.  Generally, there are two possibilities for this:

1. First--check to see if we have updated the app. Every time Apple introduces a new IOS version, it seems some of the apps get glitchy. We do jump on that and try to fix them as soon as possible but it's possible yours has not been automatically updated.

2.  If you are running out of reserve memory on your iPad, apps will not run right, especially those with lots of videos and animations like ours. They might crash or the functions/features will not be accessible. When you start getting low on memory, you can go into your Settings>About and check "Usage." You will see the "Storage" section there, which shows what you have used vs. what is available. For example, Fun with Directions is 198 MB, First Phrases is 482 MB, Listening Power Preschool is 481 MB, and Fun with Verbs & Sentences is 715 MB. The size of the app is listed in the iTunes store, under "Details." Delete memory-heavy unused apps or videos to free up space, then try deleting/redownloading the app that wasn't working right.

3. For newly downloaded apps: If there is any interruption in the Wi-Fi signal during the downloading process, it gets corrupted and the app won't work right. So what to do? Touch the app icon until it jiggles. Then touch the X in the corner. Say "yes" that you want to delete it. Now start from the beginning and download it again from your "purchased" tab in iTunes. You DO NOT have to pay for it again but you will lose your data unfortunately. But make sure you have a really strong, uninterrupted signal. Don't use a phone hot spot or dial-up connection. If you still have any difficulties with it running right, email us at info@hamaguchiapps.com and we will help you troubleshoot. It should work right if it is downloaded correctly.

Q. I bought the iPhone version instead of the HD version. Can I get a refund? Consider that we are like the author of a book you buy from Amazon. We get a percentage of the gross proceeds from the sales of our apps. These are called "royalties" and they are lump sum distributions.  We don't have any information about individual buyers or transactions. So to fix this issue, look at the receipt you got in your email from Apple. Scroll to the bottom where it says "Report a problem". Let them know you bought the wrong version by accident and want a refund. Apple will handle it from there! Then simply go back into the App Store and buy the HD version for the iPad and you're all set.

Q. I am having trouble getting the microphones/recording function to work right on my apps. What can I do?
A. Go into your Settings> General. You will see a tab for "Restrictions". Click on that. It will ask you to generate a 4 digit password. Make one up. "Allow restrictions to be enabled". After that, scroll down to the microphone and you will see the list of all of your apps that have microphones in them, including ours. Move the switch to ON (green) so it is enabled. Hope this helps some of you--if you originally clicked on "do not allow"  when prompted that is the way to undo the problem.

Q. I'm presenting/teaching a course about using apps. Can I have some codes to sample your apps?
A. Presenters are required to provide documentation of the workshop/inservice, including the expected number of audience members, location, date, and a link to public advertising about the event. Presentations must be for a large, targeted audience of at least 50 people. (In other words, having a team meeting or showing apps within your school district or place of employment does not qualify as a formal presentation.)

Q. I have a great idea for an app. Can I collaborate with you on one?
A. At this time, we are not entertaining collaborative projects.

Q. I want to make an app. Can I talk to you or your programmers about how to do it? I don't know where to start. Is it worth doing?
A. We get frequent requests for information about how to make apps. Unfortunately, all the information about our apps (how much it costs to develop, who we use, how we found them, etc) are proprietary and we cannot disclose or discuss any aspects of it.