# Custom Boards Elite — Visual Support Creation Center

> Visual support and activity creator for education and communication. (iPhone/iPad app by Smarty Ears.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/custom-boards-elite/id489935586 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Smarty Ears](https://appshunter.io/developer/348779167)
- Category: Education, Productivity
- Price: Free with in-app purchases
- Rating: 1.60/5 from 5 App Store ratings · 9 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 15.0 · 880 MB
- Languages: American English
- Released: 2012-01-05
- Data updated: 2026-07-26
- Monetization: subscription
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/custom-boards-elite/id489935586/reviews.md

## What is Custom Boards Elite?

The Ultimate Visual Support & Activity Creator
Empower communication and learning with Custom Boards Elite! Designed specifically for speech therapists, special education teachers, and parents, Custom Boards Elite is an evidence-based app that revolutionizes how you create visual supports.

Whether you need a daily schedule, a communication grid, or an engaging articulation game, Custom Boards gives you the tools to build professional, customized materials in minutes.

 UNMATCHED SYMBOL LIBRARY
Say goodbye to stick figures and limited clip art. Custom Boards includes over 29,000 high-quality, diverse symbols from the renowned Smarty Symbols library. Need something specific? You can easily upload and integrate your own photos directly from your device!

120+ READY-TO-USE TEMPLATES
Stop starting from scratch. Choose from over 120 expertly designed templates categorized into six core areas:

Activities & Games: Bingo, Dominoes, Board Games, and more.

Devices & Switches: Perfect for AAC device overlays.

Signs & Labels: Create classroom rules, labels, and directional signs.

Grids & Boards: Standard communication grids from 1x1 up to complex layouts.

Schedules & Calendars: First-Then boards, weekly schedules, and daily routines.

Worksheets: Ready-made educational printables.

 DEEP CUSTOMIZATION
Make every board your own. Our intuitive editor allows you to:

Customize background and text colors for every single cell.

Tweak border styles (solid, dashed, circular) to highlight specific targets.

Easily edit text labels to match your student's specific vocabulary.

 BUILT FOR SPEECH THERAPISTS
Save hours of prep time with our advanced search filters. Target specific speech goals by filtering the entire 21,000+ symbol library by Initial, Medial, or Final letter positions!

 EXPORT & ORGANIZE
When your masterpiece is complete, you are ready to PRINT, SAVE, or E-MAIL the final template. Print directly from your iPad to any AirPrint-ready printer. Creating boards for a whole caseload? Keep your finalized templates neatly organized into custom folders inside the app's Archive.

Join the revolution in special education and start creating beautiful, effective visual supports today!

## Key features

- Activity creation center
- 21,000+ built-in symbols
- Add custom photos
- Template library (120+)
- Print, save, and email
- Organize with folders

## Pricing and in-app purchases

Base price: Free.

**Subscriptions**

| Subscription | Price | Period |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Subscription | $9.99 | per month |
| Six months Access | $49.99 | per 6 months |
| Yearly Access | $59.99 | per year |

**One-time purchases**

| Purchase | Price | Type |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Purchase 10,000 Smarty Symbols | $19.99 | one-time |
| The ant | $0.99 | one-time |
| Placemat | $0.99 | one-time |
| Tech talk | $0.99 | one-time |
| Weekly | $0.99 | one-time |
| Orderly | $0.99 | one-time |
| Story Board | $0.99 | one-time |


## Recent user reviews (9 of 9)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/custom-boards-elite/id489935586/reviews.md

### 1/5 — No restore feature for early purchasers

*2025-06-17*

I bought this app many years ago before it became a subscription app, but there is no ‘restore’ feature and I have lost all access to this app on my new device, despite having paid a pretty penny for it. Please add a restore feature for those of us who have supported your app company in its early years.

### 1/5 — Bad

*2023-12-03*

I can’t add the symbols

### 1/5 — Bought this for 40 bucks, now being forced to subscribe and pay again or move on

*2023-10-27*

A few years ago, I bought Custom Boards for 39.99. I loved it and recommended to others. When I tried to put it on my new iPad, it is trying to charge me $10 bucks a month. I did not know my purchase “expired.” If I paid a couple of bucks, I would not complain but I feel cheated and swindled. Not a great feeling

### 3/5 — It's okay not great

*2012-01-25*

I think it could be better because almost everything cost money only some things cost no money. It is a great app though but I wish it didn't have to cost money for some.

### 5/5 — Lots of potential

*2012-01-14*

I only have the lite version but can see lots of potential for application. Need to start saving so I can get the full version. Thanks for having a lite version so we can try it out.

### 5/5 — Awesome!

*2012-01-14*

LOVE this app! It’s so easy to design individualized speech activities that kids will love to play. I especially love the assortment of fun templates..there’s one for every occasion! Can’t wait to purchase the premium version!!

### 4/5 — Versatile

*2012-01-14*

I think this app has a ton of potential! I'm just beginning to explore/learn its many uses. I showed it to a family last night who agreed that it would be great for their kid. :)

### 4/5 — Looooove!

*2012-01-14*

I love this app! Great templates and symbols. I definitely recommend trying this if you aren't ready to purchase premium yet, you will!

### 5/5 — Great preview of what this app can do!

*2012-01-14*

Great opportunity to create your own activities for listening practice, speech practice...so many possibilities!

## Frequently asked questions about Custom Boards Elite

### What is Custom Boards Elite?

Custom Boards Elite is a subscription-based app designed for creating visual support materials. It offers a large library of symbols and the ability to add custom photos to design boards, schedules, and worksheets for communication and learning.

### What subscription plans does Custom Boards Elite offer?

Custom Boards Elite offers three auto-renewing subscription plans: a monthly plan for $9.99, a bi-yearly plan for $49.99, and an annual plan for $59.99. All plans provide the same level of access within the app.

### Does Custom Boards Elite offer a free trial?

Yes, all subscription plans for Custom Boards Elite include a 7-day free trial. Any unused portion of the free trial will be forfeited when you purchase a subscription.

### How can I manage my Custom Boards Elite subscription?

You can manage your subscription and turn off auto-renewal by going to your Account Settings after purchase. Auto-renewal must be turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period.

### What kind of templates are available in Custom Boards Elite?

Custom Boards Elite provides over 120 templates across six categories: Devices & Switches, Grids & Boards, Schedules, Activities, Signs, and Labels & Worksheets.

### Can I use my own images in Custom Boards Elite?

Yes, in addition to over 21,000 built-in symbols from the Smarty Symbols library, Custom Boards Elite allows you to add your own photos to create personalized visual support materials.

### What is the update frequency for Custom Boards Elite?

The app was last updated on September 18, 2021, with the latest version being 5.0. Specific update frequency is not detailed, but it is available on iOS devices.

### What is the age rating for Custom Boards Elite?

Custom Boards Elite has an age rating of 4+, making it suitable for children aged four and older who can benefit from visual communication and learning tools.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 6.1 — 2026-07-09

This update brings a comprehensive internal modernization to Custom Boards, focusing on enhanced editing performance, memory efficiency, and seamless system integration for a smoother overall experience.

Performance and Stability
Canvas Rendering: Optimizations to the underlying layout mapping engine ensure your canvas templates align perfectly across all iPad models, keeping your absolute coordinate text, shapes, and symbol placements completely locked in.

Memory Management: Eliminated hidden internal memory leaks and retain cycles when browsing or searching extensive symbol libraries, resulting in faster load times and increased app stability during long editing sessions.

Core Refactoring: Streamlined the internal code framework to modern object property standards to ensure smoother background operation and future-proof reliability.

Sharing and Connectivity
Native Share Sheet Integration: Overhauled the app recommendation flow to use the native iOS Share Sheet. You can now effortlessly recommend the app directly through iMessage, WhatsApp, Slack, or any of your preferred communication apps instead of being forced into a legacy email template.

Universal Links: Modernized social connectivity channels, allowing support panels to directly open external community platforms seamlessly using iOS Universal Links.

### 6.0 — 2026-07-08

We’ve been listening to your feedback and have packed this update with highly requested design features and major performance boosts to make creating your visual supports faster and more beautiful than ever!

Text Color Customization
Make your words pop! You can now customize the text color of your labels independently from the background color. Perfect for color-coding parts of speech or making text more accessible for visually impaired students.

 New Dashed Borders & Shape Tools
Creating cut-out activities just got easier. We’ve added beautiful, high-quality dashed borders to our shape options!

Choose between solid or dashed lines for both rectangular and circular cells.

A fully redesigned border menu allows you to adjust the exact width, corner radius, and color of your borders with precision.

 "Apply to All" Time Saver
No more editing cells one by one! When you design the perfect border for a symbol, you can now choose to apply that exact border style to every cell on your board with a single tap.

 Modernized Editing Menus
We’ve refreshed the pop-up editing menus when you tap a cell on your canvas. It now features a clean, modern iOS design with intuitive icons, making it faster to Copy, Paste, Rotate, or apply the "Make it Not" symbol to your images.

 Lightning-Fast Exporting & Performance
Under the hood, we’ve completely rebuilt the engine that powers Saving, Printing, and Emailing your boards. Generating PDFs and saving templates to your Photo Library is now smoother, faster, and more reliable than ever. We've also optimized how images render on the canvas to keep the app running lightning-fast, even on complex grids.

### 5.0 — 2021-09-18

Updates to fix the text bugs and enhance to the latest iOS

### 3.1 — 2020-07-19

We are making the app available for user with older IOS

### 3.0 — 2020-07-12

We have updated to the latest iOS and updated Smarty Symbols with even more symbols!

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## More apps by Smarty Ears

- [WhQuestions](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/whquestions/id348905092)
- [FonoLógico Pro](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fonologico-pro/id353252255)
- [iPractice Verbs](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ipractice-verbs/id356668882)
- [R intensive Pro](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/r-intensive-pro/id371200389)
- [Articulation Assessment ToolKt](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/articulation-assessment-toolkt/id371280343)
- [Expressive](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/expressive/id398345416)

All apps by Smarty Ears: https://appshunter.io/developer/348779167

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*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-07-26.*