# Pictello Visual Stories — user reviews > 61 indexed App Store user reviews of Pictello Visual Stories by AssistiveWare, rated 4.10/5 from 33 ratings. - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pictello-visual-stories/id397858008/reviews - App overview in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pictello-visual-stories/id397858008.md - Rating breakdown: 5★ 21 · 4★ 5 · 3★ 1 · 2★ 2 · 1★ 4 ## Newest reviews (10 of 61) ### 3/5 — Poor quality *2020-02-02* The sound recorder does nothing, it should pop open a request for permission. Adding a video causes it to start “compressing” it (even though it is already), but then it just sits there forever doing nothing, without even showing a progress bar, and then the screen turns off. After the screen is put back on the “compressing” task is lost. The interface is hard to understand. There a plenty of cheaper and better alternatives to this app. **Developer response:** Hi Hairy_wen, we are very sorry for the issues you are experiencing with Pictello. We were under the impression these issues were addressed in Pictello 3.7. However, as you are running Pictello 3.7, it seems they are not fixed. As we are very eager to fix these issues, please email our team at support@assistiveware.com so that our team can learn more about your setup and hopefully address these bugs. Regarding difficulty with Pictello's interface, if you have not done so already, please check out our Pictello Quickstart Manual and step-by-step tutorials (www.assistiveware.com/support/pictello/manuals) for helpful information on using the app. Thank you very much! We look forward to hearing from you soon and assisting you. :-) ### 2/5 — Trop cher pour ce que c’est *2019-03-11* Pas trop mal, mais franchement c’est cher que l’outil développé. La synthèse vocale n’est pas terrible (très robot) et il y a vraiment peu de choix dans la mise en page. Si jamais su je me serais contentée de keynotes, qui certes n’a pas la synthèse vocale, mais qui remplit tout à fait la fonction de cahier de vie. **Developer response:** Nous sommes désolés d’apprendre que l’appli ne correspond pas à vos besoins. Veuillez savoir que Pictello peut être utilisé pour soutenir les activités de littératie grâce à la synthèse vocale. Nous avons beaucoup de voix disponibles en Français, découvrez toutes les voix que vous pouvez utiliser ici : https://www.assistiveware.com/fr/produits/pictello N’hésitez pas à nous contacter à support@assistiveware.com si vous avez des questions ou doutes. :) ### 3/5 — One problem *2015-04-20* Love the app. Very user friendly however for the amount of money it costs, you should be able to email with audio. Only disappointing thing about this app ### 3/5 — How do I share stories? *2014-05-28, version 2.1* Um, this needs work. Where is the story code to share? Can I pull pics off the Internet ? ### 2/5 — Great app!!! *2013-10-05* Sorry about the stars before the update would have rated 5 stars but since the update with the video made.. It keeps crashing while making a story, please fix this as soon as possible ### 2/5 — Fix this update!! *2013-09-10, version 2.0* I downloaded the update 9/9/13 and now I see NOTHING when I launch the app. I sure hope I didn't lose all my stories!!! ### 4/5 — Pas mal mais prix trop élevé *2013-02-27* Pas mal . Je l'utilise pour créer un petit journal des vacances pour mon fils. Cependant , ça serait bien de rajouter des couleurs pour l'écriture , la possibilité de mettre en gras ou souligner, ou centrer, bref comme dans une messagerie. Cela compenserait un peu le prix trop élevé ### 4/5 — Love this *2013-01-24* Hi this is a great app to prepare social stories for students with autism. You can use pictures you take with iPad instantly after you take them. You can add words and voices to pictures! ### 4/5 — Could be a great app... *2012-09-27* This could be a great app but there are some major problems with it, first and foremost being that there is no way to edit a story once you have created it. So make sure it's perfect the first time or you'll hav to start all over again... ### 5/5 — A must for ECE teachers *2012-09-22* Great app, so easy to use either in class with students or at home preparing a reading text. It can be a great way to consolidate learning on a topic as you can print out the books and add them to your class bookshelf. ## Most critical reviews (10 lowest-rated) ### 1/5 — App shuts down iPad *2024-07-15* When my son tries to create stories, the app rarely works and if it does work it freezes his iPad for hours afterwards. Waste of money. **Developer response:** Hi fygkoo. We are sorry to hear you are having issues with Pictello. It sounds like it may be an issue with the size of the photos or videos you are using in combination with storage available on the device. We would love to help you troubleshoot this issue if you can email us at support@assistiveware.com. ### 1/5 — Not worth it *2023-02-28* Not worth it at all. Does not pick up my sons voice accurately. Cant delete pages that you don’t want. Very frustrating. **Developer response:** Hi autisticmum, we are very sorry to hear about the issues you are having with Pictello. Please know we will do everything we can to try to help you. First, regarding the sound, ​make sure you're not using a case that blocks the microphone. You may try removing the iPad or iPhone from the case to see if that helps. In addition, try experimenting with how you're holding the device when you record. You don't have to have the microphone right up to your mouth (in fact, this would cause the sound to be distorted), but you will get better sound if the microphone is a foot or so from your mouth. Another idea is to test your mic using the Voice Memos app on your device by making a test recording (for more info, see: support.apple.com/guide/ipad/make-a-recording-ipadf455678c/ipados). Next, to delete a page in Wizard Mode, tap Edit in the top-right corner of the screen, tap the story you want to edit, tap Edit in the Story Actions popover that appears, and then tap Wizard Mode. In Wizard Mode, tap Edit Pages, tap the X in the bottom-right corner of the screen, tap the red and white minus button next to the page you want to remove, and then tap Delete to remove the page. When you are finished, tap Done in the top-right corner of the screen, tap Previous in the top-left corner of the screen, and then tap Done With Story. To delete a page in Expert Mode, tap Edit in the top-right corner of the screen, tap the story you want to edit, tap Edit in the Story Actions popover that appears, and then tap Expert Mode. In Expert Mode, tap Edit in the bottom-right corner of the screen, tap the red and white minus button next to the page you want to remove, and then tap Delete to remove the page. When you are finished, tap Done in the bottom-right corner of the screen, and then tap Done in the top-left corner of the screen. If you would like to view the Pictello Manual, PDF tutorials, and FAQs, please be sure to check out our Pictello Help page (www.assistiveware.com/support/pictello). We also invite you to join AssistiveWare’s Pictello Community Facebook group (www.facebook.com/groups/353130621434993), where you can connect with other Pictello users, share stories, and share ideas about using the app. Note, membership must be approved before posting. Please feel free to email us at support@assistiveware.com if you need additional assistance with Pictello or AAC advice. Our caring team is always ready to lend a helping hand. Peace! :-) ### 1/5 — Problème avec la voix *2021-10-08* Il y a un bug j’ai téléchargé la voix de Valentin et je l’ai coché mais à chaque fois la lecture se fait avec la voix de margaud ( très robotique). Même quand je la supprime, la voix revient. **Developer response:** Bonjour Sonia, dans Pictello, il y a une voix par défaut mais aussi une voix associée à chaque histoire, ou page de l’histoire. Vous tentez peut-être de modifier la voix par défaut mais si la voix Manon est associée à l’histoire alors ce sera celle-là qui sera utilisée pour la lecture. N’hésitez pas à nous écrire à support@assistiveware.com pour nous décrire plus précisément votre problème, notre équipe d’assistance sera heureuse de vous aider à le résoudre. ### 1/5 — Sound recording bug *2019-11-18* I am a teacher returning to Pictello and am experiencing issues with recording sound. Also have a student who has issues with recording sound. Why? Not inexpensive app that worked well in the past. Attempted to query with the developer following the App Store link. No contact details - just a pop up ‘get your feedback’ window on the website. Effective to leave feedback, but not for communication re a product issue. Ironic considering that your business is AAC! **Developer response:** Hi ...Unhappy, we are very sorry for the issue you have encountered with recording sound in Pictello and the difficulty you had in contacting our support. Please know that we take peoples' issues very seriously and try to work hard to address their concerns. First, the issue recording audio in Pictello was introduced in a recent system software update. We are planning to address this issue in a future Pictello update. In the meantime, you can workaround this issue by using Expert mode in Pictello when creating or editing stories. If the recording does not start, simply tap the Pause button once. For instructions on using Expert mode, please see this PDF tutorial (download.assistiveware.com/pictello/files/Create_a_Story_with_Pictello_Expert.pdf). Next, please know that when you tap the "App Support" and "Developer Website" links on the Pictello App Store page, you can send a message to our support team by tapping the "Contact Support" link and filling out a form. It is also possible to email us directly within Pictello by opening Options, scrolling to the "SUPPORT" section, and tapping Email Support. Last but not least, you can reach out to us on Facebook and Twitter or by emailing support@assistiveware.com. Our team is available 7 days a week and is always happy to assist customers who use our apps. We hope this helps! :-) ### 1/5 — Love the app! Hate the update: shouldn’t change look when issuing an update. *2014-11-08* We love this app, it has been robust, and we have been using it daily everywhere for my non-verbal teenage son for more than 2 years (for activity schedules, photo albums he shares with peers, and almost everything we can think of). WHY DID YOU CHANGE THE COLOR OF THE BUTTONS? Since the app update, we have to reteach the app. My son stopped using the buttons because . the color scheme changed, and the forward/backward buttons are orange and less visually distinct. Don’t make things cutesy for this population!!! Any visual changes are a major change for people with cognitive and visual-processing differences. Don’t do it again. This time we’ll put the hours in to reteach it. Next time offer the option of retaining the old look and feel or accepting the changes with any updates your designers want to make. ### 1/5 — Why it's bad *2014-09-23* You deleted how to make a story ### 1/5 — No bilingual *2013-12-31* Can't use different languages for same photo? ### 1/5 — needs fixing *2013-06-02* this app is great. however useless if you cant go back to add to stories and edit them. no kids have attention to add pages and finish a whole story. i was hoping to use this as a log of our trip to florida as our first time using this app. we took two pictures and then sat down to start our story. its great to engage the child, practise typing skills. etc. but i never realized you couldnt ADD to it!! am i doing something incorrect? if not, then essentially this app is not worth the money. ### 1/5 — Frustrating software *2012-10-16, version 1.5.1* Every time I attempt to put together a story for my kids the program randomly crashes, saving none of my work. Until the bugs are worked out this software is a waste of space that does not deliver what it promises to. I'll be looking for another alternative. ### 2/5 — Needs more features *2024-02-08* this app is not the quality I thought I was paying for **Developer response:** Hi R.Slason. We are sorry to hear you do not think the app is high quality. We would love for you to email us at support@assistiveware.com so we can help you get the most out of Pictello. We hope to hear from you soon! ## Most praised reviews (10 highest-rated) ### 5/5 — Pictello Visual Stories *2025-05-13* Develop language and literacy **Developer response:** Hi and thank you for your 5 star rating. We love to hear you are using Pictello to help develop language and literacy! We also have free resources on these topics at our website that you may find helpful. You can check them out at www.asssistiveware.com. ### 5/5 — Preschool to Teens *2023-03-28* Pictello is an app that is useful in so many venues. Make stories with preschoolers about there day, activities, and people they love. Use it for older youngsters to tell stories and read aloud. It is so useful with those non-speaking with voice output. Everything can be personalized. It’s a really inexpensive and highly versatile app. I love it! ### 5/5 — Autistic children growing up *2022-10-22, version 3.8* I am an autistic woman who was originally nonverbal and forced to speak in different therapies. They would drill me to repeat different phrases but I felt like I was saying nothing because I was just repeating what other people wanted me to say. I use all of the different assistiveware apps in different communication situations. They listened to autistic people and converted our natural dialect and communications into apps that really work for us. For the first time since I was seven years old, I finally found my authentic autistic voice. I am myself again. Thank you autistic community and thank you assistiveware. Pictillo has allowed me to accommodate myself as an adult by letting make my own visual schedule like my teachers used to do for me as a little girl. My anxiety and fixation has reduced so much. ### 5/5 — Use this app daily for lots of activities *2021-01-18* This app has allowed more independence. Teaching speech and developing language. Creating our own stories. Making stories with more visuals. Step by step recipes that he can cook independently. Step by step instructions to follow for other day to say activities to create independence. Can be as creative as you like. **Developer response:** Hi Hayden_rocks, thank you so much for the five big stars and taking the time to share the many ways you use Pictello. From creating a daily schedule to documenting step-by-step instructions on how to do household chores, as you mention, Pictello opens up numerous possibilities. If you are not a member already, we welcome you to join AssistiveWare's Pictello community Facebook Group where you can connect with other Pictello users and share about how you are using the app. You can join here (www.facebook.com/groups/353130621434993) Note AssistiveWare's Pictello community is a closed Facebook Group, so each membership request must be approved on a case-by-case basis. If you ever have questions about Pictello, please feel free to email our team at support@assistiveware.com and one of our team members will be happy to assist you! :-) ### 5/5 — That was nice. *2020-02-05, version 3.7* So I found your app, and then on 2/5/2020, I came up with an idea! I decided to make Education For US Money! It took probably 30 minutes to make! My mom paid $18.99! While the app was downloading I was using the camera to take pictures for it it was amazing! I could probably educate kids about money now a days! Just great. I mean seriously! ### 5/5 — I’ve been using for years! *2019-07-03* I love this app. Very easy to use. I’ve made multiple social stories from potty training to playing on the playground- I love it! I also make a lot of “my favorites” stories. Recently I started having my son use it to make books for his drawings. Easy to use. Thank you!!! **Developer response:** Hi FloridaGurlAtHeart, we are thrilled to hear about your love of Pictello and the different ways you use the app! Thank you for reaching out to us and your positive review! If you have not done so already, please feel free to look at our Pictello Help section (www.assistiveware.com/support/pictello) and Learn AAC section (www.assistiveware.com/learn-aac) for helpful information on using the app and implementing AAC into your daily family life. Please feel free to contact our team at support@assistiveware.com if you ever have questions about the app. We are always happy to lend a helping hand. :-) ### 5/5 — Love it! *2014-08-08* Pictello has become a communication bridge between home and daycare centre/preschool for us and our ASD daughter. Her carers and ourselves make story books about her day, which she will then speak about. App is easy and quick to use. Is improving language and comprehension skills, as well as connecting us all ensuring consistency. Brilliant! Only upgrade possible would be ability to export as a movie to share with those who don't have iPads or the app. Huge thanks! ### 5/5 — Just when I thought it couldn't get any better! *2013-09-30* We were already so in love with this app…and then it happened, now you can add videos! We love it because it is so easy to use for myself and for my very highly impacted, nonverbal 11 yr old with autism. She never had any interest before of looking at pictures of her family or of social stories, I just don't think she saw the need. Now, after putting family albums and some motivating stories about her fav foods, she's hooked!:) I thought she'd only want to look at certain ones, but she goes through them all, over and over, even the social stories, like Going to the Dentist! I'm amazed at her response and so pleased! But now, with videos, when I added videos of her bowling to her story about her very first time bowling and of her playing in the water at the beach, I can't even describe her face! She grinned from ear to ear and then was just giddy! Now, that is priceless!! ### 5/5 — Great app *2012-11-13* As a language teacher, i find that this app is awesome. The only problem is that u cannot use audio from your ipad and put it the stories, or use a custom font (vital for language teachers), i like the new updates and hope the issues can be resolved . 5stars nonetheless, great for stories. ### 5/5 — Time tested excellence *2012-11-04* Awesome app! I have recommended this app to 100% of my clients during consults/trainings with individuals that have unique challenges. I also demonstrate it at every workshop/ presentation that I do. Everyone loves the possibilities it holds….social stories, teaching tasks step by step, sharing with classmates and so much more! --- *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 2026-08-27.*