Questions and answers
Can't find your answer? Write to us; we read every message.
Getting started
What do I need?
An iPhone with iOS 27 or later. 4olio was designed around iPhone Duo, and it works on every iPhone.
Is there an account, a subscription or ads?
No. There's no sign-in, no in-app purchase and no advertising.
Where do I start?
Your first page has a yellow sticky note of tips. Tap it to peel it off. Then tap Add (+) in the toolbar to open the pencil case.
iPhone Duo: closed, open and folded
What does 4olio do in each pose?
- Closed (outer display)
- Your notebook's marbled cover. Tap the white label to write a name and subject, then tap or swipe the cover to open it at your bookmark.
- Open flat, held sideways
- A two-page spread with the spine on the fold. Like a real composition book, the first page sits alone on the right.
- Partly folded, like a book
- Still a spread, with the pages kept clear of the crease.
- Open flat, held upright
- One large page.
- Folded like a laptop
- The page on the top half and your pencil case on the bottom half.
- Side by side with another app (Split View)
- One page at a time.
Can the closed display show my page instead of the cover?
Yes. Go to More (…) › Notebook Settings › When Closed, Show and choose Where I Left Off. You can still read, turn pages, draw and add stickers there.
Why is the toolbar down the side of the screen?
On the outer display, and on the inner display when you hold it sideways, iPhone Duo moves app toolbars into a bar along the edge. iPhone Duo decides which edge, so apps can't move it. Left-Handed in Notebook Settings switches 4olio's own layout for your left hand.
How do I hide the toolbar while I read?
Tap blank paper. Tap again to bring it back. You can turn this off with Tap Page to Hide Bars in Notebook Settings.
I don't have an iPhone Duo. Do I miss out?
No. Everything works on other iPhones; you just see one page at a time, and the cover greets you when 4olio starts fresh.
Adding photos, stickers and notes
How do I add things to a page?
Tap Add (+) to open the pencil case. Its tabs are Photos, Stickers, Tape, Notes, Labels and Pens. Tap a tile to stick it on the page, or drag it to the spot you want. Select anything on the page to drag, pinch or rotate it, then tap Done.
How do I add photos?
In the pencil case, open Photos and tap Develop Photos. The system photo picker opens; choose the photos you want and they come out as prints on the page.
Why doesn't 4olio ask for access to my photo library?
It doesn't need it. The photo picker is run by iOS, outside 4olio, and 4olio only receives the photos you choose. It keeps its own resized copy of each one, so deleting a photo from your library doesn't remove the print, plus the date the photo was taken, for the orange date stamp. It doesn't keep the photo's location.
How do I draw?
Tap Draw (the pencil) to uncap a pen, and your finger draws on the page. Tap Cap Pen to stop; with the pens capped, your finger moves things around instead.
Turning, adding and deleting pages
How do I turn the page?
Swipe left on the page to go forward and right to go back, or tap the outer corner of the page. More › Next Page and Previous Page work too, and More › Pages jumps to any page.
How do I add a page?
More › Add Blank Page. Choose wide-ruled, graph, kraft or black construction paper for new pages under Paper for New Pages in Notebook Settings.
How do I delete a page?
On the page, choose More › Delete Page, or open More › Pages and choose Delete Page on the page you want to remove. Everything stuck or drawn on it goes too, and this can't be undone.
How do I delete everything?
Delete the 4olio app from your iPhone. That removes the notebook and every photo copy from the device. Copies can remain in older iPhone backups until those backups are replaced.
Sending a page
How do I send a page to a friend?
Tap Send Page (the paper plane). 4olio makes a postcard of the page and, with Send Editable Copy on, a copy your friend can tuck into their own 4olio notebook (a .4oliopage file). Then choose Messages, Mail, AirDrop or anything else in the share sheet.
What does my friend get?
Everyone sees the postcard. Friends with 4olio can also open the editable copy.
What goes with the page?
Only that page. Photos are rebuilt from their pixels, so their location and camera details don't travel. Your notebook's name, your device name and your account aren't included. Your name appears only if you set Sign envelopes as in Notebook Settings › Mail, where you can also turn off “Made in 4olio” on Postcards.
Does 4olio upload my page anywhere?
No. 4olio has no server. The page goes from your iPhone through the service you pick in the share sheet, such as Messages, Mail or AirDrop.
Why can't I send an editable copy of this page?
Very large pages can be too big to seal. The Send Page screen tells you when that happens and why.
Receiving a page
Someone sent me a page. How do I open it?
Tap the .4oliopage file in Messages or Mail, or accept the AirDrop, and open it in 4olio. It arrives as a sealed envelope in More › Mail. If you saved the file to Files, use Open from Files there.
What can I do with it?
Open the envelope, then choose Tuck In to add it to your notebook, Keep Loose to keep it in your mail, or Toss to throw it away.
It says it “needs a newer 4olio”.
The page was made with a newer version. Update 4olio from the App Store and open it again.
Backups and a new iPhone
Where is my notebook saved?
On your iPhone, inside 4olio's own storage. It isn't synced to other devices.
Is it backed up?
Yes, as part of your iPhone backup, if you back up with iCloud Backup or to a computer. Those backups belong to you and Apple; 4olio never sees them.
How do I move my notebook to a new iPhone?
Restore your new iPhone from a backup of the old one, or transfer directly from your old iPhone when you set up the new one. Your notebook comes along with the app.
Can I keep an extra copy of a page?
Send the page to yourself with Send Editable Copy on, for example with Save to Files in the share sheet. You can open that file in 4olio later.
Settings, sound and accessibility
Where are the settings?
More › Notebook Settings: what the closed display shows, the name and subject on the cover, cover colour, paper for new pages, page-turn style, sounds, haptics, left-handed layout, toolbar and mail.
Can I choose which tools are in the toolbar?
Yes: Customize Toolbar in Notebook Settings. Drag to reorder. Tools you turn off stay in the More menu.
The page sounds are too much.
4olio follows your iPhone's silent mode. You can also turn off Sounds and Haptics in Notebook Settings.
Can pages fade instead of curling?
Choose a style under Page Turn in Notebook Settings. With Reduce Motion on in your iPhone's Accessibility settings, pages always fade.
Contact
Email s.java.junk@gmail.com. We read every message.
It helps to include your iPhone model, your iOS version, 4olio's version (More › Notebook Settings › About 4olio), what you did and what happened, and a screenshot if you can.
4olio is made by Syed Javaid. See also the privacy policy.