ShowPapers works the same way on Android and iPhone. Where a step differs, both are described. Settings is in Options, the button at the top right of Papers.
Where can I add a paper from?
Tap Add Paper. Scan uses your camera: on Android, through the Google Play services scanner, which may download the first time; on iPhone, through ShowPapers’ own scanner, after you allow camera access. Photos picks images, and Files picks PDFs and saved scans, including cloud storage set up on your phone, such as iCloud Drive on iPhone. You can add up to 20 files at a time.
From Another App shows how to share a file to ShowPapers: open it in the app where you keep it, tap Share, and choose ShowPapers. On iPhone, tap More if ShowPapers is not in the list, then open ShowPapers to review the files before they are added. Open Collection opens a .showpapers file someone shared with you.
Should I check the details?
Yes. Text recognition and on-device AI can misread letters and dates. Compare important details with the original, use Check the Source to see where a detail was read on the page, and correct anything that is wrong before you rely on it.
What is On-Device AI?
On supported phones, with about 6 GB of memory or more, ShowPapers downloads an AI model once (about 2.6 GB) and uses it on your phone to read papers in more detail and help file them into folders. The download starts after you agree to the Terms and can use mobile data. Open Settings, On-Device AI to see its progress, pause it, or remove it. Scanning and text recognition work without it. Your papers are not uploaded.
How do notes work?
Open Notes and tap New Note. Write what you need, add checklists, and link saved papers so they are one tap away. Make a note for the moment you are preparing for, such as a trip, school, or work. Examples are starting points; confirm requirements for your own circumstances. On supported phones, Write With AI and Refine With AI can also draft or improve a note, on the phone.
Can I share papers with family or others?
In Papers, open Options and choose Export Papers. Everything that can be included starts selected; choose what to send. Export makes one .showpapers file and opens your phone’s sharing options, including Save to Files, and Share Original Files sends the original files instead. Only share information you have permission or authority to handle.
A selected note includes its linked original papers; a selected folder includes the papers inside it. Review the selection before sending. Recipients keep their own copies, and later changes or deletions in your library do not change theirs. Someone using ShowPapers can open a shared collection with Open Collection in Add Paper, or by opening the .showpapers file.
For a protected collection, turn on Protect This Copy and save its recovery key first. Keep the key separate from the collection. Anyone with both can open it. Anyone with a readable collection can read everything in it. A collection is not a backup.
How do I use Ask an AI App?
In Papers, tap Ask an AI App at the top. Everything starts selected; use Choose What to Include to send less, and add a question if you want. Review the disclosure the first time, then continue. On Android, choose one of your installed AI apps; if none can accept the file, Open in Browser saves a copy and opens the AI website, where you attach it yourself. On iPhone, pick the AI app in the share sheet. In Settings, Ask an AI App, you can choose a usual app and write Rules for What You Send.
The AI service can read that copy, and its privacy and retention practices apply. For sensitive papers, share only what is needed with a service you trust, or use a trusted local AI setup configured to keep document content on your device, including any connected tools. A locally installed tool or skill does not make a cloud assistant local. This sharing action is separate from reading documents on your device.
To create a collection with an assistant, give it the Agent Guide and the papers you choose. For a workspace, download the Workspace Skill; that page includes terminal instructions. Our AI Guide links to the current references.
How do reminders work?
Open Settings, Date Reminders, and turn on Remind Me. Choose how many days ahead to be reminded, and allow notifications when your phone asks. Reminders are scheduled on your phone, and Android or iOS may delay them. A reminder does not decide whether a paper is valid; keep track of important dates yourself too.
How do I lock the app?
Open Settings, Security, and enable App Lock. ShowPapers then asks for your phone’s screen lock, Face ID, Touch ID or fingerprint each time you return. Your phone needs a screen lock first. Your papers are already encrypted; App Lock adds a check before viewing them.
How do I back up my papers?
Open Settings, Backup and Recovery, and choose Back Up Library. Create a recovery key and save it as a key file or write down its code, add a passphrase if you want, then save the backup file somewhere safe. Keep the backup and the key in different places. To restore, choose Restore From Backup, then the backup file, its key and any passphrase. Restoring replaces the library on that phone.
Can the app replace my originals?
Keep physical originals and bring them whenever they’re required. An app copy does not guarantee that someone will accept it.
What if I lose my phone?
Recovery depends on a backup you made and its recovery key, plus its passphrase if you set one. Keep them separately in safe places. We cannot reset a key or retrieve documents from your lost phone.
How do I change analytics?
Open Settings, Privacy. Usage Analytics and Crash Reports is on unless you turn it off, and it also covers performance measurements; the sheet lists what is shared and what is never shared. The app still checks its configuration with Google Firebase when it is off. On this website, Cookie Settings at the bottom of each page turns the website’s analytics cookies on or off. The Privacy Policy has the details.
Something not working?
Open Settings and choose Report a Problem, under About ShowPapers. It opens our report template with your app version and operating system filled in. Use made-up examples and never attach personal papers. For anything else, Contact Us.