How to Add or Edit a Button on Your AAC Device

Adding a button — a new word, a name, a favorite phrase — is one of the most common things caregivers want to do, and almost every AAC app follows the same pattern. Once you know the pattern, you can find it in any app.

The universal steps

1. Find Edit mode. Look for a pencil icon, a gear, or a menu option named "Edit" or "Edit Page". This unlocks the layout so buttons can be changed.
2. Select the spot. Tap an empty cell to create a new button, or tap an existing button to change it.
3. Add the label and message. Set the word shown on the button and the message it speaks (these can differ — a button can read "more" but speak "I want more please").
4. Add a symbol or photo. Search the built-in symbol library, or use a photo for people and personal items.
5. Set the action. Most buttons speak a word; others link to another page, clear the message bar, or trigger a device function.
6. Save and leave Edit mode. Tap Done or the pencil again, then test the button.

Where Edit mode lives in popular apps

• TD Snap: tap the pencil (Edit) icon, then tap the button or empty cell.
• TouchChat: open Menu, then Edit Page, then tap the button.
• Proloquo2Go: tap the pencil icon to enter Edit mode, then tap a button or an empty spot.
• LAMP Words for Life: open the Vocab/Menu, choose Edit Page, then tap the button.
• Grid 3: open Menu, then Edit Grid (or press F11 on Windows), then select the cell.

A special rule for motor-planning systems

In motor-planning vocabularies such as LAMP Words for Life and Speak for Yourself, the position of every word is part of how the user learns it — the path to a word never changes. When customizing these systems, hide words you are not ready for rather than moving existing ones, and avoid rearranging the grid. Consistent placement is the whole point.

Stuck on a particular screen? Attach a screenshot in the chat and ask "where do I tap to add a button here?" for step-by-step hotspots on your own screen.