Answers to common questions about Ting Xie Mao. Stuck on something not covered here? Email hello@enchantinglabs.com — a real person reads every message.
Getting started
How do I scan a worksheet?
Tap Scanon the Study tab, point your camera at the worksheet, and take a photo — or pick an existing picture from your photo library. Ting Xie Mao finds the Chinese words on your device, you tick the ones you want, and they're saved into a list.
Tips for a clean scan
- Lay the page flat in even lighting.
- Fill the frame with the word rows.
- Avoid shadows and glare on the paper.
Words the scanner misses can always be added by hand afterwards — a less-than-perfect scan is never a dead end.
Do I need to download anything?
The first time you write an answer, the app may download a small one-time handwriting model so grading works fully offline afterwards. Scanning, speech playback, and dictionaries already work out of the box.
Can I add words without scanning?
Yes. Open a list and add words by typing, handwriting, or speaking them — or use Scan Words inside an existing list to append a new page to it.
Where do scanned words go?
Into a word list in your Library. Organize lists into folders, study them in any mode, and see per-list progress build up over time.
Can I use a ready-made book instead of scanning?
In Library you can browse and download public curriculum books when available — no scanning needed. Scanning your school's own worksheets always works too.
Studying & practice
Flash Cards vs. Practice vs. Test — which should we use?
- Flash Cards — fast swipe-through review, with an optional speak-your-answer mode.
- Practice — guided writing with stroke hints as you go; best for learning new words.
- Test — write each word from memory, exam-style, graded at the end.
Do I need an Apple Pencil?
No. Any iPhone or iPad works, and writing with a finger is fine. On a Pencil-capable iPad, practice feels closest to writing on paper for the real test.
What does handwriting grading do?
Settings → Handwriting grading sets how strictly answers are judged, from lenient to perfect penmanship:
- Lenient — only the character shape matters.
- Standard — grades like paper tests; stroke count matters.
- Strict — also requires correct stroke order.
- Perfect — also requires correct stroke direction.
The stroke order hints toggle in the same place shows live visual feedback while writing without affecting results.
What is pinyin practice?
Some practice rounds ask the learner to pick the correct pinyin for a word before writing it — mixing recognition in with writing.
How does Today’s Review work?
Today's Review brings back due and weak words in one short session. New words begin with Learn and guided Practice before a Check; familiar words begin with a Check so the answer stays hidden. Newly saved lists also appear on Study as Ready to learn.
Is every word read aloud?
Yes — every word is spoken when shown, so young learners who can't read the menus yet can still run sessions on their own.
Library & lists
How do I organize lists?
Create a folder per subject or school term, move lists between folders, and rename or delete from the list's screen. Capture saves into whichever folder you pick.
What happens if I scan the same list twice?
When a scan goes to a list that already contains some of the words, the copies are skipped automatically — only new words are added, so overlapping weekly lists stay clean. Words you type by hand get an “already in this word list” message instead.
Can more than one learner use the same device?
Yes. Each learner gets a profile with their own folders, lists, and progress. Switch learners from the Profile tab or Settings → Learners. You can keep up to five learners — see how the limit works if you need more.
What does iCloud sync do?
It keeps each learner's lists and progress in your Apple account's iCloud — not on our servers — so everything follows devices signed in with the same Apple ID. Enable it and check its status in Settings.
With more than one device — say an iPhone at home and an iPad at school — scanned worksheets and study progress stay in sync across them, so a learner can pick up on whichever device is handy and continue right where they left off.
Tingxie Pro & billing
What's free vs. what needs Tingxie Pro?
The guided first session is free to try. After that, scanning your own worksheets and studying your own lists require Tingxie Pro — available as a monthly or yearly subscription, or a one-time lifetime purchase. Read-only browsing, Progress, and Settings always work without a subscription.
How does the free trial work?
The yearly plan starts with a free trial when offered. If you turn on reminders when asked, the app sends a local notification 2 days before the trial ends — otherwise there's no reminder, so cancel in iOS Settings at least 24 hours before the trial ends: Apple can charge for renewal within the final 24 hours.
Restore purchases
On the paywall, tap Restore Purchases(or Settings → Tingxie Pro). It restores through the Apple ID signed into the device — there's no Ting Xie Mao account to log into.
How do I cancel or change my plan?
Apple manages all subscriptions: open the App Store, tap your account, then Subscriptions — or iOS Settings → [your name] → Subscriptions. Cancel in one tap.
Cancelling stops future charges only — Pro stays active until the end of the period you already paid for, so you can keep scanning and studying right up to the last day.
Troubleshooting
The scan missed or misread some words
Retake it with the page flat, in even light, filling the frame. Anything still missed can be added by hand. If a particular worksheet never scans well, email us — real examples help us improve the scanner.
Handwriting keeps getting marked wrong
Set Settings → Handwriting grading to Lenientwhile learning, turn on stroke order hints, and make sure the one-time handwriting model finished downloading. Also check the Chinese script setting — simplified vs. traditional matters.
There's no sound
Check the volume and where audio is going — if a Bluetooth device or AirPlay is connected, speech plays there instead. Speech is designed to play even with the mute switch on, so it's usually routing, not the switch.
Notifications aren't arriving
First check iOS Settings → Notifications → Ting Xie Mao and allow them. Then turn on smart scheduling in the app's Settings → Notifications so reminders adapt to actual study time.
iCloud sync isn't working
Make sure both devices use the same Apple ID, iCloud has free storage, and check the sync status row in Settings. If iCloud storage is full, sync pauses until space is freed.
The app shows an “Update required” screen
The installed version is too old to keep your data compatible. Update from the App Store and open the app again — your lists and progress carry over.
Does it work offline?
Yes — after the one-time handwriting model download, scanning, speech, dictionaries, and studying all run on the device and work without any connection. The network is only needed for curriculum downloads, purchases/restores, word-list sharing, and iCloud sync.
Data & privacy
Where is my data stored?
On your device. Study history, learner profiles, and worksheets remain on your device and are never sent to our servers. If you choose to share a word list or folder, a snapshot containing the title and words is hosted temporarily (up to 180 days) on our sharing service so others can import it. If you enable iCloud sync, data is stored in your private Apple iCloud account.
What does touch the network?
- The optional curriculum catalog, when you browse books.
- The optional word-list sharing service, when you create a share link or open a shared link.
- A one-time handwriting model download (Google's ML Kit also sends limited diagnostic data during download and recognition — see the Privacy Policy).
- Apple's servers for purchases, restores, and entitlements.
- A lightweight app-version check each time the app opens.
- iCloud sync, if you turn it on — data goes to your own iCloud account (Apple's servers, not ours).
Everything else — scanning, speech, dictionaries, studying — runs on the device.
How do I delete everything?
Settings → Delete All Data, then type DELETE to confirm. This permanently deletes the learning data on this device. With iCloud sync turned on, it also deletes the iCloud copy across all synced devices; with sync off, only this device is cleared.
Where are the full policies?
See the Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.
Contact
How do I reach a human?
Email hello@enchantinglabs.com for anything — bugs, billing questions, feature ideas, or a worksheet that scans badly. We read every message.