Please accept our sincere apologies for that, there's nothing more frustrating than a crashing app. Please make sure that your iOS is updated to the latest release and that Toontastic is updated as well (check in the App Store Updates tab). We've recently heard that folks are having trouble with iOS 5.0 (app crashes at startup) and we will have a fix for that very shortly. In the meantime, updating to the most recent operating system will fix the issue.

If you're still experiencing difficulties, please let us know right away by emailing us with details on when and where in the app the crash occured. We'd also GREATLY appreciate it if you could send us your crash reports.Thank you for your support and understanding!

So glad you asked! As you know, Toontastic is sort of like a supercharged digital puppet theater with a record button. The FREE version comes with four playsets for you and your kids to create as many pirate, princess, space, and seamonster cartoons as you can possibly imagine (trust us, we can imagine a lot). However, once you're ready for more, the app has a Toy Store that we update regularly with new playsets chock full of gallant heroes, exotic settings, and nefarious villains. You can purchase these individually or you can unlock EVERY PLAYSET (current and future) with a one-time purchase of the All Access Pass.

Alternatively, if you'd like to unlock everything from the start, you can simply purchase Toontastic: All Access and it'll come with every character and background unlocked. And don't worry, new playsets update automatically free of charge :)

First, let us take a moment to say THANK YOU, wise teacher, for the tireless hours, endless patience, and untold gajillions of personal wealth you've invested into craft supplies. Second, we'd like to apologize... you know, for all that stuff we put you through when we were, oh, let's say ages 8-14.

Now that we got that off our shoulders... WELCOME! We're excited to have you join us and are happy to walk you through some pretty simple steps to get your entire classroom up and running on Toontastic.

1. Go download Toontastic: All Access from iTunes or from Apple's Volume Purchase Program (up to 50% off). Why All Access you ask? Well, the All Access version is custom designed for schools to offer all the features of the regular Toontastic, but with all the Characters and Settings already unlocked (future playsets will update automatically free of charge). That's 150 Characters and Settings to spark your students' imagination! Also, the in-app Toy Store is disabled so you'll automatically upgrade to future school-specific features as we release them AND you can share all your students' cartoons PRIVATELY on our ToonTube network (see next question).
2. Create a cartoon. Once you've completed it, hit the "DONE" button and upload it to ToonTube.
3. Toontastic will now prompt you to create an account. Follow the instructions to create an account.
4. Once your account is finished, type the password you created into the app. Your cartoon will upload.
5. Now that you have your account created, you can setup the rest of the iPads in your classroom on the same account. Open up the Device Settings app on each iPad.
6. In Device Settings, scroll down to find Toontastic. It's on the left near the bottom (silly alphabet).
7. Input the email address and password you used for your ToonTube account.
8. Hooray! You're done. Now everytime your students create and upload a cartoon, you'll receive an email to approve it for public viewing on ToonTube. You can also go to "My Toons" in the app or on the website to see every cartoon your class has created.

In a word, YES! ToonTube is first and foremost a Global Storytelling Network for Kids, so while we always encourage teachers to approve and share their students' cartoons (we promise that NO PERSONAL INFORMATION is shared online), we recognize that's not always possible. For this reason, ToonTube can also serve as a private sharing space for teachers and families. Here are the steps:

1. Make sure you're using Toontastic: All Access - available at 50% off to schools through Apple's Volume Purchase Program.
2. Set up a ToonTube account for your classroom.
3. Upload your students' cartoons to ToonTube.
4. When approving your students' cartoons, set them to Private Sharing, available exclusively with All Access.
5. All cartoons approved for Private Sharing get a secret web-address you can share with students and parents without making them public to the rest of ToonTube.

Toontastic is a pretty complex app and has been known to lock up from time to time. If that happens, simply press the "HOME" button on your iPad to return to the home screen then double tap the button to pull up the taskbar. Hold down on the Toontastic icon until the "-" appears and then press the "-" to close out the app. Tap the HOME button again to return to the home screen and open up Toontastic again. You should be good to go!

Toontastic features a built-in storytelling network called ToonTube for kids to safely upload and share cartoons with friends and family around the world. ToonTube supports Facebook, Twitter, and Embed features just like YouTube. We do not currently support video export off the device or to YouTube.

Changing or deleting a ToonTube account is fairly easy:

1. Close Toontastic by pressing the iPad's home button
2. Open the iPad's Settings app
3. In the left-hand scroll bar in the Settings app, find Toontastic and tap on it
4. Delete the email address and password, and if you wish enter another account's details

Great question. We're happy to hear that you're looking to add more flava' to your 'Toons. There are two ways to add characters and backgrounds. The first is to stop by the in-app Toy Store to pick from one of our many playsets (with many more coming soon!). The second option is to channel your inner Picasso to make some custom characters and backgrounds in the drawing tool! We're looking forward to seeing what you come up with!

Toontastic characters are designed to face in the direction you first move. If, for example, you first move the Princess to the left with one finger, she'll face left until you pick up your finger and move her again in another direction (and vice versa for going right). To get her to face forward, make sure that your first movement is up or down. If you want to lock the Princess into her current perspective (profile or front-facing), simply move her with two fingers.

Toontastic features what we call "iterative animation" - allowing you to layer many character animations into one scene. Once you're done recording your scene, hit the "Stop Animation" button. After playback is complete, you may add another character if you wish and then hit the "Start Animation" button again (without repositioning or adjusting your previously animated character(s). The first character animation will carry over into your second animation and the audio will re-record over your first take. This is also helpful if you want to narrate your story AFTER you animate it.

Glad to hear ye scallywags and landlubbers are enjoying the app! For now, the Jr. version is Pirates only, but we're doing our best to fix that for you. If you're really itching to make some Toons with Robots, Princesses, Space Rangers (and many more themes), then we'd recommend checking out Toontastic in the app store - but stay Tooned... er, tuned :)

If you find that your audio is muted in Toontastic Jr, please flip the mute/orientation-lock switch (at the top of your iPad, iPhone or iPod next to the volume buttons) back and forth once while inside the app. Also make sure to do the same with the software switch in the multitask bar. If that doesn't work, please jump up and down on one foot while holding your nose. If that still doesn't work, send us an email and we'll be sure to get you squared away lickety split!

Sorry about that! It sounds like you might have the app in "Landlubber" mode, which simplifies things for the younger tikes. To enable more complex animation, tap the Settings button in the top left corner of the menu screen and switch to "Leftenant" or "Captain" modes.

It's British for "Lieutenant". Just like "Rocky Road" is American for "Delicious".

Good question. Toontastic Jr. does not have drawing tools (we kept it simple for the younger kids), but once you've mastered this app and you're ready to embrace your inner Picasso, we'd recommend downloading Toontastic from the App Store so that you can draw and animate your own backgrounds!

WARNING: Broken Record Alert! Toontastic Jr. does not support uploading/exporting, but if you'd like to share cartoons with friends and family then we'd recommend (again) checking out Toontastic. Toontastic features a global storytelling network called ToonTube so that kids can upload their cartoons and share with friends and family around the world. In the meantime, for all the youngsters out there, we think you'll really enjoy StoryShare :)

The StoryShare feature enables you to create cartoons with friends and family in real-time over the internet. It's like a telephone WITH TOYS! If you're not seeing the StoryShare button on your main menu, then that means (unfortunately) your device isn't quite fast enough to support it. Any device released after the iPad 2 will work (iPhone 4S, iPhone 5 too). Sorry for any trouble!

First, we STRONGLY recommend using headphones with StoryShare. It sounds better and makes you look WAAAY cooler... like Marty McFly wearing Hyperdunks. If you're still having issues, it could be a problem with the speed of your internet connection, which would be indicated in the photo medallion during StoryShare. If that's not it... well, send us an email using the button below :)

To connect to a family member or friend, you must BOTH put in each others' email addresses in order to "double confirm" the connection. Then, BOTH parties must have the app open and be in the StoryShare address book. When that happens, the contact will be highlighted blue showing that you're able to connect. Happy Tooning!

Absolutely. StoryShare uses a "double confirmation" system so that BOTH parties have to search for each others' email addresses in order to connect. With this, there's no way for a stranger to contact your children through our software.

To connect to a family member or friend, you must BOTH put in each others' email addresses in order to "double confirm" the connection. Then, BOTH parties must have the app open and be in the StoryShare address book. When that happens, the contact will be highlighted blue showing that you're able to connect. Happy Tooning!

Sure, though we'd recommend picking up the iPad version of the app to avoid the less-than-stellar image scaling from iPhone to iPad. Unfortunately, with all videos in the app, we weren't able to make the app universal and still keep it under the size-limits for iPhone. No matter how hard we try, we just can't get these Salty SeaDogs to shrink down!

Heavens no! To create a MonkeyGram, you simply have to purchase one postcard and characters to animate. Once you've unlocked that postcard, you can send it as many times as you'd like at NO COST. We even give you FREE CREDITS to start!

If you find that your audio is muted in Toontastic Jr, please flip the mute/orientation-lock switch (at the top of your iPad, iPhone or iPod next to the volume buttons) back and forth once while inside the app. Also make sure to do the same with the software switch in the multitask bar. If that doesn't work, please jump up and down on one foot while holding your nose. If that still doesn't work, send us an email and we'll be sure to get you squared away lickety split!

That's no funny number, it's 419-MNKY! You just received a MonkeyGram!