Questions, answered.
Swatch does one thing, so there isn't much to explain. Here are the questions photographers ask most.
Where are my grids saved?
On your iPhone, and synced privately through your own iCloud across your Apple devices. There's no Swatch account and no Swatch server, so your grids stay yours; we never see them.
Does the grid match Instagram's real proportions?
Yes. Swatch lays tiles out in Instagram's current 3:4 portrait crop, so the grid you plan is the grid you'll see on your profile. Reels and carousels sit in the same grid with their own markers, so nothing shifts once a post is live.
What happens to my plans on a new phone?
They follow you. Your grids sync through your own private iCloud, so they restore on a new iPhone once you sign in with the same Apple ID.
Does Swatch post to Instagram for me?
No, and it never will. Swatch is for planning the look of your feed. When you're ready, you post through Instagram yourself; a share-sheet handoff is as connected as it gets. No auto-posting, no account linking.
Can I rearrange posts without the layout breaking?
Press and hold a tile, then drag to reorder, or drop a new one in anywhere. The grid reflows around it smoothly, so you can keep tuning the layout without it jumping or collapsing.
Do reels and carousels show their cover image?
Yes. A reel shows the cover image you pick with a film badge, and a carousel shows its cover with a multi-image marker, so the grid matches your real profile rather than just placeholders.
Can I design carousels in the app?
Yes. Open a carousel to add and reorder slides, frame each one in white or a palette colour, letterbox a landscape to Fit, and reposition the photo inside its frame. Apply one look across the whole set, then export the slides in order, ready to post by hand.
Do the caption suggestions send my photos anywhere?
No. Captions are generated on your device with Apple Intelligence, on supported iPhones. The app reads the photo on-device to suggest a caption in a tone you choose, or rewrites your own in a tap. Your photos and words never leave your phone, and there's no account or cloud.
Can I export my plan to post by hand?
Yes. Export the grid as a single image, or a numbered shot list to follow while you post manually, so there's a clean handoff from planned to posted.
Will Swatch compress my photos?
No. Your photos stay full resolution on your device. Swatch reads them to build the grid preview and to sample each one's dominant colour, but never re-compresses or uploads them.
How many posts can one grid hold?
As many as you like. Plan a single launch or a whole season; there's no cap, and Pro adds unlimited grids and accounts on top.
Is there a subscription?
No. Swatch is free to download, with a one-time unlock to use it fully. No renewals, no monthly fees.
What happens to my free grid if I don't upgrade?
Nothing. Your first grid is yours forever, free, and stays on your device. Pro only adds more grids and accounts. We never delete your work or lock you out of what you've already planned.
Can I plan more than one account?
Yes: multiple accounts, each with multiple grids. The free download lets you try it; the one-time unlock removes the limits.
Is there an iOS app?
Yes. Swatch is a native iOS app for iPhone, with no account and no login, and optional private iCloud sync across your Apple devices.
Do you have any of my data?
No. There's no Swatch account and no Swatch server. Your grids stay on your device and in your own private iCloud, which only you can reach. See the privacy page for the full picture.
Still stuck?
If your question isn't here, send us a note and a real person will get back to you.