Support

ClassTiles bundles six areas of school life — you will find them all as tiles on the Dashboard:

• Grades — record and evaluate grades
• Calendar — appointments and events
• Planning — prepare lessons (single lessons and units)
• Groups & seating — automatic group assignment and seating plans
• Documentation — notes, observations, support profiles
• Class Tasks — shared task boards for the staff room

On iPhone, iPad and Mac. It requires iOS/iPadOS 26 or later, or macOS 26 or later. The Mac gets a real, native Mac app (not a ported iPad version).

The focus is on the iPad — that is where the grade table is most comfortable to use. One limitation: the export of student data (GDPR) is available on iPad and Mac; on the iPhone it is disabled.

On iPhone and iPad via the gear icon at the top right of the Dashboard. On the Mac via the gear icon in the window toolbar, or with ⌘ , (as in any Mac app).

Yes: Settings → Language. You can follow the system language or pick a fixed one. After the switch the app restarts so that the change takes effect everywhere. The app is available in eleven languages in total.

The legal texts (privacy policy, legal notice, terms of use) and this support page are available in German and English — use the switcher at the top of each page. The German version is the legally binding one.

Four built-in scales:

• Grading scale 1–6 — values from 1 to 6 (lower is better)
• Grading scale 1–6 (±) — thirds of a grade, entered as “1+” through “6”
• Upper-secondary scale 0–15 — values from 0 to 15 (higher is better)
• Comprehensive-school scale (E, TE, NE) — achieved / partly achieved / not achieved

The built-in scales cannot be edited or deleted. If you need something different, create your own scale (see the next question).

Yes. Settings → Data → “Manage grading scales” → “Create new scale”.

The quickest route is “Use template” — there are ten ready-made templates you can derive your own scale from:

USA (A+–F) · France (0–20) · Switzerland (1–6) · Austria (1–5) · UK (GCSE 9–1) · Sweden (A–F) · Netherlands (1–10) · Spain (0–10) · IB (1–7) · Percentage scale (0–100)

The scale applies per tab of your grade table and can be changed later via “Change scale…” in the tab editor — existing grades are carried over.

In the grade table via “New” in the toolbar. There are four routes:

• Smart grade table — step by step with the assistant (recommended)
• Ready-made template — terms with sections (e.g. written/oral)
• Simple grade list — grade columns only, no sections
• Empty table — build everything yourself

The assistant asks in two steps how many terms you need and which top-level and sub-categories (e.g. “Tests”, “Oral”) — including weighting and a preview before anything is created.

Every calculation column (that is, every category with sub-items) has a “Weighting” section in its settings. There you distribute percentages across the sub-items — “Distribute evenly” sets them all to the same value.

Two calculation methods are available:

• Psychometric (weighted average) — the normal case
• Mode (most frequent value) — in the event of a tie, the app asks which grade should apply

Yes. Open the settings of the relevant grade column and, under “Points entry”, turn on the switch “Enter points instead of grades”. You then enter the total points.

Important: the grading key is stored permanently per test (“frozen”). If you later change the scale or the default thresholds, a test that has already been marked keeps the assessment you gave it.

In points entry you set the key (percentage thresholds, “pass mark”, or a “piecewise-linear scale”), see a preview, and apply it with “Apply key”. More points than the maximum are allowed — they count as a bonus (best grade). You can override an individual grade manually at any time; “Calculate from points” brings the automatic grade back.

Tap a cell — “Edit grade field” opens. There you can:

• enter the grade or (for scales such as “1–6 (±)” or E/TE/NE) pick it from a list
• add a note
• use a quick text selection: absent, oral, homework, excused, to be submitted, ok

With “Apply & next” (⌘↩ on the Mac) you jump straight to the next student — that way you work through a whole column smoothly.

On the “Grading scale 1–6” the plus/minus sign is deliberately only a note: the app explicitly points out that “this sign is not included in the calculation”.

If you want thirds of a grade to count mathematically, choose the “Grading scale 1–6 (±)” for the tab. There “2+” is a real value (1.67) and feeds into every average.

Values outside the selected scale are stored (you still see them), but the app points out: “Lies outside the scale … and is not included in the calculation.” Check whether the tab's scale matches what you want to enter.

Yes, in two ways:

• Permanently: Settings → Appearance → Default view → “Grade tree” or “Compact”
• On the fly: the toggle at the top right of the grade table (“Flat column header”)

Both access the same setting — what you change in one place applies in the other. There is also a full-screen mode for the table.

Two levels:

Tab statistics (grade-table toolbar): cards for Development, Sections compared, Students and Anomalies. Names can be anonymised for presentation, and everything can be exported as a PDF.

Column/class statistics (tap a calculation column): average (Ø), median, standard deviation (σ), min, max, mode, Q1–Q3, plus grade distribution, spread, outliers and the pass rate.

In the statistics via “Set threshold”. By default the app derives the threshold from the scale (for “1–6”, for example, grade 4.0). You can set your own value and return to the default at any time with “Restore default”.

Exception: the E/TE/NE scale has no inherent concept of passing — pass rates only appear there once you set a threshold yourself.

In the grade table via “Add students”. Three routes:

• Import a CSV file — load a class list from a .csv file
• Import a PDF — load a student list from a PDF
• Scan a list — photograph a class list with the camera

You can also take over a student list from another class (via the class's context menu).

The app detects the separator automatically (comma, semicolon, tab).

Two columns with matching headers are required:

• First name (also recognised: Vorname, firstname, given name)
• Last name (also recognised: Nachname, lastname, surname, family name)

Tip: if you only have first names, a single letter per person is enough in the last-name column.

If the app finds a name that already exists, it asks: “Create new student” or “Use existing student” — also as a bulk action for all of them at once.

Yes — there is a dedicated assistant for that: “Import grades from CSV” in the grade-table toolbar. It guides you through three steps:

1. Choose the CSV file
2. Mapping — which row belongs to which student? Which column goes into which grade column? (The app warns you if you accidentally map two CSV columns onto the same target column.)
3. Preview — you see in advance how many grades are new, how many will be overwritten and what will be skipped. The conflict strategy lets you decide whether existing grades are overwritten or kept.

Only then is anything actually imported.

In the grade table via the export menu:

• Current tab (Excel) / All tabs (Excel) → .xlsx, one worksheet per tab
• Current tab (PDF) / All tabs (PDF) → print-ready PDF

The statistics can be exported as a PDF separately.

Settings → Data → “Manage student data”. From there you export exactly what is needed:

• Individual export as JSON, PDF or both
• Bulk export for all students (JSON, PDF or both)

The PDF is the human-readable version, the JSON the structured, machine-readable form — exactly what the right of access (Art. 15) and data portability (Art. 20 GDPR) require.

Note: this export is available on iPad and Mac; on the iPhone it is disabled.

Settings → Data → “Backup & restore” (the “Backup & data” screen) → “Create backup now”.

Backups are stored locally on your device — that is your primary safeguard. They are deliberately excluded from the automatic iCloud device backup. Backups you create yourself are never deleted automatically — only you remove them.

Yes: “Automatic backup” with the intervals Off · Daily · Every 3 / 5 / 7 / 14 days. The backup runs as soon as you reopen the app after the chosen interval.

Of the automatic backups, the 3 most recent are kept — your manual backups are not affected by this.

Turn on “Mirror to iCloud as well”. The backups are then additionally stored in iCloud Drive and are visible on all devices signed in to your iCloud account.

Without this mirroring: “Backups are stored on this device only — if the device is lost, they are lost with it.”

Yes, via WebDAV. Under “WebDAV server” → “Set up WebDAV” you enter the server URL, user name, password and a backup path; “Test connection” checks it immediately.

The address must begin with https://. After that you back up with “Create backup on server”.

Yes. Under “Backup password” you set a password (at least 8 characters). It is stored in the iCloud Keychain and is therefore available on your devices.

Important — encryption does not cover everything: it applies to WebDAV uploads and to shared/exported backups. Local backups and the iCloud mirror remain unencrypted (they already reside in the protected area of your device or your iCloud).

Keep the password safe: without it, an encrypted backup is irretrievably lost — there is no back door.

• .nvbackup — a normal, unencrypted backup
• .nvbackupx — an encrypted backup (AES-GCM, key derivation with 600,000 rounds)

The app knows both types: you can simply hand such a file to ClassTiles from Files or the Finder (e.g. via AirDrop) and the import starts.

Tap the backup in the list. What happens next depends on whether iCloud sync is active:

• Sync on: the backup replaces the data on ALL devices and in iCloud. Close the app on your other devices beforehand.
• Sync off: only the local data on this device is replaced. iCloud and other devices follow only once you re-enable sync — you will be asked at that point.

In both cases the app restarts afterwards. That is normal and makes sure the restored state is loaded cleanly.

This can happen if a second device synchronised at the same time during the restore. The app detects it and shows a notice in “Manage student data”: “N duplicate entries after restore”.

“Clean up duplicates” tidies it up: duplicate classes are moved to the trash (so they can be brought back), duplicate students are merged. You see exactly what will happen beforehand — nothing changes without your confirmation.

An honest caveat: possible duplicates in the calendar, planning or grading scales are not covered by this step; you may have to remove those by hand.

How to prevent it: restore a backup on one device only if possible, and keep the app closed on your other devices while it runs.

Look in the trash: Settings → Data → “Trash”. Deleted tabs and student rows are kept there and can be restored.

You can configure the retention period: 7, 14, 30, 60 or 90 days. Deleted classes follow the same retention period — and the students remain in the student database in the meantime.

Settings → Danger zone → “Delete all data”. As a safeguard you have to type “DELETE PERMANENTLY”; optionally the app creates a backup first. It then restarts.

Two important points:

• Your backups are kept — what is deleted is the working data, not the backups.
• Another device that is currently offline may upload data to iCloud again the next time it connects if that data had not yet been synchronised. Delete there too, if necessary.

On first launch the app asks once (“Privacy first”) whether you want to enable iCloud sync or keep your data on this device only.

After that there is deliberately no switch inside the app: synchronisation is changed where Apple provides for it — in System Settings → Apple Account → iCloud → ClassTiles. In the app settings under “Synchronisation” you will find the “Open System Settings” button as well as the current status.

Your entire working database: classes, students, grades, calendar, planning, documentation and seating plans. All of it resides in your own private iCloud — the developer has no access to it.

Class Tasks runs technically separately from this (its own area, its own sharing logic).

That is a known quirk of Apple's sync on the Mac. Your data is always stored safely in the process — it simply arrives later.

Immediate remedy: in the sync details on the Mac there is a “Load latest changes” button. That fetches the current state directly.

The app distinguishes clearly:

• “iCloud sync is active” — everything is running.
• “Waiting for iCloud connection” — usually only temporary (e.g. a poor network). “Try again now” lets you give it a nudge.
• “iCloud sync is disabled” — data stays on this device only.
• “iCloud connection not possible” — then it is worth checking System Settings (iCloud sign-in, storage space, is ClassTiles enabled for iCloud?).

Shared task boards — for school trips, staff meetings or organisational matters, for example. They are deliberately separate from grade management: the boards contain no grades and no student records; only task fields are transferred (title, description, priority, due date, status).

Via a share link (iCloud sync must be active for this). Sharing works on the “anyone with the link” principle — just as in Apple Notes or Reminders.

What you should know: anyone holding the link can read and edit the board. There is no read-only role. So pass the link only to people you trust with it — and do not use students' real names in titles and descriptions.

You can revoke a share at any time; the link then becomes invalid. Content that has already been synchronised may, however, remain as a local copy on other participants' devices until it is removed there.

Via “Leave board”. It is removed from your device only — the owner and the other participants keep their data, and you can rejoin the board later.

Yes, under “Manage calendars”, in three ways:

• Create your own calendars directly in the app
• Subscribe — enter an ICS URL (e.g. from the school server); you decide how many hours apart it refreshes
• Import a file — read in an ICS file once

Event colours can be assigned automatically via Settings → Data → “Colour rules” — for example for all events of a subject or a source.

In the Planning module. You create a lesson from the calendar or manually. For longer units there is unit planning — several lessons joined into one series.

For each lesson you can add attachments (images, files) and handwritten notes — on the iPad also with the Apple Pencil.

In the Groups & seating module, in three steps:

1. Attendance — who is here today? (for this assignment only; no absence is stored)
2. Configuration — the number of groups and the distribution mode:

• Random — students are distributed at random
• Homogeneous groups — students of similar attainment together
• Heterogeneous groups — mixed levels of attainment

Optional: balance gender, choose the data basis (overall grade or a single column) and mark students as high achievers or needs support.

1. Result — individual students can be moved to another group by hand.

Yes, in the same module under “Seating plans” → “New seating plan”. You build the room from single desks, double desks (vertical ones too) and a teacher's desk, assign a class, and can rule out particular seating neighbours. For lessons there is a presentation mode.

For everything that counts alongside the grade. Entries can be classified as an observation, behaviour, support measure, parent meeting, accommodation or other — and you can add your own categories.

Attachments are possible for every entry, and you can set a reminder (follow-up). Due reminders appear as a notice on the module.

A structured assessment across eight categories — learning organisation, attention & concentration, motivation & willingness to make an effort, independence, social integration, communication skills, emotional self-regulation, and working behaviour in groups. The results are shown graphically and can be compared over time.

Data protection note: support profiles may contain special categories of data within the meaning of Art. 9 GDPR. For official use, clarify what your federal state or your school requires here.

Nothing that you don't trigger yourself. ClassTiles has no servers of its own and no user account. The developer collects and stores nothing of what you enter — no analytics, no tracking.

Your data lives on your device. Only if you turn on iCloud sync does it additionally live in your own iCloud — and even there the developer has no access to it. Details in the Privacy Policy.

You — as the teacher, or your school. The developer has no access to this data and is not a processor. For official use, the school data protection law of your federal state applies; in particular, clarify before switching on iCloud synchronisation whether student data may be stored in a private iCloud.

Yes: Settings → Privacy → “App lock”. Unlocking then works with Face ID, Touch ID or Optic ID — or with your device passcode.

This requires a passcode to be set up on the device in the first place. On the Mac the app additionally locks itself after a configurable period of inactivity.

No. There is no advertising, no tracking, no analytics services and no user profiling.

No — and that is deliberate. ClassTiles keeps no attendance register. The official absence register is, as a rule, a matter for the school administration system (e.g. WebUntis), and that is where it belongs, for good reason.

What does exist: you can add a note such as “absent” or “excused” to a grade cell — that is an aide-mémoire, not an evaluable absence. And the attendance selection during group formation applies to that one assignment only and is not stored.

No — built-in scales are deliberately immutable so that existing grades keep their meaning. Create your own scale instead (feel free to start from one of the ten templates) and switch the tab over to it.