Help Center

Welcome to the HoloSnap Help Center. HoloSnap — made by Elemental Ridge Ltd. — lets you scan Pokémon Trading Card Game cards with your device camera, identify them, organize them into collections, and track their estimated market value over time. The answers below cover the questions we hear most often about how the app works.

1. Scanning a card

How do I scan a card?

Open the Scan tab — the center button in the tab bar — and point your camera at the card, lining it up inside the green frame. Make sure the whole card fits inside the frame, since the app crops to exactly that frame when it captures. Raw cards can be recognized automatically, with no shutter press — see "Do I always have to press the shutter, or can it scan automatically?" below for how auto-scan works.

What's the difference between Raw and Graded mode?

The Raw / Graded toggle next to the shutter tells the app what you're scanning. Use Raw for a normal loose card and Graded for a slabbed or encased card — for example, a PSA-graded slab. Graded mode shows a taller frame to match a slab's shape and reads the card through the case. Raw is the default.

Do I always have to press the shutter, or can it scan automatically?

For raw cards, you can simply hold the card steady inside the frame and the app will try to recognize it automatically — the on-screen hint reads "Hold the card steady to auto-scan - or tap to scan." You can always tap the shutter instead. Graded slabs are scanned only by tapping the shutter, where the hint reads "Line the slab up, then tap to scan."

Why do lighting and glare matter?

Identification works by reading the small printed text on the card — the collector number and set — not by matching the picture. Good, even lighting and avoiding glare over the bottom of the card, where the number and set symbol sit, give the cleanest read. If a scan struggles, try reducing reflections, holding steady, and filling the frame with the card.

Can I scan a card from a photo I already took?

Yes. On the Scan tab, tap the gallery button to pick an existing photo of a card from your photo library, and the app will identify it the same way as a live capture. This also lets you identify cards when no camera is available.

Is there a limit on how many cards I can scan?

The free tier includes 3 free card identifications in total — a lifetime allowance, not a per-day cap. After those are used, HoloSnap Pro is required to keep scanning; scanning with Pro is unlimited. See the Pro section below for the available plans.

2. How identification works & why a scan can miss

How does HoloSnap know which card it is?

It identifies a card by reading the printed collector number (like 4/102) and the set, then matching that against its card catalog. The number plus the set are what make a card unique, so that's what the app anchors on. When you hold a raw card steady, your phone reads the text on-device and checks it instantly; when you tap the shutter, the photo is sent for a more thorough AI read and match.

Why doesn't it just match the card's picture?

Because the same artwork is reused across many different printings and reprints that can have very different values. Two near-identical arts look the same to an image match, so picking by picture can't reliably tell which printing you have. The only thing that uniquely identifies a printing is the tiny printed collector number and set symbol, so the app reads those instead.

Why didn't my card get recognized automatically?

Auto-recognition stays quiet unless it's confident, so a blurry read, glare over the number, an unusual angle, or a card that isn't in the catalog can all keep it from matching. When that happens, just tap the shutter — the shutter uses the more powerful AI identification, which is the accurate fallback.

It identified the wrong card. How do I fix it?

Right after scanning, open the card from the review screen and edit its set code and card number, then re-identify to pull the correct match. You don't need to re-photograph it.

Can I report a card that was identified incorrectly?

Yes. Open the card's detail screen and tap the options / feedback button in the header to send a report. Your card image and details are attached so the team can investigate and improve recognition.

Does it work for Japanese cards?

Yes. The app can read Japanese-language cards and match them in the catalog, and the Sets tab has a Japanese (JP) filter when Japanese sets are available.

3. Collections vs Sets

What's the difference between a Collection and a Set?

A Collection is your own personal album of cards you own — you create and name it (for example, "My Charizards"). A Set, on the Sets tab, is an official card release or expansion from the catalog, shown as a completion tracker that counts how many of that set's cards you own out of the total. Collections are yours to build; Sets are read-only progress trackers.

How do I add a scanned card to a collection?

After scanning, use the review screen to save your cards into a collection by name — it creates the collection if it doesn't exist, or merges into an existing one. On a card's detail screen you can also tap "In Collection" and use the + and - steppers to set how many copies you own in each collection.

Is there a limit on how many collections I can make?

Free users can create up to 2 collections. Trying to add a third shows a prompt explaining the limit; HoloSnap Pro removes it — see the Pro section below.

Is there a limit on adding cards from the catalog?

Cards you add manually from the catalog — for example, from a set's card list on the Sets tab — are limited to 5 in total on the free tier. Cards saved from your own scans don't count toward this limit. HoloSnap Pro removes the limit.

What is Auto-sort?

On the scan review screen, "Auto-sort & save into set folders" splits your just-scanned cards into separate collections named after each card's set, creating those folders automatically. It's a fast way to organize a big batch by expansion.

How do I rename or delete a collection?

On the Portfolio tab, long-press a collection (or use its menu button) to rename or delete it. Deleting a collection removes the cards stored in it.

How does the Sets tab know what I've collected?

It counts the cards in your collections against each official set and shows a collected / total progress bar per set, with a green check when a set is complete. You can search, filter by English or Japanese, show "Collected only," and sort by release, name, or recently viewed.

4. Portfolio & valuation

What does the Portfolio tab show?

It shows your total collection value — the sum of every collection's value — along with how many cards and collections you have, your number of unique cards, and a value-over-time chart. Each of your collections is listed with its own value and share of the total.

How is my portfolio value calculated?

Each card carries a market price, a collection's value is the sum of its cards, and your portfolio total is the sum of all collections. Prices refresh from the catalog automatically about once a day, and you'll see cached values instantly in the meantime.

Why is my value chart empty or flat?

The chart is built from daily snapshots taken on your device, so it needs a couple of days of data before it can draw a line. Keep using the app and it'll fill in. You can switch the range between 7D, 30D, 3M, and 1Y.

Can I sort my collections?

Sorting collections by name, value, or card count is a Pro feature. The control is visible to everyone, but tapping it as a free user shows an upgrade prompt — HoloSnap Pro unlocks sorting. See the Pro section below.

What's the percentage next to my total value?

It's your real 7-day change, calculated from your saved daily value snapshots. It appears once there are at least two days of history to compare.

5. Where prices come from & why they vary

Where do the card prices come from?

Card prices come from the HoloSnap catalog at getholosnap.com, which sources market data from Pokemon Price Tracker, Scrydex, and TCGplayer. A card's headline market price is the live Pokemon Price Tracker value when available, then the live Scrydex value, with a TCGplayer value as the final fallback.

Why does the same card show different prices in different places?

A card can have several printings or variants — for example, a normal versus a reverse-holo printing — and each printing has its own price. The price source can also differ (Pokemon Price Tracker, Scrydex, or TCGplayer). On a card's detail screen you can pick the specific printing, which pins that price for your copy.

Where do graded (PSA 10/9/8) prices come from?

Graded prices are average recent eBay sale prices for PSA 10, PSA 9, and PSA 8, loaded when you open a card's detail screen. If a particular grade has no tracked sales, it's shown as unavailable rather than guessed. Scanning a graded slab also pops the sale price for the detected grade.

Are prices shown in my own currency?

Catalog prices are in USD and converted to your selected currency for display, using exchange rates that refresh weekly. You can change your currency in Profile > Currency. If rates can't be fetched, prices may fall back to USD.

How fresh are the prices?

Single-card prices are cached for about 24 hours, matching how often the upstream data refreshes, so refreshing more often returns the same value. Your collection prices refresh automatically in the background when they're more than a day old.

6. Scan history

Where can I find cards I've already scanned?

Every scan, from the camera or the gallery, is saved to the History tab in reverse-chronological order, showing the card, its set and number, and its price. Tap any entry to open its full detail.

How do I search or delete scans?

Use the search box to filter by card name, set, or number. Swipe a row left to delete it, tap Select to choose several and delete them together, or use Clear all. The list shows your 100 most recent scans.

If I delete a scan, does it remove the card from my collection?

No. Deleting from History only clears the history log — your collections are not affected. Cards you saved into a collection stay there.

Is my scan history stored online?

Scan history is stored locally on your device. It's only sent to the cloud if you create a backup, which requires signing in.

7. Backup & restore

What gets backed up?

A backup saves your collections, scan history, and app preferences to the cloud. It's data only — the actual card images aren't uploaded; the app re-downloads card art automatically when you view cards, so they reappear after a restore.

Do I need an account to back up?

Yes. Backing up and restoring require you to be signed in, since backups are stored to your account in the cloud.

How do I back up or restore?

Go to Profile > Sync & Backup. Tap "Back up now" to create a backup, or tap Restore on any listed backup to load it. Restoring replaces your current local collections and history with that snapshot, so it's a full replacement, not a merge.

Does it back up automatically?

Yes. In addition to manual backups, the app makes an automatic backup periodically — about weekly — when you have data and are signed in. It keeps the latest 3 automatic backups and your manual ones until you delete them. If you sign in on a fresh install with no local cards, your latest backup is restored automatically.

8. Account & sign-in

How do I sign in?

HoloSnap offers three ways to sign in: Sign in with Apple (on iPhone), Sign in with Google, or an email login code — enter your email address and we'll email you a 6-digit code to sign in with. You'll be asked to sign in before using the app, and the same account links your cloud backups and preferences.

I get a message that my email is registered with a different method.

That means you previously signed in with a different method for that email. Sign in again using the original method — Apple, Google, or the email login code — and the app will tell you which one to use.

How do I delete my account?

Go to Profile and tap Delete Account, then confirm. This permanently deletes your account and your cloud data (preferences and backups) and signs you out — it can't be undone.

Does deleting my account cancel my subscription?

No. If you have an active HoloSnap Pro subscription, you must cancel it separately — deleting your account does not cancel it. Subscriptions purchased in the app are cancelled in your Apple Account subscription settings (the Delete Account screen links you there); subscriptions purchased on the getholosnap.com website are managed or cancelled from the subscription portal in the app (Profile > Manage Subscription) or by contacting support@getholosnap.com. If you plan to delete your account, cancel a website subscription before deleting — the in-app subscription portal is no longer reachable once your account is gone.

9. Getting help & giving feedback

How do I contact support?

In the app, go to Profile > Contact Us to open an in-app message form. Type your message and send it — it goes straight to the team, along with your account and app details so they can help. You'll see a confirmation that your feedback has been sent.

How do I report a bug?

Go to Profile > Report a Bug. Describe what happened and what you expected, and submit — your device and app version are attached automatically to help with debugging.

How do I suggest a feature?

Go to Profile > Suggest a Feature to open the feature request board. You can post an idea, upvote existing requests, and comment. Requests show a status like Pending, Planned, In Progress, or Completed.

Can I attach an image when reporting a wrong scan?

Yes. From a card's detail screen, the feedback option attaches the card's image to your report — and for gallery or cropped scans, the photo you took — so the team can see the card you reported.

10. Pro & notifications

How do I subscribe to Pro?

HoloSnap Pro is purchased in the app — open any upgrade prompt or the paywall and the current price of each plan is shown before you buy. There are three options: a Weekly auto-renewing subscription, a Yearly auto-renewing subscription, and a one-time Lifetime purchase. Pro unlocks unlimited scanning, unlimited collections, unlimited catalog adds, collection sorting, and price alerts. You can cancel a subscription purchased in the app any time in your Apple Account subscription settings; subscriptions purchased on the getholosnap.com website are managed or cancelled from the subscription portal in the app (Profile > Manage Subscription) or by contacting support@getholosnap.com.

How does the free trial work?

The Weekly plan may include a 3-day free trial — the exact offer is shown on the paywall before you buy. Nothing is charged during the trial; unless you cancel at least 24 hours before the trial ends, it converts automatically into the paid weekly subscription. Any unused portion of a free trial is forfeited if you purchase another plan.

What's the Lifetime option?

Lifetime is a one-time, non-renewing purchase — you pay once and keep Pro. It's not a subscription: nothing renews and there's nothing to cancel. Like other App Store purchases, it's covered by Apple's standard refund process.

I already subscribed but the app says I'm on the free tier.

Tap Profile > Restore Purchases — it re-checks your subscription and unlocks Pro on this device. This is also the fix after reinstalling the app or switching to a new phone.

Will I get push notifications for new sets or price alerts?

If you enable notifications when the app asks (or later from Profile > Notifications), HoloSnap registers your device for push notifications and can send you updates such as new set releases and price alerts. Each type has its own toggle in the notification settings screen, and you can turn notifications off in your device settings at any time.

How do price alerts work?

Price alerts are a Pro feature. On a card's detail screen, tap the bell icon in the header to set an alert for that card. In the sheet that opens, choose how you want to be alerted: on any change — a meaningful move of at least the percentage you pick (and at least $1) — or when the price drops to or rises above a target price you enter. Prices are checked a few times a day, and an alert fires once — after you get the notification you can set a new one. You can update or remove an alert from the same bell, and manage your notification preferences in Profile > Notifications. Notifications must be enabled on your device for alerts to reach you.

11. Still need help?

If you couldn't find an answer above, the fastest way to reach us is from inside the app. Open the Profile tab and choose:

• Contact Us — send the team a message directly; your account and app details come along so we can help faster.
• Report a Bug — tell us what happened and what you expected; your device and app version are attached automatically.
• Suggest a Feature — post an idea on the feature request board, and upvote or comment on existing requests.

You can also reach us through our contact form or by emailing support@getholosnap.com. For details on how we handle your data, see our Privacy Policy.