Bring every game into one place
The first panel introduces local libraries and Steam sync as two ways to build one personal game space. Use Next to continue the tour or Skip to go directly to setup.
Your complete ArkPixels guide
How ArkPixels works
Learn how to build your library, connect Steam, organize your backlog, personalize the app and turn your play history into useful insights.
Move through the guide at your own pace. Every example follows your light or dark theme.
Explore the guide
Getting started
The five-part introduction explains local libraries, Steam and IGDB, organization tools and the three ways to begin.
Build your library your way
Manual entry works without an online account. Each saved game can keep its own details while the library remains on this device.
Save time with Steam and IGDB
Steam can import owned games and playtime, while optional IGDB enrichment adds covers, descriptions, releases, ratings, media and structured metadata.
Organize and follow your progress
Collections, statuses, progress, statistics and reminders turn a catalog into a backlog you can actively use.
Choose how to begin
Sign up for a remote account, log in to an existing one or choose Use locally to keep the library only on this device.
Accounts and profiles
Sign in, create a remote or local account, choose profiles and understand exactly what linking, sessions and account controls do.
Sign in to an ArkPixels account
Enter the username and password, optionally enable Remember me, or move to account creation. The password field can be revealed temporarily but is never stored by the app.
Recover a forgotten password
Tap Forgot? on the login screen, enter the account email and request a reset link. The response does not reveal whether an email exists; complete the reset from the secure link that arrives.
Create a remote account
Provide a username, email, password and confirmation, then explicitly accept the Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy. Sign up remains unavailable until the form is valid.
Create a local account
From Choose account, open Create local account and enter a name. A local account works offline and stores its profiles and library on this device.
Name the local account
The focused field shows the value that will identify this local account. Add confirms it; Cancel closes the dialog without creating it.
Choose who is playing
Select the profile whose library and preferences should open. The star marks the default profile; Switch account and Add profile remain available from the same screen.
Open a saved account
Choose an account stored on the device, log in to another remote account or open Manage accounts. Local accounts are clearly labelled and do not need a remote session.
Manage an account on this device
Review the current account, leave it with Logout or use Remove from device for the destructive option that deletes its local account data after confirmation.
Link local profiles while logging in
When a local account is detected, a successful login can link selected local profiles to the remote account. Profiles you skip remain local.
Link local profiles while signing up
The same linking choice is available during registration: selected local profiles join the new remote account, while skipped profiles remain on the device.
Understand Remember me and account switching
Without Remember me, a remote session lasts six hours locally. Remember me keeps the login until logout, revocation or removal. Switching profile keeps a valid account session; switching account preserves saved accounts and data.
Update and verify a remote account
Remote account settings can update profiles, avatar, account data and password. After an email change, use Send verification email and then Refresh status; verification is not automatic.
Export or delete remote account data
Export account data creates a shareable JSON file. Remote deletion requires the current password and DELETE confirmation, removes linked local data and offers a separate option for the Drive backup. Play subscriptions must still be cancelled in Google Play.
Steam synchronization
Start a sync, select update rules, solve link errors and follow foreground progress. Paid automation and achievements are called out where relevant.
Start a Steam library sync
Tap Sync Steam Library to open the link options. Synchronization runs in the background, can enrich games with IGDB and reports progress through an Android notification.
Choose the Steam and IGDB update rules
Enter a Steam link or open Saved Profiles, decide whether existing titles and images may change, then enable only the IGDB metadata groups you want synchronized.
Reuse and manage saved Steam profiles
A successful sync saves the resolved Steam ID and original input. Later you can select it without resolving the link again, assign an alias or delete it. Free and Plus use one profile; Pro and Family support several.
Fix a Steam link problem
Use a Steam Community profile URL, vanity URL, username or 17-digit Steam ID. The profile must be readable and its game details must be public for a library sync.
Monitor active synchronizations
Each job shows the ArkPixels profile, Steam profile, current game, percentage and processed-game count. The red control cancels that specific job while the foreground service is running.
Schedule automatic Steam synchronization
Plus, Pro and Family can run daily, weekly or about every 30 days on unmetered network with sufficient battery. Plus schedules one profile; Pro and Family schedule up to five, run two at once and queue the other three.
Synchronize Steam achievements
Pro and Family can include achievements in manual and automatic sync. Game details then show progress with All, Unlocked and Locked filters, incremental loading and manual refresh.
Your hub and library
Explore recommendations, search every source, browse the personal hub and control dense libraries with views, filters, sorting and advanced queries.
Explore games and activity
Explore combines a trending IGDB hero, the active profile summary, Steam News and recent Steam activity. Manage opens the controls for the news section.
Choose where to search
Search can target the local library, collections, orphan records and add-ons, or browse online groups such as trending, popular, recent, upcoming and anticipated games.
Return to your personal hub
The Hub highlights one game and builds shelves such as Continue playing, Recently added, Favorites, Collections, Backlog, Wishlist, Completed and other personal states.
Reorder or hide hub sections
Drag the handles to change section order, disable shelves you do not need or restore Default order. These choices are stored for the active profile.
Browse the cover grid
The grid emphasizes artwork while preserving title and playtime. Search, view, grouping, notification, filter, sort and Add controls stay above the collection.
Switch to a compact list
List view fits more games on screen and keeps each title, thumbnail and playtime readable without changing any stored library data.
Open the five-action Add menu
The extended Add control offers Manual, Bulk add, Scan, Steam and Add collection. Tap outside, press Back or choose another destination to close it; on short screens the actions scroll while Close stays reachable.
Filter the current library
Combine status, genre, platform, game type, game mode, player perspective, theme, age rating and Steam-profile filters to narrow the result set.
Choose a precise sort order
Sort by recent addition, title, IGDB rating, personal rating, progress, playtime or release date, including the available ascending and descending variants.
Choose the default Steam profile
When more than one Steam profile exists, select which profile should be the default context for Steam-linked copies and library results.
Use advanced library search
Normal search checks common fields. Operators such as title:, series:, publisher:, developer:, genre:, collection:, category:, tag:, platform:, text:, notes: and appid: target exact data.
Browse categories and their game counts
Search the category list and open a category to reach its matching games. Counts show how much of the current library belongs to each category.
Apply tools to a filtered selection
Pro and Family can select all currently filtered results and apply supported metadata changes in bulk. The expanded bottom sheets keep long selections usable without leaving the library.
Create and manage collections
Add collection starts a new list from the Add menu. The dedicated management screen is used to review, edit and delete existing collections and intentionally has no Add floating button.
Backlog notifications
Schedule optional, profile-specific Android suggestions and decide which untouched backlog games are eligible.
Enable backlog notifications
Turn on profile-specific suggestions, set a schedule and see when the next suggestion is due. Delivery history stays on this screen after notifications arrive.
Choose the suggestion frequency
Set notifications to Off, Daily, Weekly or Monthly, then use the From and Until controls to define the allowed time window.
Choose which backlog games qualify
Suggest from the whole backlog, games with zero progress, games with zero playtime, or only games where both progress and playtime are zero.
Add a game manually
Create a game from basic information, then add shared game metadata, personal library data and a cover from the source you choose.
Enter the basic game information
Add a cover, title, genre, publisher, release date and rating as needed. Game metadata and Library data open deeper groups; Save creates the record once required data is valid.
Add shared game metadata
Manage categories, platforms, tags, developers, add-ons, description, storyline and the media fields that describe the title itself rather than one owned copy.
Add personal library data
Set status, collections, personal rating, progress, private notes, completion times, times played and playtime per owned platform for this copy.
Choose a cover source
Attach the cover from the device gallery, take a photo with the camera or provide a direct URL. The selected image returns to the add-game form.
Add games in bulk
Build a group from covers, apply shared metadata and override individual items. Free supports five items per operation; Pro and Family remove that limit.
Prepare a bulk addition
Choose a title prefix or derive titles from file names, add covers and select group metadata. Save games remains unavailable until the queue contains valid items.
Choose how to add several covers
Build the queue from Gallery, Camera or Links, or open Scan covers when multi-cover scanning is available for the current plan.
Choose shared metadata
Apply Library data, categories, platforms, tags, developers and collections to the group. These defaults can still be overridden on an individual item.
Override one game without changing the group
Each queued card can edit status, rating, progress, time, notes, categories, owned platforms, tags, developers and collections. Reset group values removes that item's overrides while preserving its original IGDB relationships.
Review the queue and respect plan limits
Free accepts up to five items per gallery, camera or link operation. Pro and Family add automatic multi-cover scanning and unlimited bulk import. Confirm or remove invalid items before saving the group.
Scan physical covers
Single scanning is free. Pro and Family also provide a multi-cover queue; both modes keep capture manual and require confirmation.
Frame one physical game box
Single mode is free. Choose Auto, Front or Spine, align the box inside the matching guide, then use Take photo or import an image from Gallery. Detection assists framing; capture stays manual.
Build a multi-cover scan queue
Bulk mode keeps confirmed covers in one queue and is available with Pro or Family. Continue unlocks only after the required items have been captured and resolved.
Review and correct the detected crop
ArkPixels keeps the original image temporarily. Correct crop redraws the whole box region; Select title area limits OCR inside the current crop. Spine scans are also tested in both reading directions.
Correct the title and confirm the IGDB match
OCR runs locally, then ArkPixels searches up to 20 IGDB candidates without confirming one automatically. Single mode opens a prefilled Add game screen; Bulk mode adds the confirmed result to its queue.
Game details
One record combines artwork, factual metadata and the personal library copy, with deeper tabs for Steam, media, reminders and ownership.
Read the game overview
The header combines backdrop, cover, title, type and playtime. Overview then shows rating, release date, publisher, genre and description, with Library, Steam and Details tabs beside it.
Use the Library and Details tabs
Library holds status, personal rating, notes, progress, completion data and owned platforms. Details covers description, storyline, media, categories, tags, developers, DLCs and available store or website links.
Choose the correct Steam copy
If a title exists in more than one Steam profile, select the copy to display; ArkPixels remembers that choice per user profile and game. Synced achievements can be filtered, refreshed and reviewed from the Steam tab.
Manage media, reminders and IGDB links
Open screenshots and artworks fullscreen where supported, schedule profile-specific game reminders, and update or unlink IGDB metadata without automatically deleting the local library information. Reminders are restored after device reboot.
Settings and personalization
Control appearance, display formats, library cards, media, metadata, privacy, backups, widgets and plan-dependent automation.
Open the settings directory
The first screen links to General, Steam, backlog notifications, Google Drive backup, Steam and widgets, library cards, media, metadata and the data-and-account controls below.
Review all general preferences
General contains app language, theme, palette, contrast, two font roles, playtime and release-date formats, plus a control that reopens onboarding.
Choose the app language
Follow the device language or select English, Italian, French, German, Spanish or Portuguese directly. The change applies to the Android app interface.
Choose light, dark or system theme
System follows the device appearance. Light and Dark keep the selected mode active independently of the device setting.
Choose the Material color palette
Select ArkPixels Forest, compatible system colors, Steam Slate, Arcadia Green, Deep Ocean, Amber Archive, Indigo Studio, Graphite Cyan or OLED Focus.
Adjust interface contrast
Use the system value or force Standard, Medium or High contrast. This setting changes tonal separation without changing the selected light or dark theme.
Choose the heading font
Preview Android default and the bundled font choices with a heading sample, then select the typeface used for prominent titles.
Choose the body and label font
Preview the same local font set with a smaller content sample and select the typeface used for lists, supporting text and labels.
Format playtime values
Display durations as days and hours, hours and minutes or decimal hours. The chosen representation is used in statistics and widgets.
Format release dates
Choose Month day, year; ISO; Day/month/year; or Year only. The format is reused in game details, library cards and sharing.
Open library card display settings
Card Preset changes the overall layout, while Visible Metadata controls which optional fields appear when the detailed preset is active.
Select a card preset
Minimal focuses on covers, Standard adds title and playtime, and Detailed exposes the optional metadata chosen on the next screen.
Choose detailed-card metadata
Toggle playtime, recent playtime, platforms, release date, personal rating, progress, status, Steam profile, genre, publisher, IGDB rating, game type, collections and other available fields.
Open media management
Manage session notifications lets you review and edit scheduled game reminders. Manage Media Files lets you browse, attach or delete media saved on this device.
Open metadata management
Create and maintain the categories, collections, tags, developers and platforms reused throughout the active library.
Reset cached service data
Reset the local IGDB cache or Steam cache when you need a fresh response. Library records and personal data are not deleted by these actions.
Clear profile search history
Remove recent games and add-ons shown on the Search screen for the active profile. This does not remove the games themselves.
Restore dismissed warnings
Reset alerts previously hidden with Don't show again so that the app may present those warnings in their original context.
Review privacy and consent controls
Control Android notification permission, Firebase usage analytics, optional diagnostics, non-personalized ads and the separate Google advertising consent screen.
Create, restore or delete an encrypted Drive backup
Manual Drive operations are free. Select a Google account and use a passphrase of at least 12 characters to protect the database, local media and profile-specific Hub and Explore personalization. ArkPixels cannot recover the passphrase.
Schedule automatic Google Drive backup
Plus, Pro and Family can run backup daily, weekly or about every 30 days on unmetered network with sufficient battery. The passphrase is protected by Android Keystore; manual access remains available if the paid plan ends.
Configure and refresh Android widgets
ArkPixels provides Steam friends, recently played, Steam news, recently added and general statistics widgets. Settings selects Steam profiles and news language and can request an immediate refresh of every widget.
Understand Free, Plus, Pro and Family access
Free includes the core library, one-at-a-time scan, five-item bulk add, one Steam profile, stats overview and manual Drive backup. Plus removes ads and adds one-profile Steam automation and automatic Drive backup. Pro adds unlimited bulk tools, multi-scan, advanced Steam/IGDB and all stats. Family shares Pro with up to six accounts through verified-email invites and roles.
Profile statistics
The overview is available on Free. Pro and Family unlock the seven advanced tabs for playtime, progress, ratings, organization and IGDB insights.
Read the library overview
Choose a profile scope, then review total games, completion rate, total and average playtime, ratings, platforms, Steam copies, collections, tags and categories, followed by status distribution.
See play coverage and time distribution
Compare played, unplayed and recently active games, average playtime, replay counts, platform totals and the most-played or recently active titles.
Understand progress and completion
Review games with progress or notes, future reminders, progress buckets and near-completion titles, plus completion-time averages and longest completions further down.
Review personal and IGDB ratings
The Ratings tab compares your rating distribution with IGDB ratings and lists the titles you scored highest. This advanced statistics tab requires Pro or Family.
Measure library organization
The Organization tab summarizes collections, tags and categories so you can see which structures are used most across the selected profile scope. This advanced tab requires Pro or Family.
Measure metadata coverage
Compare linked IGDB fields and content coverage, then inspect top developers by game count and playtime, genres, game types, IGDB statuses and readable extra data.
Compare popularity and releases
See top IGDB Visits, hypes and Want to Play values together with release-date coverage and the library timeline grouped by decade.
Inspect DLCs and franchises
Rank the games with the most DLC entries and see the franchises or series that appear most often in the selected library scope.
Build the library around the way you play.
Start locally, connect only the services you want and keep every game, copy, reminder and next-play decision in one place.