How ArkPixels works

Bring every game into one place

The introduction presents features such as the full-screen session timer and cover scanning. Continue to choose your preferred platforms and how you want to begin.

Build your library your way

Choose a local library and give your profile a name to get started without an online account. Add your games after completing setup.

Save time with Steam and IGDB

After setup, you can import owned games and playtime from Steam. Optional IGDB enrichment adds covers, descriptions and structured metadata.

Organize and follow your progress

Choose your preferred platforms during setup. Once you enter the app, use collections, statuses, statistics and reminders to organize your library.

Choose how to begin

Choose a local library or continue to online account sign-in or registration. Set up the profile for the selected mode before opening the library.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Explore games and activity

Explore brings together trending IGDB games, a profile summary, the What should I play card and recent Steam activity.

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.

Keep useful tools close

Open Quick access to reach sessions, achievements, statistics, saved searches and the library control center. Press and hold a card to reorder the shortcuts.

Review and repair your library

Open the Library control center to find missing metadata and possible duplicates. Inspect each issue, repair available IGDB metadata or compare copies before deciding whether to merge them. Batch repairs require Pro or Family.

Keep your own edits

Review metadata changes before replacing your work. Use the available field update controls to preserve details you have entered yourself.

Ask What should I play?

Open Play Next from the What should I play card. Choose Resume, Continue, Backlog, Finish, Quick or Surprise, then narrow the suggestions by status and platform. Open the game, start or resume a session, ask for another suggestion or exclude a title and undo that choice. Suggestions use the active profile library.

Try a random draw

Pick for me offers a separate, visual way to shuffle your library and discover a title. It is different from the modes and filters in Play Next, and does not schedule notifications.

Enable backlog notifications

Turn on profile-specific suggestions, set a schedule and see when the next suggestion is due. Use View notification history to review delivered suggestions.

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.

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.

Preview a game before adding it

An Orphan Game is a title without a copy in the active library. Review its metadata before using Add to Library.

Choose how a game enters your library

Select a library status, collections and platforms in Add to Library. Confirm the selection to create the personal library entry.

Put your useful tabs first

Open Customize tabs beside the game tabs. Drag to reorder, toggle optional tabs and choose the default tab. Overview stays available; Reset tabs restores the default arrangement.

Share a game snapshot

Open Share story to preview an image with the game artwork. Choose the metadata to include, adjust the background and use Share to send the generated image through Android.

Return straight to your active session

Game details display the active timer with pause and stop controls. Otherwise the quick action can start a timer or help update progress, depending on the game state.

Start, pause and stop

Start a timer from a game or the sessions screen. Choose a library copy and platform when prompted. Only one session can run per profile; pause and resume it instead of creating another.

Give the timer the full screen

Use Full screen for an uncluttered clock and elapsed time. The optional cinematic background uses game artwork while you play.

Decide how sessions affect your totals

Session settings let you include session time in total playtime and turn the OLED timer cinematic background on or off. These choices do not overwrite playtime imported from Steam.

Choose a clock face

Open Customize clock face to choose a preset and clock color. The timer uses the selected style on its supported surfaces.

Make a clock your own

Use a custom slot to create a personal clock theme. Each profile can save up to three custom faces.

Record a session afterwards

Use Add session to record play without running a timer. Review or edit entries and filter the history by date to focus on a period.

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.

Browse achievements across your games

The Achievements screen brings together game progress with search and filters for Steam and manual entries. Steam achievement synchronization requires Pro or Family.

Choose readable formats

Open Stats preferences to choose how playtime and release dates are displayed. Use the profile and platform controls to set the scope of your statistics.

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.

Open your Steam Center

Use Steam Center to move between saved profiles, their games and friends. Select the relevant profile before opening its library or synchronization tools.

Read across your sources

Open News to browse the combined feed or a specific source. Steam news and RSS feeds remain separate sources within the same reading area.

Add an RSS feed

In Manage RSS sources, enter a source name and a direct HTTPS feed URL. Preview the feed before saving. Articles are downloaded directly to this device; the source list is not sent to the ArkPixels server.

Choose when news can interrupt

Enable RSS news notifications to receive grouped updates from enabled feeds. Configure quiet hours and allow Android notifications. Checks are periodic, so delivery is not immediate.

Read news from your home screen

Add the Steam news or RSS news widget from the Android widget picker. Configure the available sources and appearance, then tap an article to open it.

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.

Control explicit content in discovery

Hide erotic games excludes titles tagged with the Erotic theme from IGDB discovery areas. It does not remove games from your library.

Keep a session within reach

Add the session timer widget to start, pause, resume or stop a session. Choose its game and clock layout separately for each widget.