Pattern Keeper is the app many cross stitchers use instead of a printed chart and a highlighter. This guide explains what it does, whether it works on iPhone, iPad or PC, what it costs, which patterns work with it, and how to get started.
What is Pattern Keeper?
Pattern Keeper is a cross stitch app that opens your PDF pattern on a tablet or phone and turns it into an interactive chart. It recognizes the grid and the symbols in the key, so you can pick one color, see every stitch of that color highlighted, and tap stitches to mark them as done. No more printed copies, highlighters or losing your place.
What Pattern Keeper can do
- Highlight one color at a time, so all its stitches stand out and the rest of the chart fades.
- Mark stitches as finished with a tap or a swipe across a row.
- Track progress: how many stitches are left, in total and per color.
- Handle big charts spread over many pages, joined into one zoomable pattern.
- Keep your place in every project, so you can switch between patterns.
The app describes itself as still in development, and features change between versions, so check the official Pattern Keeper website for the current feature list.
Does Pattern Keeper work on iPhone or iPad?
Not yet. At the time of writing, Pattern Keeper is available for Android phones and tablets only. An iOS version has been announced as in development, and you can sign up on the Pattern Keeper website to hear when it is released.
If you use an iPad today, you can still stitch from PDF patterns: open the PDF in a markup app and highlight finished areas with the pen tool, or look for an iPad cross stitch tracking app in the App Store and try it with a free pattern first. Patterns from our shop also open in our free Stitch Tracker, which runs in Safari on the iPad with nothing to install.
Can I use Pattern Keeper on a PC or laptop?
There is no Windows or Mac version. Pattern Keeper is made for touch screens, and it is most comfortable on an Android tablet next to your hoop. Many Chromebooks can also install Android apps from Google Play. Our Stitch Tracker works in any computer browser, for patterns bought from us.
How much does Pattern Keeper cost?
You can try Pattern Keeper free for a trial period. After that, the full app is a one-time purchase (around $9 at the time of writing), with no subscription. Prices differ by country, so check Google Play for the current price where you live.
Which patterns work with Pattern Keeper?
Pattern Keeper reads the pattern itself, so the PDF has to be made in a way it understands. In general:
- Work well: PDFs made with cross stitch design software, where the symbols and grid are real text and lines (vectors), not a picture. Many designers mark these as “Pattern Keeper compatible”.
- Limited: scans, photos of a chart, and PDFs where the chart is saved as one big image. You can still view them, with fewer features.
- Tricky: charts with unusual fonts, symbols drawn as pictures, or very decorative layouts.
The Pattern Keeper website keeps a list of supported designers. When you buy a pattern, look for “Pattern Keeper compatible” in the description, or ask the designer before you buy.
How to use Pattern Keeper, step by step
- Install Pattern Keeper from Google Play on your Android tablet or phone.
- Save your PDF pattern to the device (download it from your order email or account).
- Import it in the app. Pattern Keeper reads the pages and the key.
- Check the key: make sure every symbol matches the right DMC thread before you start.
- Pick a color to highlight its stitches, and find where to begin (usually the center).
- Stitch, then mark each stitch or row as done. Your progress is saved automatically.
New to reading charts at all? Our guide on how to read a cross stitch pattern explains grids, symbols and keys, which makes any app easier to use.
Tips for stitching from a tablet
- Use a tablet stand or a floor stand so both hands stay free for stitching.
- Turn up the screen timeout so the tablet does not lock mid-row.
- Keep a backup copy of every PDF you buy, in cloud storage or on a computer.
- For large projects, highlight one 10 × 10 block of one color at a time instead of hunting across the whole chart.
Frequently asked questions
Is Pattern Keeper free?
You can try it free for a trial period. After that the full app is a one-time purchase, with no subscription.
Is there a Pattern Keeper app for iPad?
Not yet. Pattern Keeper is Android only at the moment; an iOS version is in development. On iPad you can use a PDF markup app or another cross stitch tracking app in the meantime.
What does “Pattern Keeper compatible” mean?
It means the designer has made the PDF so Pattern Keeper can read its grid and symbols, and all the app’s features (highlighting, marking stitches, counting) work with it.
Can I use Pattern Keeper with a scanned chart?
You can open scans and images, but with limited features, because the app cannot read the symbols in a picture the way it reads a proper PDF.