Help & Documentation

Everything about using Botple Calc, installing it as an app, and answers to common questions about the Botple ecosystem — all on one page, since Botple Calc is the only product actually live right now.

What's new · Using Botple Calc · Installing Botple apps · FAQ · What's offline · Still need help?

What's new

New: boxed square roots on the √ key
New: ∫ integral/d/dx modals, plus stored variables

Using Botple Calc

Real screenshots from the current build — every callout below points at a real element on the real screen, not a mockup.

$Botple Calc showing an exact fraction result of one half, in a real boxed fraction with the fraction highlighted$

1Natural display, fractions and roots

Fractions, roots, and exponents show up as real boxed notation — a fraction is numerator over denominator, a root shows the number under the bar. Tap directly inside the highlighted box to move your cursor there, exactly like writing on paper.

Botple Calc with SHIFT active, with the SHIFT and ALPHA keys both highlighted on the keypad

2SHIFT and ALPHA

1 · SHIFT (gold) unlocks a key's second function — its label lights up gold while SHIFT is active. 2 · ALPHA (green) lets you type variable names like X, Y, or A through F.

Botple Calc's main keypad with the CALC key highlighted

3CALC

Type a formula using letters as placeholders — for example X+2 — then press the highlighted CALC key. It asks you for each unknown value one at a time and solves the formula for you. Once you answer, that value (STO) is remembered for later calculations too, until you clear it under Settings → Clear Variables.

Botple Calc's mode menu showing all thirteen calculator modes in a grid

4Modes

Press MENU to switch modes: Matrix, Vector, Statistics, Base-N, Equation Solver, Inequality Solver, Distributions, Progressions, Table, Spreadsheet, and the function Grapher — thirteen modes in total, all in the same app.

Botple Calc's function grapher plotting a sine curve

5Other major features

An exact-fraction engine (so 1÷3+1÷6 shows a real 1/2, not just a decimal), a bookmark list of common formulas, calculation history, offline handwriting recognition for entering expressions by drawing them (Write mode), and definite integral / derivative calculators.

Installing Botple apps

Botple apps are installable web apps (PWAs) — no app store required. This works the same way for any Botple app, not just Calc. The steps below are the same ones shown inside Botple Calc's own install guide.

iPhone & iPad

Open the app in Safari, tap the Share icon in the toolbar.

Scroll down and tap Add to Home Screen.

Tap Add in the top-right corner to confirm. The app icon now opens full-screen, without Safari's address bar.

Android

Open the app in Chrome, tap the ⋮ menu in the top-right corner.

Tap Install app (sometimes shown as "Add to Home screen").

Tap Install in the confirmation popup. Some devices show this prompt automatically instead — either way leads to the same result.

Desktop

In Chrome or Edge, look for an install icon in the address bar (usually a small monitor-with-arrow icon), or open the browser menu and choose Install app. The app then opens in its own window, separate from your regular browser tabs.

Frequently asked questions

Is Botple free?

Yes. Every Botple app is free to use, with no paid tier.

Are there advertisements?

No. No ad networks, no sponsored content, anywhere in Botple Calc or on this website.

Does Botple collect data?

No analytics or tracking code runs on this website or inside Botple Calc. Botple Calc stores your history, bookmarks, and settings only in your own browser's local storage — never on a server. The only things that ever leave your device are: what you type if you choose to submit the feedback form, and a small, anonymous check for app updates when Botple Calc has an internet connection (see "What's offline" below).

Which devices and browsers are supported?

Botple Calc works in any modern browser — Safari, Chrome, Edge, and Firefox on phones, tablets, and desktops. Installing it as an app is supported on iOS/iPadOS Safari, Android Chrome, and desktop Chrome/Edge.

Does Botple Calc work offline?

Yes, for everything that matters — see the dedicated section below for exactly what that covers.

Why aren't MindSight and Botple Notes available yet?

Both are still in progress. There's no fixed release timeline — see their own pages for an honest status update on each.

Who makes Botple?

Botple Education is a small, independent, student-led project — not a company. See About for the full story.

What's offline?

Botple Calc is designed to work offline. Core calculator functionality is available without an internet connection after the required application resources have been cached. Features that depend on remote services may require an internet connection.

Still need help?

If this page didn't cover it, send us feedback — bug reports and questions both go to the same place.