Help with plans and permissions

Plan availability

All plans include capture, classification, search, key-detail extraction, per-document Ask AI, To Do, Spend, Timeline, heads-ups, Apple Intelligence, and the downloadable advanced on-device model when the device supports them.

Free

• up to 20 documents in each available vault
• up to 2 custom Smart Spaces
• 5 advanced-model and 10 Apple Intelligence vault-wide Ask AI questions per day, counted separately
• no Private Vault or cloud providers

Plus

• up to 100 documents in each available vault
• unlimited custom Smart Spaces
• 10 advanced-model and 20 Apple Intelligence vault-wide Ask AI questions per day, counted separately
• Private Vault
• no cloud providers

Max

• unlimited documents
• unlimited custom Smart Spaces and vault-wide Ask AI
• Private Vault
• bring-your-own-key cloud providers

Plan limits can change in a future app release. Cella shows the active limit before blocking an action. A downgrade never deletes documents or spaces; it blocks new additions above the new limit and hides gated features until access returns.

Supported capture types

• Files: PDF, RTF, plain text, and DOCX
• Photos and Camera: image formats supplied by iOS, including common JPEG, PNG, and HEIC images
• Share extension: PDF, images, RTF, DOCX, and plain text
• Voice: an on-device speech-recognition transcript
• Paste text: typed or clipboard text

Unsupported, password-locked, empty, damaged, or unreadable items may be skipped or may not become searchable.

Permissions and requirements

• Photos needs access to the images you select.
• Camera needs camera permission and a physical camera.
• Voice needs microphone and speech-recognition permission plus a supported on-device recognition language.
• Notifications are needed for local due-date reminders.
• Face ID is optional for Private Vault unlock and is required for forgotten-PIN recovery.
• Apple Intelligence requires iOS 26 or later, eligible hardware, and Apple Intelligence enabled and ready.
• Advanced on-device models require supported Apple Silicon hardware, free storage, an initial download, and enough device memory.
• Cloud providers, App Store subscription loading, diagnostics, initial model downloads, and cloud-folder synchronization need a network connection.

Core capture, local storage, search, and ready on-device AI can work offline.

Privacy and data safety

• Working documents are stored in Cella's local app container and protected by iOS Data Protection.
• On-device engines keep document processing on the iPhone.
• When you select a cloud provider for a vault, relevant document content is sent directly to that provider using your API key and its terms.
• The Private Vault is a PIN-protected logical separation, not a separately encrypted database.
• Crash reporting can be turned off under Settings > Diagnostics and does not include document names or contents.
• Manual and automatic backup files are encrypted. You must retain the password or automatic backup key.

AI classification, extraction, and answers are probabilistic. Check source documents before using Cella output for legal, financial, medical, safety, or other important decisions.

Troubleshoot capture and processing

Cella says Still processing

Wait for the current capture job to finish. Open the progress card at the top of Home to see remaining documents.

A document is missing labels or key details

Open it from Needs Review or its list. Correct the available values, then use Classify again or Retry if shown. Confirm that the vault has an available AI engine.

A document is not searchable

The item may be unsupported, empty, locked, unreadable, or still indexing. Retry a real failure. For a scan or photo, recapture it in better light with readable text.

The document already exists

Choose Replace for an updated copy, Keep Both for two separate records, or Cancel to skip the new item.

Troubleshoot AI engines

No model is available

Open Settings > AI Engine and tap How to enable a model. Enable Apple Intelligence in iPhone Settings or download an advanced on-device model.

An advanced model is missing

Open Settings > AI Engine > Advanced On-Device Model. Download it, relink its folder, or choose another installed engine.

A cloud provider fails

Open its provider row. Check the API key, endpoint, model ID, and network connection, then run Test connection again. Confirm the provider account can use the chosen model.

Ask AI has no useful source

Ask a narrower question, confirm the relevant document is indexed in the current vault, or open that document and use its document-specific Ask AI entry.

Troubleshoot backup and security

Automatic backup has not run

Confirm Automatic backup is on, the linked folder is reachable, processing is finished, and enough storage is available. Automatic backup checks when Cella is used; it does not run while the app is never opened.

A backup cannot be opened

Use the exact password used for a manual backup or the saved automatic backup key. Cella cannot recover either secret. The backup must also be compatible with the installed app version.

Face ID or voice permission was denied

Open the iPhone Settings app, choose Cella, and enable the relevant permission. Return to Cella and try again.

You forgot the Private Vault PIN

After several incorrect attempts, tap Forgot PIN? and complete Face ID verification. If Face ID is unavailable, the PIN cannot be recovered through an erase shortcut. Contact Cella support for guidance.