Support for 
Workshop
Answers to common questions, plus how to reach us directly if you're stuck or found a bug.
Syncing and Backing Up Your Data
Since Workshop stores everything on your device and has no account or server, keeping your data in sync or backed up is entirely in your hands. There are a few ways to do it, all from Settings:
iCloud Sync
Turn on "iCloud Sync" to keep everything — projects, vehicles, maintenance records, attachments, and app settings — automatically up to date across every device signed into the same iCloud account. This is the easiest way to use Workshop on both an iPhone and an iPad, or to pick up right where you left off after switching devices.
Back Up to iCloud
Tap "Back Up to iCloud" to save a manual, point-in-time backup file to your own iCloud Drive, in a folder private to Workshop. Handy alongside (or instead of) iCloud Sync if you'd rather control exactly when a backup happens.
Export / Import Backup
"Export Backup" creates a local backup file and hands it to iOS's share sheet, so you can save it to Files, send it by AirDrop, email it to yourself, or store it anywhere else you'd like. "Import Backup" reads a backup file back into the app. Useful for backups outside iCloud, or moving data between accounts.
AI Chat
Drop an "AI Chat" field into any project or maintenance task to have a running conversation with Claude, Anthropic's AI model, right there in that project or task. Set it up once from Settings → AI Assistant by pasting in your own Anthropic API key (get one at console.anthropic.com) — usage is billed directly to your Anthropic account, not through Workshop. Messages you send go straight from your device to Anthropic; if one fails to send (no connection, no key yet, a temporary rate limit), it stays in the thread with a Retry button rather than getting lost.
Siri Shortcuts
Workshop supports two Siri shortcuts, available once you've created at least one project:
- Add a note to a specific project — say something like "Add a note to [project name] in Workshop," and Siri will ask what you'd like the note to say.
- Mark maintenance done — say "Mark [task] as done in Workshop," and Siri will walk you through any fields the task needs (mileage, cost, notes) by voice.
If Siri doesn't recognize a project or task by name, open Workshop once so it can refresh its index, then try again.
Home Screen Widgets
Workshop has two Home Screen widgets, both medium-sized, no setup required beyond adding them:
- Quick Create — two buttons, "New Project" and "New Maintenance Task," that open Workshop straight to that creation flow.
- Favorites — shows up to 4 projects you've starred. Tap the star icon in a project's detail header to add it; tap a project in the widget to jump straight to it.
To add either widget: long-press your Home Screen, tap the + in the top corner, search "Workshop," and choose Quick Create or Favorites. If the Favorites widget shows "No favorites yet" after you've starred a project, open Workshop once so it can refresh the widget's data, then check again.
Calendar Sync
Any Date field can optionally sync to a calendar of your choosing — enable it from the field's settings. Workshop creates a single event (just a title and date) and keeps it updated as the field changes. Turning sync off, or deleting the field or project, removes the event automatically.
Vehicle & Maintenance Tracking
Add a vehicle from the Garage section, then use "Decode VIN" to auto-fill year, make, and model. Maintenance tasks can be tracked by mileage or date — mark one done and Workshop schedules its next occurrence automatically if it's set up as recurring. Suggested Maintenance offers a one-tap starting catalog of common service items — manufacturer-specific for many makes, and a general schedule otherwise.
If VIN decoding doesn't return results, double check the VIN was entered correctly — Workshop relies on the NHTSA's free public lookup service, which occasionally doesn't have data for older or unusual vehicles, or is briefly overloaded (Workshop retries automatically a few times before giving up).
The Receipt field can also read the merchant, date, and totals off a photo of a receipt automatically — this happens entirely on your device (Apple's Vision framework, no network request involved), so always double-check a scan before relying on it.
Something Not Working?
If you've hit a bug, found something confusing, or a feature isn't behaving the way this page describes, let us know — screenshots and steps to reproduce are always helpful, but not required.
Contact
Reach us directly for support, bug reports, or feature requests: