Frequently Asked Questions

Yes! ScanYourFridge does exactly that. Simply take photos of ingredients you have at home, and our AI instantly identifies them and suggests recipes you can make. No typing required - just point, snap, and cook.

Unlike traditional recipe apps where you search by dish name, ScanYourFridge works in reverse: you show us what you have, and we tell you what to make.

No download needed! ScanYourFridge works entirely in your web browser. Just visit app.scanyourfridge.com on any device with a camera - phone, tablet, or computer - and start scanning.

This means it works on iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and any other device with a modern browser.

No account required. ScanYourFridge is completely account-free. Your ingredient list is stored locally in your browser, so you can pick up where you left off - but we never ask for your email, name, or any personal information.

Our AI uses computer vision technology trained on thousands of food images. When you take a photo, the image is analyzed to identify the ingredient with a confidence score.

The AI shows you its best guess along with alternative suggestions, so you can confirm the right ingredient. This happens in real-time - typically under 3 seconds.

Great question! We chose this approach for accuracy. Apps that try to scan an entire fridge or pantry at once often miss items, misidentify overlapping products, or get confused by packaging.

By scanning one ingredient at a time, we get much higher accuracy (typically 90%+), and you get to confirm each item before it's added to your list. It takes just a few extra seconds but gives much better results.

The match score shows what percentage of a recipe's ingredients you already have. For example:

• 100% match - You have everything needed
• 80% match - You're missing one or two ingredients
• 60% match - You have the main ingredients but need a few more

Recipes are sorted by match score, so the dishes you can make right now appear first.

ScanYourFridge can recognize hundreds of common ingredients including:

• Fresh produce (fruits, vegetables, herbs)
• Proteins (meat, fish, eggs, tofu)
• Dairy (milk, cheese, yogurt, butter)
• Pantry staples (pasta, rice, canned goods)
• Condiments and sauces

The AI works best with clear photos of individual items. Packaged products are recognized by their general type (e.g., "milk" rather than specific brands).

Yes, 100% free. No trials, no premium tiers, no hidden costs. We believe tools that help reduce food waste should be accessible to everyone.

There are no ads either. We may explore optional features in the future, but the core scanning and recipe matching will always be free.

Your photos are processed instantly by our AI to identify ingredients, then immediately deleted. We don't store, save, or use your photos for any other purpose.

The only thing we keep is the identified ingredient name (like "tomato"), which is stored locally in your own browser - not on our servers.

No. We don't track what you scan, what recipes you view, or any other behavior. We don't sell data because we don't collect it in the first place.

Your ingredient list exists only in your browser's local storage. If you clear your browser data, it's gone - because it was never anywhere else.

We currently have over 5,000 recipes in our database, covering a wide range of cuisines and difficulty levels - from quick 10-minute meals to more elaborate dishes.

We're constantly adding new recipes to give you more options.

Currently, recipes are filtered primarily by your available ingredients. Dietary filters (vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, etc.) are on our roadmap for a future update.

For now, you can easily see all ingredients in each recipe to check if it fits your dietary needs.

Not yet, but it's coming! We're working on a favorites feature that will let you bookmark recipes locally in your browser - no account needed.

For now, you can bookmark the recipe page in your browser or take a screenshot.

Yes! Each recipe shows estimated total calories. We calculate this based on the ingredients and quantities in the recipe.

More detailed nutritional info (protein, carbs, fat, etc.) may be added in future updates.

First, make sure you've granted camera permission to your browser. Here's how:

• iPhone/Safari: Settings > Safari > Camera > Allow
• Android/Chrome: Tap the lock icon in the address bar > Permissions > Camera > Allow
• Desktop: Click the camera icon in your address bar and select "Allow"

If it still doesn't work, try refreshing the page or using a different browser.

No AI is perfect! When this happens:

• Check the alternative suggestions - the correct item might be listed there
• Try taking another photo with better lighting or a clearer angle
• Make sure the ingredient fills most of the frame

If the AI consistently misidentifies something, it helps to photograph it out of its packaging when possible.

Your ingredient list is stored in your browser's local storage. It can be cleared if:

• You cleared your browser data/cache
• You're using private/incognito mode
• You switched to a different browser or device

Unfortunately, once cleared, the list can't be recovered since we don't store it on our servers. You'll need to scan your ingredients again.

ScanYourFridge works on any device with a modern web browser and camera access:

• iPhones and iPads (Safari or Chrome)
• Android phones and tablets (Chrome, Firefox, Samsung Internet)
• Windows, Mac, and Linux computers with webcams

We recommend using the latest version of your browser for the best experience.