BARCODE SCANNER
You have easy access to the Barcode Scanner from 3 convenient locations:
Your DASHBOARD
Main "+" BUTTON (You must have Barcode scanner as one of your Active Shortcuts to see it here. For more info on how to customize your main tracking button, please visit HERE)
Your FOOD SEARCH page
SCANNER BASICS
The scanner relies on 4 criteria to work properly.
PHONE PERMISSION - You have to be sure that the phone is set to allow Healthi to use your camera. If this is not set up correctly - the scanner will not work. The first time you use the scanner - it will prompt you to allow Healthi to use your camera. Tap ALLOW. If you deny, or your settings change for some reason - you will have to go into your phone’s settings and turn on access. This is in a different place on each phone but generally it is found under SETTINGS - APP PERMISSIONS or SETTINGS - then scroll down and find the Healthi app on the list. If you aren’t sure - you can always Google “setting camera permissions for [insert the device you have]
ENOUGH LIGHT - Make sure the barcode is not in a shadow or turn on your flash which is the little lightning bolt in the top right corner. Make sure part of the code is not obscured by reflections as well.
ENOUGH SIGNAL - If it seems to just keep searching (spinning circle) this means it can't connect. Some stores have problems with dampening the signal and it may not work effectively. You may have to move to a place with stronger signal or check to see if your store offers free Wi-Fi.
DAMAGED / BAD BARCODE - Sometimes the only barcode on a product doesn't match the standard format and this makes it not scan. Or there could be wrinkles in it, it can be damaged, it could have had a sticker over it that damaged one of the lines or there could be a reflection interfering - these will all affect the scanner.
HOW TO USE THE BARCODE SCANNER
Tap the scanner icon and make sure the barcode is inside the boxes. Hold as still as you can. It is sometimes easier to set the item on a stable surface like a table or your shopping basket. If it doesn’t pick it up initially - check that everything is set up according to the criteria mentioned before or try moving a little closer/further away and see if that helps.
Once the scanner detects the barcode - it will search the online UPC database for the matching item and display the results.
NOTE 1: BARCODE RECYCLING - Manufacturers can recycle barcodes for items and it is possible that with new packaging the item scanned and the item reported will not be the same. I have seen bacon = cranberry juice, frozen potatoes = strawberry jelly and several others. It doesn’t happen often - but it does happen. This is NOT a scanner issue but a database one. If this happens - please send a bug report with a picture of the UPC label and we will update the database immediately.
NOTE 2: CHECK LABELS - Nutritional data changes frequently as manufacturers adjust recipes, serving sizes or key ingredients. They do not have to make these changes public knowledge and often don’t. Recently members found that their favorite Sandwich Thins changed in BITES value because the manufacturer changed the serving weight, which adjusted the nutritional data.
If you didn’t think to check your labels periodically (especially when packaging changes) and just kept tracking with your previously saved entry - it would now be wrong. With a database of over 4,000,000 foods to maintain and manufacturers not reporting to any one universal database that can be pulled from - it is a good habit to get into to check the nutritional data that comes up against that on the product itself.
If it matches - TRACK and/or FAVORITE the item and you are all set.
If it doesn’t match - you can EDIT the details and fix it by using these instructions:
- Tap to open the item from a scan, My Foods, Favorites or a food search. (this doesn't work from an already tracked food or in recipes currently)
- Tap the [•••] in the top right corner
- Tap EDIT
- Edit anything you need - serving size, nutritional values, measurements - just be sure you are keeping them in line with the information on the label. (If it says 1 serving is 3 bites, check the label on the product for how many grams/oz/whatever you're wanting to change to it would be. 1serving = 3 bites = 1oz= 28 grams to keep bites value the same)
- Tap the ☆ to save to Favorites for quickly finding it later. (optional)
- Tap SAVE
IF AN ITEM IS NOT FOUND
First try scanning the item again from a different position or in better lighting to be sure that is not the issue.
Our international foods database is growing every day but it may not contain items our non-US based members scan. Please submit these if you find them and we will add them to the database.
When you find an item that is not in the database and want to submit it for addition - simply tap CREATE FOOD. This will import the UPC number you scanned and give you an opportunity to fill in the rest of the details. Then just tap SUBMIT and you will have an option to then TRACK the item.