MealTag Support & User Guide
Everything you need to scan barcodes, log meals, track your daily nutrition, connect Apple Health, and get help when something isn't working.
Quick links
Scanning a barcode
How to scan a food product and log it to your diary.
Custom & saved foods
Create your own food entries and save favorites for quick reuse.
Apple Health
Connect Apple Health to see your activity alongside your nutrition.
Troubleshooting & FAQ
Barcode not found, iCloud sync issues, and common fixes.
Contact information
Email: [email protected]
Company: Rocky River Software, LLC
When reporting a barcode issue, include the product name and barcode number if possible. We use that to improve coverage.
Overview
MealTag is a private nutrition coach for iPhone and iPad — not just a food logger. Deterministic engines compute your daily targets, remaining budget, and trends right on your device, and the coach turns that into clear, non-judgmental guidance. Log food by photographing a barcode, searching a food database, saving favorites, or entering it manually — and connect Apple Health to factor your activity into your daily budget. The optional MealTag+ subscription adds a live AI layer: meal ideas, an AI day plan, natural-language "type-to-log" (typed or spoken), plate photos, and AI-worded coach notes. AI features ask your permission first.
- Nutrition data is sourced from Open Food Facts and the USDA FoodData Central database — free, open food databases covering millions of packaged products and whole foods.
- Your food log syncs automatically across your iPhone and iPad via iCloud, using a private iCloud container managed by Apple.
- MealTag is free forever, with no ads. An optional MealTag+ subscription ($59.99/year with a 14-day free trial, or $9.99/month) adds the AI layer — AI meal ideas, the AI day plan, type-to-log, plate photos, and AI-worded coach notes.
- No account is required to scan barcodes or log food.
Getting Started
Step 1 — Install and open MealTag
- Download MealTag from the Apple App Store on your iPhone or iPad.
- No account or sign-in is required.
Step 2 — Set your daily nutrition goals
- Go to your Profile to set your daily targets for calories, protein, carbohydrates, fat, and other nutrients.
- These goals are stored locally and sync to your other devices via iCloud.
- You can adjust which extra nutrients appear on meal rows and in Summary in Profile > Visible Metrics.
Step 3 — Add a food by barcode
- Tap the Log button in the middle of the tab bar, then Take a photo.
- Take a clear photo of the barcode with your camera, or choose an existing photo from your library. Allow camera or photo access when prompted.
- MealTag reads the barcode on-device with Apple's Vision framework (UPC-A, UPC-E, EAN-13, EAN-8, and others) and looks the product up in Open Food Facts or USDA FoodData Central.
- Prefer not to scan? Search the food databases by name, or add a custom food instead.
Step 4 — Review and log the food
- After a successful scan, MealTag displays the product name, brand, and full nutrition panel.
- Adjust the serving size using the serving multiplier if you ate more or less than the labeled serving.
- Tap Add to Log (it reads Log Product if the scan found no nutrition details) to add it to your daily diary. The entry is saved with the current timestamp and your selected serving amount.
- Tap the star at the top of the sheet to add it to your saved foods for quick logging next time.
Features
Daily Dashboard
- The Now card at the top of Home shows your next meal and what is left of your daily calories, with a couple of other options you can tap to log it.
- Today's Log lists everything you have logged today, organized by timestamp.
- Tap Full plan on the Now card to see protein, carbs and fat progress against your goals. It updates as you log food.
- If Apple Health is connected, your active calorie burn, step count, and workout activity appear on the dashboard alongside your intake.
- Tap any logged food entry to view its full nutrition details or remove it from your diary.
Weekly Analytics
- The weekly view shows a 7-day history of your food intake with per-day macro summaries.
- Tap any day to view that day's full food log and nutrition breakdown.
- Your full history is stored locally and synced to iCloud — there is no expiration on logged entries.
Custom Foods & Saved Foods
Custom Foods
If a food item isn't in the Open Food Facts database, or if you want to log a home-cooked meal with known macros, you can create a custom food entry. Enter the food name and nutrition values manually, and MealTag will save it for future use. Custom foods are stored locally and sync via iCloud.
Saved Foods
Foods you scan or log frequently can be saved to your personal library for quick one-tap relogging. You can also create custom foods with your own nutrition values — handy for home-cooked meals or items without a barcode.
Apple Health Integration
MealTag can read the following data from Apple Health to give you a more complete picture of your nutrition and activity:
- Active energy burned — calories burned through workouts and movement
- Step count — daily steps recorded by your iPhone or Apple Watch
- Workout activity — duration and count of workouts logged in Apple Health
MealTag reads this data from Apple Health. It writes to Apple Health only if you turn on “Write meals to Apple Health” in Profile (off by default), and then only the calories and macros of meals you log. MealTag uses your Apple Health data to show your activity and to shape today's plan: part of your workout calories can be added to your budget, and after a workout your next meal can lean on protein or carbs. Raw Health data never leaves your device. If you use MealTag+ AI features, parts of the AI summary can reflect it, such as your remaining calories (which can include that workout credit) and a protein-or-carb note, as the privacy policy explains.
To connect Apple Health:
- Go to Profile > Apple Health in MealTag.
- Tap Connect Apple Health and grant the requested permissions.
- You can revoke this access at any time in Settings > Health > Data Access & Devices > MealTag on your iPhone.
iCloud Sync
- Your food log, saved foods, custom foods, and nutrition goals sync automatically across all your iPhone and iPad devices signed in to the same Apple ID.
- Sync uses a private iCloud container managed by Apple — no one at Rocky River Software can see your food data.
- iCloud sync requires iCloud to be enabled on your device. If sync appears delayed, check your iCloud connection in Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud.
App Permissions
Camera
Used to photograph barcodes and, with MealTag+, your plate. MealTag uses your camera only while you're taking a photo. Barcodes are read on your device; only the barcode number is sent to look up the food. A plate photo (MealTag+, after you allow AI features) is sent once to be identified, with its location and camera details removed, and is never saved by MealTag.
Photo Library
Optional. Used to pick a photo instead of taking a new one. A barcode in the photo is read on your device; a plate photo is handled exactly like one you take with the camera.
Microphone and Speech Recognition
Optional, used only while you tap the mic on Describe it (MealTag+). Your speech is turned into text on your iPhone; the audio is never sent or saved, and only the text is sent, as if you had typed it.
Notifications
Optional. Meal-time nudges are scheduled on your iPhone, and their buttons update your plan without sending anything to us.
Apple Health
Optional. MealTag requests read-only access to active energy burned, step count, and workout data, and, only if you turn it on in Profile, your weight. This is used solely to display activity and your weight trend in the app, to adjust your daily plan (those changes sync with the plan through your iCloud), and to suggest a new calorie target that you can accept. If you turn on “Write meals to Apple Health” in Profile (off by default), MealTag also writes the calories and macros of meals you log to Apple Health. MealTag never shares your Health samples with anyone. Only with your permission for AI features, some of what goes to OpenAI to write your guidance can reflect them, such as your remaining-calorie budget (which can include part of your workout calories) and, for coach notes, a protein-or-carb cue after a recent workout; the privacy policy lists it all. Health data is not used for advertising or profiling.
Troubleshooting
Barcode isn't being detected
MealTag reads the barcode from a still photo, so a sharp, well-lit shot works best — fill the frame with the barcode and avoid glare. Make sure camera or photo-library access is granted for MealTag in Settings. If the barcode is damaged or won't read, search the food databases by name or add a custom food instead.
Product not found after scanning
MealTag uses the Open Food Facts database, which covers over 3 million products worldwide but does not include every item. If a product isn't found, you can create a custom food entry with the product's nutrition details from the label. You can also report the missing barcode to us and we'll flag it for the Open Food Facts community.
Nutrition data looks incorrect
Open Food Facts is a community-maintained database. Occasionally, entries may have incomplete or inaccurate data. If you notice an error, you can use a custom food entry to log the correct values. You can also report the issue at world.openfoodfacts.org to help improve the database for everyone.
Apple Health data isn't showing
Check that MealTag has been granted access in Settings > Health > Data Access & Devices > MealTag. Make sure Active Energy, Step Count, and Workouts are enabled. It may take a few minutes for recent health data to appear after granting permission.
iCloud sync isn't working across devices
Ensure both devices are signed into the same Apple ID and that iCloud is enabled. Check Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud and confirm that iCloud Drive is on. Sync may take a few minutes on a slow connection.
App crashes or isn't responding
Force-quit MealTag and reopen it. If the issue persists, restart your device. Contact support with your device model and iOS version and we'll look into it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is MealTag free?
The core app is free forever: scanning barcodes, logging meals, tracking your daily nutrition, and Apple Health are all free, with no ads. The AI features (AI meal ideas, the AI day plan, type-to-log, plate photos, and AI-worded coach notes) are part of MealTag+, an optional auto-renewing subscription purchased through Apple — $59.99/year with a 14-day free trial, or $9.99/month. Payment and cancellation are handled entirely by Apple; you can manage or cancel anytime in Settings > Apple Account > Subscriptions.
How do I cancel MealTag+?
Open Settings on your iPhone → tap your name → Subscriptions → MealTag+ → Cancel. One tap — no emails to send, no retention hoops. If you cancel during the 14-day free trial, you pay nothing. Purchases and refunds are handled by Apple; you can request a refund at reportaproblem.apple.com.
How do I restore MealTag+ on a new device?
Open the Profile tab and press Restore purchases under MealTag+. Make sure you're signed in with the same Apple Account you subscribed with.
Why do my suggestions say "Local grounded" instead of "Live AI"?
Live AI meal ideas are part of MealTag+. Without it, the coach uses its built-in engine — still personalized to your targets and restrictions, still allergy-filtered, just not written fresh by AI. Live AI also falls back to the local engine automatically when you're offline.
Is MealTag medical advice?
No. MealTag offers general wellness guidance for healthy adults. It never prescribes, never diagnoses, and never sets targets below safe minimums. Consult a professional for medical nutrition needs, and if you're recovering from disordered eating, please use MealTag only with your care team's guidance.
Do I need to create an account?
No. MealTag works without any account or sign-in. Your data is stored on your device and in your private iCloud container, associated with your Apple ID.
Where does the nutrition data come from?
MealTag uses Open Food Facts and the USDA FoodData Central database — free, open food databases covering millions of packaged products and whole foods. When you scan or search, MealTag sends only the barcode number or your search text over HTTPS and receives the matching nutrition data. No personal information is included in these requests.
What barcode formats are supported?
MealTag supports UPC-A, UPC-E, EAN-13, EAN-8, and other standard retail barcode formats commonly found on packaged food products.
Does MealTag write data to Apple Health?
Only if you turn it on. MealTag reads data from Apple Health (active calories, steps, and workouts). It writes to Apple Health only if you turn on “Write meals to Apple Health” in Profile (off by default), and then only the calories and macros of meals you log. Your Apple Health data is used to display activity in the app and to shape your daily plan. Your weight trend is built from the weights you enter at check-ins and, only if you turn on “Read weight from Apple Health” in Profile, the weights read from Apple Health (read-only, kept on this iPhone and never in iCloud).
Is there an Android version?
No. MealTag is an iOS app for iPhone and iPad. Android is not currently supported.
How do I delete my data?
You can delete individual food log entries from the diary by tapping on them. To delete all your data, delete the MealTag app from your device. To remove synced iCloud data, you can also manage or delete MealTag's iCloud data from Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud > Manage Account Storage on your device.
Need more help?
If you run into an issue that isn't covered here, or want to report a missing barcode or inaccurate nutrition data, reach out and we'll get back to you.
Email: [email protected]
Company: Rocky River Software, LLC