Help & FAQ
Last Updated: February 2026
Welcome to the FreshFolio Help Center. Below are answers to common questions about using the app.
🏁 Getting Started
Yes! FreshFolio starts all users with a 1-Month Free Trial of our Standard features. After the trial, you can continue with a paid subscription or use the app in a strict read-only mode. We believe in "Try Before You Buy" so you can see the value of a perfectly organized pantry first.
An internet connection is required for barcode scanning (to look up product information) and syncing data across devices. However, you can view your existing pantry items offline.
Our barcode scanner uses your device camera to read UPC/EAN barcodes. Product information is retrieved from OpenFoodFacts, a crowdsourced database. Accuracy depends on the database having information for that specific product. If a product isn't found, you can add it manually.
📦 Pantry Management
There are three ways to add items:
1. Pantry FAB (+): Tap the floating action button on the Pantry screen to start a new scan or manual entry.
2. Scan Barcode: From the "Put Away" screen, point your camera at the product barcode to look it up.
3. From Shopping List: Mark items as "Purchased" on your shopping list. They will move to your Purchased Queue, where you can "Put Away" everything in bulk when you get home.
FreshFolio uses a two-tier system inspired by inventory management:
- Item Master: The reusable product template (e.g., "Campbell's Tomato Soup"). This stores the product name, brand, category, and default shelf life.
- Lot: A specific purchase instance (e.g., "2 cans purchased on 2/6/2026, expires 12/31/2026"). Each time you buy the same product, you create a new Lot.
This approach prevents duplicate data entry and makes it easy to track multiple purchases of the same item.
When adding an item, you specify:
- Purchase Unit: How you buy it (e.g., Case, Box, Pack)
- Base Unit: The individual unit (e.g., Can, Bottle, Each)
- Units per Purchase: How many base units are in one purchase unit (e.g., 12 cans per case)
This allows accurate inventory tracking. For example, if you buy 2 cases of soup (12 cans each), FreshFolio tracks 24 cans in your pantry.
Yes! With FreshFolio Pro, you can invite family members to collaborate on a shared pantry. Everyone can add items, update quantities, and receive expiration alerts.
📅 Expiration Tracking
When adding an item, tap the camera icon next to the expiration date field. Point your camera at the "Best By" or "Exp" date on the package. Our OCR (Optical Character Recognition) will attempt to detect and parse the date.
If OCR fails to detect the date, you can:
1. Manually type the date in MM/DD/YYYY format
2. Use the date picker to select the date
3. Leave it blank and add it later
FreshFolio sends push notifications when items are approaching their expiration date:
- 7 days before: "Heads up" notification
- 3 days before: "Use soon" notification
- On expiration day: "Expires today" notification
- After expiration: Item is marked as expired
You can customize notification timing in Settings.
When creating an Item Master, you can set a low stock threshold (e.g., "Alert me when I have fewer than 3 cans"). FreshFolio will notify you when your total quantity drops below this level, helping you avoid running out.
🛒 Shopping Lists
Tap the "Shopping" tab. You can:
- Scan Barcode: Tap the scanner icon in the top right to quickly add products by UPC.
- Manual Add: Tap the FAB `(+)` to type an item name.
- Auto-Restock: Items below your "Low Stock Threshold" will appear here automatically.
- Pantry Transfer: Swipe Right on any pantry item to add it to the list.
Yes! When viewing an item in your pantry list, swipe Right to use it, or tap the item to open Item Details and select "Add to Shopping List".
Yes! Just type the name in the shopping list search bar. If it's not in the database, you can add it as a custom item. When you put it away later, FreshFolio will automatically create the product record for you without any extra setup.
Active items on your shopping list feature a Compact Stepper `[-] 1 [+]`. Tap the plus or minus buttons to adjust the amount you need to buy without opening a separate screen.
checking an item marks it as Purchased and instantly moves it to the Purchased Items queue. Because FreshFolio uses a cloud-synced queue, one family member can be checking off items at the store while another sees them appear on the "Put Away" screen at home in real-time.
To add these items to your pantry inventory:
1. Go to the Pantry tab.
2. Tap the + button and select Purchased Items.
3. Review your list and tap "Put Away" for each item to confirm final details (expiration, location).
🔍 Barcode Scanning
FreshFolio supports:
- UPC-A (standard US barcodes)
- UPC-E (compressed UPC)
- EAN-13 (international barcodes)
- EAN-8
If a barcode isn't found in the OpenFoodFacts database, you can:
1. Add the product manually
2. Contribute the product to OpenFoodFacts (helps other users!)
3. Use manual entry for that item
No, barcode scanning requires an internet connection to look up product information from the OpenFoodFacts API.
📊 Categories & Organization
FreshFolio offers several organization methods:
- Categories: Group items by type (Dairy, Produce, Canned Goods, etc.)
- Locations: Track where items are stored (Fridge, Freezer, Pantry)
- Favorites: Mark frequently purchased items for quick access.
- Reports: Visit the Reports tab to see your transaction history, waste metrics, and pantry valuation.
A Write-off is used when an item is missing or lost but not necessarily spoiled or expired. It allows you to remove the item from inventory while keeping an accurate record of the loss in your Reports.
Yes! In Settings → Category Management, you can create, edit, and delete custom categories to match your organization style.
Yes! You can manage all your storage areas in Settings → Location Management.
FreshFolio uses "Smart Tags" from the global food database (Open Food Facts). Each category in your settings has a list of keywords associated with it. When you scan a product, the app looks at its tags and matches them to your categories.
If an item matches tags in two different categories (like "Frozen" and "Healthy"), it will be placed in the one that appears higher in your Category list. You can reorder your categories in Settings to change this priority.
Go to Settings → Category Management, select a category, and edit the "Smart Tags." Adding specific keywords like "sparkling" to your Beverages category ensures any bubbly water you scan is filed correctly in the future.
🔐 Account & Privacy
Yes. Your pantry data is private and only visible to you and any family members you explicitly invite to a shared pantry. We do not sell or share your data with third parties.
You can request account deletion via Settings → Delete Account, or visit our Account Deletion Page. Once requested, your account is deactivated immediately and permanently deleted after a 30-day grace period.
Yes! In Settings → Export Data, you can download a CSV file of all your pantry items, expiration dates, and transaction history.
Tap the Reports tab at the bottom of the screen. Here you can see a detailed list of every add, use, disposal, and write-off performed in your pantry. Each entry shows the date, the person who performed the action, and the specific reason (like "Expired" or "Missing").
You can customize notification preferences in Settings or disable them entirely in your device's system settings.
We offer a 7-day Grace Period. If your auto-renewal fails, you'll receive a notification and your pantry will remain fully active for 7 days. This gives you time to update your payment method without losing access to your inventory tracking. If the issue isn't resolved by the end of the grace period, your pantry will move to "Read-Only" mode.
Your active transaction history (adds, uses, disposals) is available in the app for 2 years. Older transactions are automatically archived to ensure the app remains fast and responsive. You can request a full meaningful export of your data at any time via Support.
🍎 Food Safety
No. FreshFolio is a tracking tool only, not a food safety authority. Expiration dates may be inaccurate due to OCR errors, user input mistakes, or outdated database information. Always use your best judgment and follow FDA guidelines when determining if food is safe to consume.
FreshFolio displays product information from third-party databases, which may not be complete or current. Always verify ingredients independently if you have food allergies or dietary restrictions. Do not rely solely on the app for allergen information.
✉️ Support
We appreciate your help in making the app better! Please visit our Contact page and describe the issue in detail.
Absolutely! We love hearing from users. Visit our Contact page and select "Feature Request" or describe your idea in the message field.
We're here to help! Visit our Contact page and our team will get back to you as soon as possible.
📖 Glossary of Terms
A reusable product template that stores the product name, brand, category, default shelf life, and UOM information. Think of it as the "blueprint" for a product.
A specific purchase instance of an Item Master. Each Lot has its own quantity, purchase date, expiration date, and location.
The smallest trackable unit of a product (e.g., Can, Bottle, Oz, Each).
The unit in which you typically buy a product (e.g., Case, Box, Pack, Bag).
The system for tracking quantities using Purchase Units and Base Units with a conversion factor.
A shared database of Item Masters created from barcode scans. When you scan a barcode, FreshFolio first checks this registry before querying the OpenFoodFacts API, reducing API calls and improving speed.
A record of all inventory changes (additions, uses, disposals) for audit and tracking purposes.
The technology used to detect and read expiration dates from product packaging using your device camera.
🛠️ Development Standards
We take data integrity and app stability seriously. All development for FreshFolio follows a strict set of internal development standards and technical blueprints. These rules ensure that every update adheres to our technical architecture, preserves your data, and maintains a "Server-as-Truth" model for security.
While some technical manuals are reserved for internal development, our architectural decisions are documented in `docs/decisions.md` to ensure our team is always aligned on providing you with a reliable, offline-first experience.