Features How it Works User Guide Download App
User Guide

Everything you need to get
the most out of Munched

Step-by-step help for scanning, scoring, building your shopping list, and levelling up — from first scan to daily use.

Getting Started

Set up your profile and scan your first product in under 2 minutes.

1

Download Munched

Get the app free on the App Store (iOS) or Google Play (Android).

2

Enter your name and details

On first launch, Munched asks for your username, full name, gender, and date of birth. This personalises your experience and tracking.

3

Choose your health goal

Pick one of three goals that shapes how every product is scored for you:

  • Weight Loss — lose weight and eat balanced
  • Eat Healthier — stay healthy and consistent
  • Muscle Gain — build strength and muscle
4

Connect your health app (optional)

Connect Apple Health (iOS) or Health Connect (Android) to pull in real activity data — steps, calories burned, and more — so your daily targets are even more accurate. You can skip this and connect later in Settings.

5

Get your personalised meal plan

Based on your goal, Munched automatically picks 5 starter meals for your calorie range and saves them to My Meals — ready to reference when shopping.

Tip: You can change your goal at any time from your profile — scores update immediately across all future scans.

Scanning Products

Instant barcode scan, or a full photo scan for products not yet in the database.

Munched has two scan modes depending on whether the product is already in the database.

1

Open the scanner

Tap the camera icon in the bottom navigation bar. The barcode scanner activates automatically — grant camera permissions if prompted.

2

Aim at the barcode

Hold the phone 15–25 cm from the barcode and align it within the scan frame. Munched looks up the product in the database instantly. A good result takes less than a second.

3a

Product found → Analysis screen

If the barcode matches a product in the database, you're taken straight to the full Analysis screen with your personalised score, macro breakdown, and ingredient details.

3b

Product not found → Scan It Live

If the product isn't in the database yet, tap Scan It Live. This launches the multi-step photo scan:

  • Step 1 — Photograph the front of the product
  • Step 2 — Photograph the nutrition facts panel
  • Step 3 — Photograph the ingredients list

Munched uses AI to read the label from your photos and generate a full analysis — even for products not yet in any database.

Editing the barcode: If the barcode scanned incorrectly, tap the barcode pill shown at the top of the screen to edit it before submitting your photos.

Understanding Your Score

What the 0–10 health score means and how it's calculated for you specifically.

Every product gets a personalised score from 0 to 10 based on how well its nutrients align with your health goal — not a one-size-fits-all rating. The same product can score differently for two users with different goals.

8–10

Optimal Choice

Great fit for your goals. Most nutrients are in ideal ranges. Eat this regularly.

5–7

Enjoy Occasionally

Some nutrients are higher than ideal. Fine in moderation — pair with higher-scored foods.

0–4

Limit When Possible

High in nutrients that work against your goal. Enjoy as an occasional treat only.

What goes into the score? Munched weighs calories, total fat, saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, sodium, sugars, added sugar, protein, fibre, omega-3s, vitamins (A, B9, B12, D), calcium, zinc, iron, iodine — plus any flagged ingredients — against your personal health goal.

Nutrient breakdown: On the Analysis screen, scroll down to see each nutrient individually labelled as Optimal (green) or Less Optimal (yellow) for your goal, plus a macro donut chart and any vitamins or minerals the product is a source of.

Home Screen

Your daily nutrition dashboard — calories, meals, and quick actions.

NutriFactsCard — Scan or Search

The prominent card at the top lets you jump straight into a barcode scan, or search the database by product name. This is the fastest way to look something up while you're standing in the aisle.

Daily Status Card — Calorie tracker

Tracks your calories eaten today against your personalised daily target (calculated from your goal and — if connected — your real health data from Apple Health / Health Connect). Updates live as you log products.

Health Meal Strip — Personalised meals

A horizontal scroll of meal recommendations tailored to your goal and daily activity. Tap any meal to see ingredients and a simple prep guide. These update based on your health data if connected.

Rated For You — Product recommendations

A curated list of products from the database, pre-scored for your goals. A shortcut to discover new products worth buying without having to scan them first.

Rate Your Cart

Tap the cart card to open the Cart Scanner — scan multiple products one after another to get an overall health score for everything in your basket before you check out.

Shopping List

Build a list of scanned products and check them off in the aisle.

1

Add from the Analysis screen

After scanning a product, tap Add to Cart on the Analysis screen. The product, its health score, and nutrition data are all saved together to your list.

2

Add manually

Open the Shopping List tab and tap + to type in any item by name. Useful for produce or items you don't need to scan.

3

Check off items while shopping

Tap any item to mark it as completed. Completed items collapse at the bottom of the list. Tap Clear completed when you're done.

4

Adjust quantities

Swipe an item or use the quantity controls to increase or decrease the number needed. Long-press to delete an item from the list.

Community

Share meals, join challenges, and see what others are eating.

1

Meals tab — Share what you're eating

After scanning a product or logging a meal, tap Post to Community to share it. Your post shows the product name, health score, and a photo. Other users can like and comment.

2

Live Challenges

Munched runs community challenges — scan a set number of products, hit a streak target, or reach a score milestone. Completing challenges earns points toward your level.

Username required: You need a username set in your profile before you can post to the community. You can set or update it in Profile → Edit Profile.

Health App Integration

Connect Apple Health (iOS) or Health Connect (Android) for smarter daily targets.

1

Connect during onboarding or later

You're prompted to connect during setup. To connect later: go to Profile → Settings → Connect Health App.

2

What data is read?

Munched reads your activity data (steps, calories burned, active energy) to calculate a more accurate daily calorie target on your home screen. No data is written back to your health app.

3

Android: Install Health Connect first

On Android, Health Connect is a separate app from the Google Play Store. Munched will prompt you to install it if it isn't detected on your device.

More active days = higher targets. On days you move more, Munched adjusts your calorie and macro targets upward so your meal recommendations stay relevant.

Levels & Points

Earn points by scanning, building streaks, and completing challenges.

Munched has a 15-level progression system. Every scan, daily streak, and community challenge adds to your points total. Your current level and streak are visible on your profile.

1
Munchie0 pts — starter
2
Curious50 pts
3
Label Reader150 pts
4
Label Spotter350 pts
5
Label Watcher650 pts
6
Label Hunter1,050 pts
7
Label Detective1,550 pts
8
Label Sleuth2,050 pts
9
Label Forensic2,750 pts
10
Label Inspector3,650 pts
11
Aisle Auditor4,850 pts
12
Grocery Guru6,350 pts
13
Munched Veteran8,350 pts
14
Munched Legend11,350 pts
15
Munched Authority16,350 pts

Scan daily to build streaks. Scanning at least one product per day maintains your streak. Your current streak and longest streak are tracked on your profile. Longer streaks earn bonus points.

Frequently Asked Questions

Quick answers to common questions.

Why did my score for a product change?
Scores are personalised — if you changed your health goal, your score for every product updates immediately. If you didn't change anything, the product's manufacturer may have reformulated it.
The barcode scanned but the product is wrong. What do I do?
Different regions sometimes share barcodes between products. Tap the barcode pill at the top of the scanner to edit it manually, or use Scan It Live to scan the actual nutrition label so Munched reads the data directly from your product.
Can I use Munched without creating an account?
Yes — you can browse and do basic scans as a guest. However, personalised scoring, scan history, shopping list syncing, community features, and levels all require a free account.
How do I change my health goal?
Go to Profile → Goal and select a new goal. Your scores update instantly — there's no limit to how often you can switch.
Does Munched work offline?
Recently viewed products are cached locally and accessible without internet. New barcode lookups and Scan It Live photo scans both require an active connection.
How do I delete my account?
Go to Profile → Settings → Delete Account. This permanently and irreversibly removes all your data from our servers in line with our Privacy Policy.
Is my health data shared with anyone?
No. Health data read from Apple Health or Health Connect is used only to personalise your in-app daily targets and is never shared with or sold to third parties. See our Privacy Policy for full details.

Still need help?

Our team is happy to help with anything not covered here.