ShelfLife Home

TIPS & TROUBLESHOOTING

Small fixes for a smoother ShelfLife.

Start here when something feels awkward on your phone or a scanner is not behaving as expected. Select any topic for step-by-step help.

01

Open ShelfLife without Safari's address bar

For the most app-like experience on iPhone, add ShelfLife to your Home Screen and launch it from there.

Try this
  1. Open ShelfLife Home in Safari.
  2. Tap the Share button.
  3. Choose Add to Home Screen, then confirm Add.
  4. Launch ShelfLife from the new Home Screen icon. It opens in standalone mode without the normal Safari address bar and toolbar.
02

If a button is hard to reach

Long sheets should scroll inside the screen and keep actions above the iPhone safe area.

Try this
  1. Swipe inside the open sheet rather than on the page behind it.
  2. Rotate back to portrait if the browser was resized while a sheet was open.
  3. Close and reopen the sheet after changing orientation.
  4. If the problem continues, refresh ShelfLife and try again.
03

Barcode or camera will not open

Barcode and date scanning need camera permission from the browser or installed Home Screen app.

Try this
  1. On iPhone, open Settings and review Safari camera permissions, or the permission shown for the Home Screen app.
  2. Allow camera access for ShelfLife.
  3. Return to ShelfLife and reopen Barcode or Date scanning.
  4. If live scanning is unavailable, use Take barcode photo or enter the printed UPC/EAN digits manually.
04

A scanned barcode is not found

Some products are missing from public UPC catalogs or use regional/private-label codes.

Try this
  1. Make sure the entire barcode is sharp and well lit.
  2. Try taking a barcode photo instead of live scanning.
  3. Enter the printed UPC or EAN digits manually.
  4. If the product still is not found, use Quick Add so the food can still be added immediately.
05

Receipt or expiration-date scan needs correction

Photo recognition is designed to save typing, but you should review the result before saving it.

Try this
  1. Retake the photo closer to the receipt or printed date.
  2. Keep the image flat, bright, and in focus.
  3. Review product names, quantities, locations, and dates before importing.
  4. Remove any line that is not actually a grocery item.
06

ShelfLife looks out of date after an update

Browsers and Home Screen apps can briefly keep older page assets after a deployment.

Try this
  1. Refresh the page once in Safari.
  2. If you use the Home Screen version, fully close ShelfLife and reopen it.
  3. If an old Home Screen install continues to behave incorrectly, remove it and add ShelfLife to the Home Screen again.
  4. Your household inventory is stored with your account, not inside the Home Screen icon.

Useful habits

  • For the cleanest iPhone experience, launch ShelfLife from the Home Screen.
  • Keep camera permission enabled if you use barcode, date, or receipt scanning.
  • When a scan is uncertain, Quick Add is always the fastest fallback.