Frequently Asked Questions

Franken-Recipe is an AI-powered cooking app that turns your random ingredients into delicious recipes. Simply snap a photo of what's in your fridge, and our AI will identify the ingredients and generate creative recipes you can make right now.

Download the app, create a free account (or sign in with Apple/Google), and you're ready to go! Open your fridge, tap the camera button, take a photo of your ingredients, and watch the magic happen.

Yes! The core features are completely free: ingredient scanning, recipe generation, safety checks, and recipe saving. Premium features like nutritional insights, AI chef chat, and meal planning require a subscription.

Franken-Recipe is available on iOS (iPhone and iPad) and Android devices. Download it from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.

Yes, a free account is required to save recipes and access all features. You can sign up with your email or use Apple/Google sign-in for convenience.

We use Google Gemini AI's vision capabilities to analyze your photo. The AI identifies individual ingredients, estimates quantities, and checks for any safety concerns - all in seconds.

Our AI is highly accurate for common ingredients. However, we recommend reviewing the detected ingredients before generating recipes. You can easily add, remove, or modify items using the ingredient editor.

Absolutely! After scanning, you can tap any ingredient to edit it, add pantry staples (like salt, pepper, oil) that might not be in your photo, or remove items you don't want to use.

The app can generate various recipe types including main dishes, sides, breakfast, snacks, and even desserts - depending on your ingredients. Each recipe includes difficulty level, prep time, and serving size.

Yes! Every recipe goes through our AI validation system that checks for flavor harmony, ingredient compatibility, and practical feasibility. Recipes receive a "Taste Score" so you know what to expect.

Yes! After the initial recipe, you can request alternative recipes using the same ingredients. The app offers different cooking styles and cuisine types.

For best results, take clear photos with good lighting. The AI works best with photos showing ingredients clearly visible. Avoid blurry images or photos with many non-food items.

Our AI can identify visually obvious signs of spoilage (mold, discoloration, etc.) and will flag these with safety warnings. However, always use your own judgment - some spoilage isn't visible.

Yes, the nutritional insights feature (Premium) identifies common allergens in recipes. However, if you have severe allergies, always verify ingredients yourself. The app is not a substitute for medical advice.

Nutritional information is estimated based on typical ingredient values. It should be used as a general guide, not for medical or precise dietary purposes. Consult a dietitian for specific nutritional needs.

Use the free Macro-Matcher feature to generate recipes for specific diets (keto, low-carb, high-protein, etc.). You can also manually adjust ingredients to fit your needs.

While our AI is sophisticated, always apply common sense. The recipes are suggestions based on typical cooking practices. If something seems unusual, trust your cooking instincts.

Premium includes: Recipe Scaling (adjust servings from ½× to 4×), Ingredient Substitutions (AI-powered alternatives), PDF Export (shareable recipe cards), Nutritional Insights (detailed nutrition facts & health scores), AI Chef Chat (personal cooking assistant), Cooking Analytics (track your cooking journey), Bulk Meal Prep (5 meals for the week), Expiry Alerts (notifications before food expires), Offline Cookbook (save recipes for offline access), and Community Recipes (browse recipes from other users).

Premium is available as Monthly ($4.99/month) or Yearly ($29.99/year - save 50%). The yearly plan works out to just $2.50 per month.

We occasionally offer free trial periods. Check the app for current promotions. You can always use the free features indefinitely without subscribing.

Cancel anytime through your device settings: iOS: Settings → Apple ID → Subscriptions → Franken-Recipe → Cancel. Android: Google Play → Payments & Subscriptions → Subscriptions → Cancel.

Refunds are handled by Apple or Google, not us directly. Contact Apple Support or Google Play Support within their refund windows to request a refund.

AI Chef Chat is your personal cooking assistant. Ask questions about techniques, get ingredient substitutions, troubleshoot cooking problems, or get tips for improving dishes - all in real-time conversation.

Macro-Matcher is a free feature that generates recipes fitting your health goals. Choose from presets (high-protein, keto, low-carb, balanced) or set custom macro targets. Available to all users!

Upload your available ingredients and get a complete 5-meal plan for the week. Perfect for Sunday meal prep - the app plans everything so you don't have to think about it.

Premium's Expiry Alerts analyze your scanned ingredients and estimate expiration. You'll get push notifications before items expire, along with quick recipes to use them up.

Track your cooking journey with: total recipes cooked, cooking streaks, estimated money saved, food waste prevented, most-used ingredients, and monthly trends.

Recipe Scaling lets you adjust serving sizes from ½× to 4× with automatic ingredient calculations. Perfect when cooking for one or hosting a dinner party - all measurements are recalculated instantly.

Missing an ingredient? Our AI suggests smart substitutions based on what you have. It considers flavor profiles, textures, and cooking properties to recommend the best alternatives that won't compromise your dish.

Export beautiful, print-ready recipe cards as PDFs. Perfect for sharing with friends, printing for your recipe binder, or keeping a physical copy in the kitchen while you cook.

Browse and discover recipes created by other Franken-Recipe users. Find inspiration from the community, see what others are cooking with similar ingredients, and save your favorites to your cookbook.

We collect your email (for account), saved recipes, and usage analytics. Photos are processed in real-time and NOT permanently stored. See our Privacy Policy for full details.

No! Your ingredient photos are sent to our AI for analysis and immediately discarded. We only save the text list of detected ingredients - never the actual photos.

Go to Settings → Account → Delete Account. This permanently removes all your data including saved recipes. This action cannot be undone.

Yes! Premium users can export individual recipes as beautiful PDF recipe cards, or export their entire recipe collection. Perfect for printing, sharing, or keeping a backup.

On the login screen, tap "Forgot Password" and enter your email. You'll receive a password reset link. If using Apple/Google sign-in, manage your password through those services.

Yes! We use industry-standard encryption for all data transmission and storage. Passwords are hashed and never stored in plain text. Our database uses Row-Level Security policies.

Absolutely not. We never sell your personal data to third parties. We don't use your data for advertising. Your privacy is important to us.

Try these tips: 1) Ensure good lighting, 2) Hold the camera steady, 3) Make sure ingredients are clearly visible, 4) Avoid cluttered backgrounds. You can always manually edit the ingredient list.

Try: 1) Restart the app, 2) Check your internet connection, 3) Update to the latest version, 4) Restart your device. If issues persist, contact support.

First, try resetting your password. If using social login, ensure you're using the same method you registered with. If problems continue, contact support@frankenrecipe.app.

Make sure you've granted camera permissions: iOS: Settings → Franken-Recipe → Camera. Android: Settings → Apps → Franken-Recipe → Permissions → Camera.

If you're signed in, your recipes sync to the cloud. Try signing out and back in. If recipes are still missing, contact support - we may be able to help recover them.

Premium users can access their Offline Cookbook without internet. However, generating new recipes and ingredient scanning requires an internet connection for AI processing.

Photo analysis typically uses 1-2MB per scan. Recipe generation uses minimal data. For heavy users, expect around 100-200MB per month.

Yes! Each recipe has a share button that lets you share via social media, messaging apps, or generate a beautiful shareable image. Premium users can also export recipes as PDF files for printing or sharing.

The app is for personal use only. Commercial use of generated recipes or content requires written permission from us. Contact legal@frankenrecipe.app for licensing inquiries.

Currently, Franken-Recipe is mobile-only (iOS and Android). A web version may be considered in the future based on user demand.

We love hearing from users! Email us at feedback@frankenrecipe.app with your ideas, or leave a review on the App Store/Google Play.

Yes! Premium users get access to Community Recipes - browse and discover recipes created by other Franken-Recipe users. Find inspiration from the community and save your favorites to your cookbook.

The current version focuses on AI-generated recipes. User recipe contributions may be considered for future versions.

We release updates regularly with bug fixes, improvements, and new features. Enable automatic updates to always have the latest version.

Email us at support@frankenrecipe.app. We typically respond within 24-48 hours. For urgent issues, include "URGENT" in the subject line.