Use MyNetDiary’s food barcode scanner and PhotoFoods for lightning-fast tracking

MyNetDiary Dietitian Team

MyNetDiary makes finding and logging your foods a breeze with our food barcode scanner! Learn how to find and log packaged foods instantly and how to use PhotoFoods to add new foods for your personal use and grow our extensive, accurate database.

Why use a food barcode scanner?

Did you know MyNetDiary's database contains nearly two million verified food items?

Even better, our database only has verified foods, avoiding errors from crowdsourced foods in many other apps.

The MyNetDiary app's free barcode scanner will bring up your packaged or stickered food in a flash. If your food isn't in the database, no problem. PhotoFoods will make it available to you (and other users) in no time!

How to use our food barcode scanner

Use our barcode scanner to quickly find and log any food product that comes in a package and has a barcode sticker or tag. Tap the "+" sign at the bottom of the screen, then select "Barcode Scan." Point your phone camera at the barcode. You will be amazed at how quickly your food and all the nutrition information on the label display, ready for you to log.

If the barcode scanner doesn't bring up your food item, use PhotoFoods (described below) to enter it as a new custom food or database food.

You may find that you can type faster than scanning a barcode, especially for products you frequently record in your log. However, barcode scanning is a speedy way to find items you are logging for the first time. One advantage of barcode scanning is that the food item's full name will appear on both your daily records and your reports.

Why use PhotoFoods?

PhotoFoods integrates with the food barcode scanner and acts as its own tool to simplify food tracking.

PhotoFoods allows you to add new foods to the MyNetDiary database, create a new custom food, or request a correction to an existing food item found via barcode scanning. PhotoFoods helps MyNetDiary grow its accurate and up-to-date food database to best serve users. Unlike other apps, which use crowdsourcing to populate their food databases, MyNetDiary experts still review each new food item request for accuracy.

How to use PhotoFoods

PhotoFoods has multiple applications, so you can update existing foods or create a new custom item.

Use PhotoFoods to create a custom food

From the “Me” tab, select "Manage My Foods," then scroll to "Custom." Tap “Create Custom Food” and complete the prompts, including photographing the front of your food package and the Nutrition Facts panel. Next, tap “Scan Barcode” to ensure your new item has a barcode attached to it.

Your photos are automatically sent to MyNetDiary. We strive to add food items and update existing ones within 24 hours. Next time the item is scanned, it will readily appear!

Note: You can also type in nutrition information to create and log your new custom food. Without photo validation, this method does not allow a new custom food to appear in our database. However, it is available only to you and the people with whom you've shared it.

Use PhotoFoods to update or correct existing foods

Because manufacturers change the nutrient content of their items from time to time, you may occasionally notice incorrect nutrition information. We appreciate your alert to needed updates.

If you find an error in the barcode-scanned food, tap “Incorrect Food or Nutrition,” then choose one of the applicable options listed. Send MyNetDiary a photo of the food, and our support team will update the food's nutrition information or correctly log it for you.

This process sends photos of the food label to MyNetDiary so we can update our database. You can also start from a food label displayed on the app, then tap "Send Photos" to help us update products. This will take you to the Update Food Data screen. You would then use PhotoFoods just as you would when adding new foods.

How to turn on PhotoFood notifications

You can choose to be alerted when your requested addition is approved. There are two ways you can turn on notifications for PhotoFood.

Go to the “Me” tab, then "App Settings," and select "Reminders & Notifications." There, tap “Notify about PhotoFoods.” Make sure to toggle “on” the option for notifications about PhotoFoods. Note: You must already allow MyNetDiary to send you notifications to enable this feature.

You can also enable notifications for PhotoFoods when you submit a food for entry. After you add a photo of the food package and nutrition facts, scroll down to the section PhotoFood Notifications and toggle it on.

When you tackle food tracking with MyNetDiary's food barcode scanner and PhotoFood service, you literally increase your food log's accuracy, bringing you closer to the healthier results you want faster!