Help and support

We’re happy to help. Here are answers to the most common questions, and how to reach us.

The scanner won’t read a barcode

• Hold your phone about 6 to 8 inches (15 to 20 cm) from the barcode, so the whole barcode fits inside the box.
• In a dim aisle, tap Light to turn on the flashlight, if your phone shows it.
• Tilt the can a little to cut glare from a shiny label.
• Scan the barcode on the can itself, not the store’s shelf tag or a rewards code.
• Still stuck? Tap Type barcode and enter the numbers printed under the bars, or tap Search by name.

The camera doesn’t open

• iPhone app: open the iPhone’s Settings, tap Formula Calc, and turn on Camera.
• Web app: allow camera access for app.babyformulacalculator.com in your browser’s settings for the site, then reload the page. Apps like Instagram and Facebook open links in their own browser, which may not allow the camera, so open the web app in Safari or Chrome.
• You can always type the barcode or search by name instead.

My formula isn’t in the app

About 490 US formulas are built in, but new ones come out all the time. When you scan one the app doesn’t know, it offers to add it, which takes about 15 seconds:

1. Type the brand or name and the container size from the label.
2. Add the “makes about” number from the label, for example “Makes approximately 226 fl oz”. It’s usually near the mixing directions. For most formulas you can skip it, and the app estimates it and marks the result est. Toddler, preterm and specialty formulas need the number from the label.
3. Pick the store and type the shelf price.

The app remembers the formula on your device, so it’s found the next time you scan it. Please email us too, so we can add it for everyone.

A number looks wrong

Check the container size and the “makes about” number against the label. A result marked est. uses an estimate; adding the label’s “makes about” number makes it exact. To see how every number is worked out, open How we calculate in the app. If our built-in details for a formula are wrong, please email us its name and size from the label.

Moving to a new phone

Your list lives on your phone, so moving it takes a backup file:

1. On your old phone, open Settings › Back up everything and save the file somewhere your new phone can reach, such as iCloud Drive, Google Drive or an email to yourself.
2. On your new phone, open Settings › Import prices or a backup and choose that file.

The same file works between the iPhone app and the web app. Export prices (CSV) makes a spreadsheet you can open in Excel, Numbers or Google Sheets.

Adding the web app to your Home Screen

• iPhone (Safari): open app.babyformulacalculator.com, tap the Share button, then Add to Home Screen.
• Android (Chrome): open the web app, tap the menu (⋮), then Add to Home screen or Install app.

It then opens like any other app, and works offline in the store.

Deleting everything

Open Settings › Delete all data in the app. You can also delete the iPhone app, or clear the web app’s data in your browser. Your list only ever lived on your device, so there’s nothing to delete on our side. See the privacy policy for the details.

How much formula does my baby need?

The app’s feeding amounts are typical ranges from AAP and CDC guidance, used to estimate cost. Every baby is different, so follow your pediatrician’s advice. You can set your own bottle size and number of bottles a day in the app’s feeding plan.

Whatever you pay, never add extra water or use fewer scoops to make formula last longer. Save on the price, never on the scoop.

Open the web app