Answers for scanning menus, your dietary profile, plans and billing, and eating out safely with AlignEat.

This article explains what you fill in during onboarding and why each section matters for your scan results. When you set up your profile After you sign in and accept the consent screen, AlignEat guides you through a short onboarding flow. Each step focuses on one part of your dietary needs. You only go through this once, and you can update any section later from the Profile tab. The profile sections - Allergies. The ingredients or food groups you must avoid. This section is on by default and is the most important one for safety. - Intolerances. Foods that cause discomfort or a reaction but are not full allergies (such as lactose or gluten sensitivity). Also on by default. - Diets. Structured eating patterns such as vegan, vegetarian, or keto. - Religious requirements. Halal, kosher, or other faith-based food requirements. - Lifestyle goals. Personal health or fitness intentions that influence what you want to eat. - Flavor preferences. Tastes you enjoy or want to avoid, such as spicy food. - Cooking style preferences. Methods or styles you prefer or want to steer clear of. - Personal details. Your name, contact information, country of residence, and an optional profile photo. Allergies and intolerances are recommended and switched on by default. All other sections are optional. Setting severity For allergies and intolerances, you can set how serious each item is for you. Severity affects how AlignEat flags dishes in your results. See the dedicated article on severity levels for full details. Good to know - A more complete profile gives you more accurate scan results. - You can skip optional sections and come back to them any time. - Always confirm your specific restrictions with restaurant staff before ordering and eating. Related: What AlignEat is and how it works, Create your account

Scanning menus

Tips for an accurate scan

A clear photo gives AlignEat the best chance of reading every dish correctly. These tips help you get accurate results the first time. Taking a good photo - Hold the phone steady. Movement blurs the text and makes it harder to read. - Fill the frame with the menu. Get close enough that the text takes up most of the screen. Avoid large empty borders. - Keep the text sharp and in focus. Tap the menu on your screen before taking the photo to help the camera focus on the right area. - Avoid glare. Tilt the phone slightly if you see a bright reflection from overhead lights or sunlight. Moving a few centimetres can make a big difference. - Use good lighting. Dark or dim menus are harder to read. If the light is low, try moving to a brighter spot or using the phone torch if the restaurant allows it. If you get a low confidence result A low confidence message means the app could not read the menu clearly enough to give you reliable results. Check these common causes: - The photo was taken at an angle. Try pointing the camera straight at the menu. - The text was too small in the frame. Move closer and try again. - There was strong glare or shadow over part of the menu. Tap retry to take a new photo once you have adjusted your position and lighting. Good to know - Scanning a QR code or pasting a link instead of taking a photo can improve accuracy when the printed menu is hard to photograph. - AlignEat reads what is printed on the menu. Always confirm your allergies and restrictions with restaurant staff before you order and eat. Related: Scan a menu by photo, QR code, or link, Read your results: compatible, adaptable, could not confirm, avoid

Talking to restaurant staff

Use the dietary phrase translator

The Translate tab helps you communicate your dietary needs to restaurant staff when you are travelling or when staff speak a different language. How to use it 1. Open the app and go to the Translate tab. 2. Select the language you want to translate into. 3. Your dietary restrictions and allergy phrases appear in that language, ready to show to staff. The translated text is based on the dietary profile you have set up in the app. Arabic is displayed right to left, as expected for that language. You can show the translated phrase directly on your screen. No extra steps are needed. Good to know - The translator helps you start the conversation, but it does not replace a direct conversation with staff. Always speak to someone in person and confirm your needs before you order and eat, especially for allergies. - A translation is a communication aid. Staff understanding may vary, so give them time to read and respond. - If you have strict allergies, consider also showing your Diet ID card, which includes severity labels that are easy to read at a glance. Related: Show your Diet ID card in another language

Scanning menus

Save dishes and review your scan history

AlignEat keeps a record of your past scans and lets you bookmark dishes so you can find them again easily. This article shows you how to use both features. Your scan history Your recent restaurant scans are available in the scan history view. Scans are grouped by time so they are easy to browse: - This week - Last week - Earlier Each entry shows the restaurant name, how long ago you scanned, and a summary count of compatible, adaptable, and avoid dishes from that scan. Tap any entry to open the full results again. Saving a dish You can bookmark any dish from a scan to find it again later. Saved dishes are collected in one place across all your restaurant scans, so you do not need to remember which restaurant had which item. To save a dish, tap the bookmark icon on the dish in your results. To find your saved dishes, go to the saved section of the app. Good to know - Scan history shows your own scans on this device. It is grouped by time to help you find a recent visit quickly. - Saving a dish is a personal reminder. The status shown when you saved it reflected your profile at that time. If your dietary profile changes, rescan the restaurant to get updated results. - The number of dishes in each status group gives you a quick feel for how well a restaurant suits your profile before you open the full results. Related: Read your results: compatible, adaptable, could not confirm, avoid, Scan a menu by photo, QR code, or link

Your dietary profile and Diet ID card

Manage allergies, intolerances, diets, and preferences

This article shows you how to add, edit, and remove the dietary information that AlignEat uses to scan menus for you. What you can add to your profile Your profile holds several types of dietary information: - Allergies and intolerances. Items such as peanuts, tree nuts, shellfish, fish, eggs, dairy, gluten, soy, sesame, mustard, celery, lupin, molluscs, and sulphites. - Diets. Options such as vegetarian, vegan, pescatarian, and keto. - Religious requirements. Such as halal and kosher. - Lifestyle goals and ethical choices. Broader preferences that shape your results. - Flavor and cooking style preferences. So the app can highlight dishes you are likely to enjoy. How to edit your profile 1. Open the app and go to your profile. 2. Tap the section you want to update, such as Allergies or Diets. 3. Add or remove items using the toggles or search field. 4. Save your changes before leaving the screen. You can update your profile at any time. Changes apply to every scan you run from that point forward. Setting severity levels For each allergy or intolerance you add, you can set a severity level. This tells AlignEat how strictly to flag that item in your results. For more detail, see the related article below. Good to know - The more complete your profile, the more useful your scan results will be. - You can return and update your profile whenever your needs change. - Always confirm your dietary needs directly with restaurant staff before ordering, regardless of what a scan shows. Related: Set allergen severity, from mild to life threatening

Getting started

Create your account: phone code, Apple, Google, or guest

This article walks you through the sign-in screen and explains your options for creating or accessing an account. Your sign-in options When you open AlignEat for the first time, you land on the sign-in screen. You have four ways to continue: - Phone number. Enter your mobile number and AlignEat sends a one-time code by SMS. Enter the code to sign in. - Sign in with Apple. Use your Apple ID. Your email address can be kept private using Apple's relay service. - Sign in with Google. Use your Google account to sign in quickly. - Continue as guest. Try the app without creating an account. You can scan menus right away, but your dietary profile is not saved across devices and some features are limited. After you sign in Once you are signed in, AlignEat shows a consent screen. It explains how your data is used and what privacy choices you have. Review it and confirm to continue. You are then taken through a short onboarding flow where you set up your dietary profile. This only takes a few minutes, and you only need to do it once. Upgrading from guest to a full account If you started as a guest and want to save your profile and access all features, you can create a full account from the Profile tab at any time. Good to know - You do not need to remember a password. Sign-in is handled through your phone number, Apple, or Google. - Guest mode is a good way to explore the app before committing to an account. Related: Set up your dietary profile, What AlignEat is and how it works