Android Update Available - Now With Barcode Scanning

Posted on 2010-11-30 by mike

We just released an update to our Android app with a new feature that many of you have been asking for: a barcode scanner! Here's how it works:

1. On the favorites screen, you'll see a new barcode icon (shown below). Tap it to activate the barcode scanner.

2. Place the barcode you are trying to scan within the viewfinder.

3. Once the barcode has been read, we'll search for it in our database. If we have a match, we'll display it and you can add it to your diary.

4. If you think we have matched your barcode with the wrong item, you can let us know by scrolling down and tapping the "Not correct? Find Better Match" button (shown below).

One word of warning: we currently have only a limited set of barcode data available, but we are working on growing it as quickly as possible. If you are not finding matches for the barcodes you scan, please continue scanning! The more you scan, the faster we can collect barcodes to then try to associate with foods in our database.

At this time, this feature is available for the Android app only. We are planning on bringing this functionality to the iPhone app as well, but for now, barcode scanning is available only for Android users.

If you have any questions or suggestions, just let us know in the comments.

Hope you are enjoying the app and the site!

Mike & Al

120 votes + -

72 comments:

iRun4wine wrote 30 months ago:

Can't wait to try it - very cool!

dad2jandm wrote 30 months ago:

awesome! Something us android users have that iphone doesn't (yet) :)

This will come in handy and I can't wait to try it out!

williamsbk wrote 30 months ago:

Will it be available on the website by manually entering the UPC?

lilRicki wrote 30 months ago:

Thanx for this! Yet another tool to help me reach my goal! You guys rock!

fun_mom wrote 30 months ago:

Love it! This site is awesome!

Mandie1120 wrote 30 months ago:

I love myfitnesspal because it makes it easy to track and loose weight. Now its even easier!!! Thank you for helping me become a better and healthier version of ME!!!!

sweetie89207 wrote 30 months ago:

its about time us android folks get SOMETHING before the Iphone does!!! success finally!!!

Nsmiller08 wrote 30 months ago:

This is going to awesome when the database grows. Thanks for staying up with the latest technology advances.

hungrymarathongirl wrote 30 months ago:

You are brilliant!!!!

myukniewicz wrote 30 months ago:

Hurray for bar code scanner!!!! THANK YOU!

sherylhs wrote 30 months ago:

OMG... you guys rock right out loud!!!

Thank you for this site and all that you do. I will spend the weekend scanning and adding correct info. It's the least I could do.

~S

AnaNotBanana wrote 30 months ago:

That's an awesome feature! Hope it comes to the iPhone app soon too!

Trairai3773 wrote 30 months ago:

Yippeee!!! I am soo happy with this :-) Thank you thank you thank you

Mary_Thompson wrote 30 months ago:

AWESOMMMMME!!!!

Claudia007 wrote 30 months ago:

This is AWESOME!!! just tried it and it WORKS!!! now if only I could get an update so I can complete my food entry AND so I can add a status.... :)

chrisdavey wrote 30 months ago:

Would this be American barcodes only?

mike wrote 30 months ago:

chrisdavey - it is not American barcodes only, it will work for barcodes from other countries as well.

lesleyuk wrote 30 months ago:

Will this be available for the iphone soon??

ladyofivy wrote 30 months ago:

Oooh like-like-like-like-like!

jdsouthernbelle wrote 30 months ago:

AWESOME!! Thanks!!

theemstress wrote 30 months ago:

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!!!

limerope wrote 30 months ago:

Awesome!

ruikuli wrote 30 months ago:

i want an app in nokia ovi store.

Aeriel wrote 30 months ago:

Thanks for the continued developments.....looking forward to when the iPhone app has the same feature!

lilchino4af wrote 30 months ago:

Love it! My only complaint is that you can't select food from My Recipes on the app. Other than that, the app just keeps getting better and better - thanks!

Gayalabeille wrote 30 months ago:

Great. Please please please develop this feature for the iphone, I will zipzap all the UK barcodes I come accross in my kitchen.
Thank you so much for all your work

goron59 wrote 30 months ago:

Good progress, now for the iPhone please.

lilchino4af wrote 30 months ago:

Question, when will the Quick Tools, Recipe Calculator, and Complete Diary options be available for the Droid? Curious that those were not part of this update when they're already available on the iPhone version...

JulieTX86 wrote 30 months ago:

Wow! I can't believe the amazing work you are doing! This site is so wonderful! I tell EVERYBODY about it. Even random people I met in my Zumba class at the gym :) Thank you, thank you for all the services provided! Also, a huge thank you that the services are free!

MaggieGiamalvo wrote 30 months ago:

Thank you for updating the Android version FIRST!!! Very exciting! I just read through quickly though. If the barcode we've scanned isn't in the database, can we add it? I'll go scan everything in my kitchen right now, if we can.

Chiquita_Banana wrote 30 months ago:

yippy!!!!!!! im excited!

tinasullens wrote 30 months ago:

OMG, this is the BEST thing EVAH!!!! I had already entered my food for breakfast this morning but I had to try it out now, so I did and this ROCKS! Thank you!!!!

JJs25th wrote 30 months ago:

I get the impression with all of the continual updating for Apple and Droid that you have stopped all work on any apps for the Blackberry users. Is this true?

mlh612 wrote 30 months ago:

Great - thanks so much for adding this!!!!

manon1 wrote 30 months ago:

Woo hoo!!!! You guys are great! So glad I switched over from FitDay.

just4peachy wrote 30 months ago:

You just helped me pick my new phone!!

Utahbeth wrote 30 months ago:

Woot!

demiahbryant wrote 30 months ago:

That's a great idea. I was talking with a co-worker, and a way to make the app EVEN MORE useful is to partner with a national fitness club (bally's, cardinal, biggest loser) and incorporate barcodes on the cardio equipment, so all you have to do is scan, plug in the workout time, and voila!

lisa150 wrote 30 months ago:

I really love mfp app on my iphone. And when the bar code scanner is ready for iphone it will be even better. Thanks for making a life changing app, i have always tryed to count calories but found it impossible but i always have my phone so now i always have the tools i need.

bpayne78 wrote 30 months ago:

Is the barcode database something we (as users) help to grow or is that something that only MFP is going to control? (I would understand if you did want to control it as looking through the food DB and finding several entries of the same thing can be frustrating...LOL) I scanned several things in my cabinet and it took 4 tries before something was in the DB. I would love to help add info if I could.

bpayne78 wrote 30 months ago:

Forgot to add.....LOVE the scanner...it's a great addition to a great tool!

ktbug1186 wrote 30 months ago:

awesome!!!!!! Love you guys and this site! :)

lds193 wrote 30 months ago:

Ditto!

Teerai wrote 30 months ago:

Cool app. It reads the barcodes fine.
There needs to be a better way to correct false nutritional info.
On Campbell's Chunky classic Chicken Noodle it defaults to the Healthy Request Soup info.
upc 51000 03885
There are different nutrional values between the two

orange_avocado wrote 30 months ago:

Thank you thank you thank you! Before I joined MFP, I was using a calorie counter for Android that had the barcode scanner and loved it. I'm so glad you've added this feature! I'll be using my phone app a lot more now!

macbikegeek wrote 30 months ago:

Looking forward to the iPhone app getting this capability!

I'm not sure how you are populating the data base but you might want to crowd source it by creating a facility to upload photos of barcodes from the mobile apps and the web site. Just as with entering and confirming nutrition information now, the relatively small effort is worth while to avoid having to enter things repeatedly.

cubanchili wrote 30 months ago:

You guys should definitely consider doing this for the iPhone app as well. It would be very handy!

Thanks,

Ana

kevinparent wrote 30 months ago:

The barcode scanning for the iPhone, would be so night and more acurate. More and more apps are getting this and it would be cool that if it were to really pickup, resurants would include barcodes on their menus that you can then scan in to this or other apps.

Can't wait to see that added to the iphone.

brandig32 wrote 29 months ago:

I do not see the barcode symbol on my phone, is it on all Androids?

fatparalegal wrote 29 months ago:

The barcode scanning app is the coolest thing ever!
It takes the boredom out of keeping a food diary!

It would be REALLY awesome if there were MyFitnesPal compatible restaurants...you know, put mini barcodes on the menus and fast food wrappers.

mrscates wrote 29 months ago:

i loooooooooove this!

thomasvision wrote 29 months ago:

I love the mfp app on my galaxy tab! One suggestion with the barcode scanner. It would be nice if when the scanner does not reconize a product we the user can add it manually. But overall grest!

pniana wrote 29 months ago:

Late in saying it but I LOVE THE NEW BAR CODE SCANNER!! Love it. THANK YOU!!

cajigasjd wrote 28 months ago:

Any news on when the bar code will be available on the iphone??

warriorprincessdi wrote 28 months ago:

The bar code scanner is a FANTASTIC IDEA!! Will this feature be available on the blackberry app as well, since blackberry's also support bar code scanning?

skatanic_23 wrote 28 months ago:

Can't wait to see this on the iphone!

lisagreaves_615 wrote 27 months ago:

I really, really want to love this app but when I try to log in on my phone I get an error EVERY time. :(

"We were unable to connect to the server to log you in."

Justin741 wrote 27 months ago:

Love this app and use the barcode scanner and it is working well! Will this app see some of the social features soon?

kidtechnical wrote 27 months ago:

Can iPhone app users have a barcode scanner?

jessilee119 wrote 27 months ago:

I absolutely LOVE this feature!! Thank you for making it available to us.

aimssc wrote 27 months ago:

HAD NO IDEA this existed until I just happened to scroll through the blog!!! THIS IS AWESOME!! Im a Droid head, so I will probably start scanning everything in sight....haha

carissagrayson wrote 27 months ago:

I would love this if we could get it for the iPhone :)

Tyva wrote 27 months ago:

OMG!!! You guys are awesome for this!!!

Majunta wrote 27 months ago:

Please help...I can't find the bar code scanner on my Android. I can't seem to find Favorites.

Tigerfish62 wrote 27 months ago:

I will try it. Sounds great, I wondered what the little symbol was for but did not try it. I am learning the Android.

darrell38 wrote 26 months ago:

Very impressed with this update. Most information is there when I scan. There are a few I have discovered not in the data base...and I scan a few times, trying to help you guys out. Only issue I have found has nothing to do with your app....just poor code printing or codes printed on strange locations that prevent good reading.

ppullion wrote 25 months ago:

how about making the barcode with an option to just scan food item barcodes? then if we are at the store and find items we are interested in, we can scan it for future use and update your files faster!! jsut a thought~!

howardlnugent wrote 21 months ago:

I'm about to switch to an Android phone but I love the bar graph for net calories for the week on the iphone. Will that be coming to the Android phone anytime soon?

mowgli_ wrote 19 months ago:

Does the scanner work in New Zealand? I can't seem to get it to work on anything.

boblf1 wrote 17 months ago:

THANK YOU! I love this app.

therustydart wrote 10 months ago:

I have used the scanner and I love it. Thank you so much

mykawa wrote 4 months ago:

Just found this and it's great. Thanks

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MyFitnessPal Blog

Android Update Available - Now With Barcode Scanning

72 comments: