Welcome to The Recipe Repository! This guide covers everything the app can do, from saving your first recipe to setting up hands-free Cook Mode.
Tap Add Recipe from the main screen, then choose whichever way is easiest for the recipe you're saving:
From a link - paste a recipe URL, or share it directly from your browser or another app.
Paste recipe text - copy text from anywhere and the app finds the ingredients and steps automatically.
Scan a photo - take photos of a recipe card or cookbook page and the app reads the text directly off the image. For a recipe on the front and back of a card, or spanning multiple pages, add all the photos and arrange them in order before extracting.
Capture from Facebook - pasting a Facebook link opens a special capture screen: log in if asked, scroll to the recipe, and tap the camera button once per screen until you've covered it all.
Import a shared recipe - bring in a recipe file shared by another Recipe Repository user, photo included.
Type it manually - for full control from the start.
However you add a recipe, double-check the result afterward - automatic extraction (especially from photos or messy pastes) occasionally misses something, and everything is easy to fix with the edit button.
Folders - group recipes however makes sense to you (by cuisine, by occasion, by who requested it).
Search - find a recipe by name or ingredient from the main list.
Favorites and ratings - mark recipes you love, and rate a recipe after cooking it to build a history of what worked.
Refresh all recipes (in Settings) - re-checks every recipe that has a source link for an updated photo or nutrition info. Handy after restoring a backup.
Tap Cook on any recipe to switch to a full-screen, step-by-step view - one instruction at a time, with the ingredient list a swipe away.
Hands-free voice control: tap the microphone icon to turn it on, then use these commands without touching your phone:
"Next Step"
"Previous Step"
"Ingredients List"
"Back to Recipe"
Voice recognition happens entirely on your device - nothing is sent anywhere. Your phone's screen will also stay on automatically while you're in Cook Mode, so it won't lock mid-recipe.
The Planner lays out a weekly calendar you can fill with recipes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Tap any meal slot to add a recipe from your collection. Don't want to link a full recipe? Type a quick note instead (like "leftovers" or "grilled cheese") - no recipe required. If you've set up nutrition goals (see below), each day shows a quick summary of how it's tracking against them.
Shopping List
Build a shopping list straight from your meal plan - it combines ingredients across every planned meal automatically. You can also add items by hand for anything not tied to a recipe.
Check items off as you shop, clear checked items when you're done, and use the share icon to send your list as plain text to anyone (or anywhere) you like.
Nutrition Tracking
Recipes automatically pick up nutrition information when it's available from the source. You can also set daily nutrition goals in Settings - the app will total up your planned meals each day and flag anything running over or under target, right on the Planner.
Backing Up Your Recipes
In Settings, Export backup saves all of your recipes to a file you can store anywhere (email it to yourself, save it to cloud storage, etc.). Import backup restores from one of these files - useful when switching phones or just keeping a safety copy.
Note: recipe photos aren't included in a backup file to keep it small. A restored recipe without its photo will show a simple letter icon instead - you can always add a new photo, or use "Refresh all recipes" to try pulling the original one back down.
Accessibility Options
Settings includes several options to make the app easier to use:
Text size - scale text throughout the app up or down.
High contrast - stronger color contrast for easier reading.
Differentiate without color - adds icons alongside color-coded elements (like checkmarks on selected options) so color isn't the only way information is conveyed.
Full VoiceOver (iOS) and Voice Access/TalkBack (Android) support throughout.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why didn't my Facebook recipe import automatically? Facebook requires you to be logged in to see most posts, and doesn't provide structured recipe data the way recipe blogs do - that's why it uses the photo-capture approach instead of an automatic link import.
My photo scan came out garbled or incomplete - what do I do? Camera scans occasionally misread a word or a line, especially with handwriting (which isn't supported - only printed text) or poor lighting. After scanning, you'll always land on a review screen where you can fix anything before saving.
Why don't my recipe photos count against my backup file size? Photos are stored on your device rather than inside the backup file, to keep backups small and fast. See "Backing Up Your Recipes" above.
Does anything I say to voice control in Cook Mode get sent anywhere? No - voice recognition happens entirely on your device, both on iPhone and Android.
I can't find a setting I'm looking for. Most personalization options - text size, contrast, backups, nutrition goals, week start day - live under Settings. The About screen (also in Settings) shows your current app version.