How can we help?

We want ProbioLens to work great for you. Browse the topics below for quick answers, or email us anytime. We’re happy to help.

Getting Started

How do I scan a label?

1. Open ProbioLens and choose how to scan: Scan One Product, Compare Products, or Scan a Collection.
2. Optionally set your shopping goals so each scan can flag the ingredients that match them.
3. Take a photo of the Supplement Facts panel or upload one from your library.
4. Rotate or crop the image so only the facts panel is read.
5. Review the quick shopper summary, then open the deep educational analysis for more.

No account, no setup, and no internet connection needed.

What’s the difference between Scan One, Compare, and Collection?

• Scan One: read a single product’s full breakdown, with a quick shopper summary and an optional deep educational analysis.
• Compare: line up 2 to 4 products of any type side by side to see what they share, where they differ, and how their cost per serving and per billion CFU stack up.
• Collection: scan up to 6 products, such as your cabinet at home, for a clean per-product breakdown.

What kinds of products can it read?

ProbioLens reads English-language Supplement Facts labels for probiotic, prebiotic, synbiotic, and postbiotic products. Product type is identified from what the label actually lists, never from marketing language.

Is ProbioLens free?

Yes. ProbioLens is free to download and all current features are available at no cost, with no ads and no account required.

Do I need the internet to use it?

No. Scanning and analysis work entirely on your device. Nothing is uploaded, and no connection is required.

Can I scan a label that doesn’t fit in one photo?

Capture the Supplement Facts panel as clearly as you can, cropping to just the facts. For best results, keep the whole panel flat and in frame so the on-device text recognition can read it in one pass.

What language is ProbioLens available in?

The app currently reads English-language Supplement Facts labels. This support site is available in several languages.

Understanding Your Results

What do the four information layers mean?

ProbioLens always keeps four layers distinct so you know which is which:

• Package says: the raw label facts exactly as printed.
• App identified: the normalized names, classification, and structure the app inferred.
• Reference context: educational associations from the bundled reference library.
• What remains uncertain: caveats, missing data, and the limits of interpretation.

What do the confidence indicators mean?

Confidence is tracked field by field, based on how clearly the text could be read. Low-confidence text, conflicting values, cut-off names, and vague labels are flagged rather than hidden, so you can double-check or correct them before trusting the result.

What do the evidence ratings mean?

Educational context uses a coarse, shopper-friendly scale: Stronger (among the more studied items), Mixed (some evidence, but results vary), Limited (newer or less-studied), and Unclear (not enough coverage to summarize). These describe what research has looked at, not what will work for you.

How does strain-aware evidence work?

Research on probiotics is often strain specific. ProbioLens matches a studied strain only when the label prints its strain code. When a label names only the species, it shows the species context and lists the specific strains worth looking for.

What does “amount vs. studies” tell me?

Where reference amounts are available, the label amount is shown as below, within, or above the commonly studied range, with a clear note on per-serving versus per-day amounts.

How does Shop For Your Goal work?

Set a goal, such as taking antibiotics, travel, regularity, bloating, or lactose digestion. Before you shop, ProbioLens lists what research has studied for that goal and the strain codes to look for; then every label you scan shows which of its ingredients match. It shows what was studied, not what will work for you, and it all stays on your device.

How do I save a scan?

Save a scan to reopen it anytime from History. You can also pick two or more saved scans to compare later.

Troubleshooting

The scan missed or misread some text

For best results, make sure the Supplement Facts panel is well-lit without glare, in focus, flat, and large enough in the frame to read clearly. You can rotate or crop before scanning, and you can correct any field in the extraction review before trusting the result.

A value looks wrong

Open the extraction review and edit the field, ingredient, category, or amount. Your edits are clearly marked so you can always tell them apart from what the app read.

The camera isn’t working

Open your device Settings → ProbioLens and confirm Camera access is turned on. You can also choose a photo from your library instead of using the camera.

The app is crashing

Update to the latest version from the App Store and restart your device. If the problem continues, please contact us with your device model and iOS version.

Privacy and Data

Are my photos uploaded anywhere?

No. All processing happens entirely on your device using Apple’s on-device text recognition. Your images never leave your phone or tablet.

What data do you collect?

None. ProbioLens has no accounts, no analytics, no tracking, and no advertising. See our full Privacy Policy for details.

How do I delete my data?

Clear saved scans in Settings → Clear scan history, and clear your goals in Settings → Your goals. To remove everything, uninstall ProbioLens from your device.

Permissions

Why does the app ask for camera access?

So you can photograph a Supplement Facts label directly. This permission is optional; you can always choose a photo from your library instead.

Does ProbioLens access my location, microphone, or contacts?

No. The only access it ever requests is camera and photo library. Nothing else.

Compatibility

iOS 18.0 or later · iPhone and iPad

Contact Us

Can’t find your answer? We’d genuinely like to help.

Email: contact@bartlettbutter.com

We typically respond within 48 hours. To help us assist you quickly, please include:

• A brief description of what happened
• Your device model and iOS version (Settings → General → About)
• A screenshot, if helpful