Have a question about the app?

They're what the manufacturer prints on the packaging: the numbers on the back (protein, fat, ash, fiber and moisture), the ingredient list and the additives. Product pages come from open databases like Open Pet Food Facts, from manufacturers and from retailers. Kroket users add products too. No brand pays to be in the app, or to get a better spot in it.

You can add it from the app. Take a photo of the bag, and the app reads the label and shows an estimated score while you fill in the product page. A product you add shows up right away; corrections suggested later are reviewed before they go live. In a hurry at the store? The barcode stays in your pending scans, and you can finish the page once you're home.

At the bottom of the product page, tap “An error? Suggest a change,” then choose what needs fixing, like the ingredients or the photo. Your correction is reviewed before it's published, and the page stays as it is in the meantime. Each correction helps everyone who scans that product after you. Thank you.

When a barcode isn't in Kroket's catalog, the app looks it up in Open Food Facts, an open database of food for people. If the barcode is in there, the app tells you instead of offering to add the product. Only the barcode is sent for this lookup.

Products you've already looked at usually stay available on your phone. To scan any product in the catalog without a connection, you need Premium: download the catalog in the app's settings, under “Offline catalog.” Without that download, the app needs a connection to recognize a product it hasn't seen yet.

On iPhone and iPad, Kroket follows the official recalls published in France on RappelConso, the French government's recall website. If a product in your history or favorites is recalled, a red banner appears on its page and on the home screen. You also get a notification. This is free, but it only covers recalls listed on RappelConso, so keep an eye out for notices from stores and manufacturers too.

It starts with the numbers on the back of the bag: protein, fat, ash, fiber and moisture. From those, the app works out the carbs. It then scores carbs and protein, and low carbs with high protein earn the most points. The thresholds are different for kibble, wet food and treats, and the weight of each factor shifts a little between cats and dogs. The full formula and a calculator are on the method page.

Manufacturers don't have to list carbs, and they rarely do. The app works them out by subtraction: 100, minus protein, fat, ash, fiber and moisture. It's the usual method, and the result holds up as long as all of those numbers are on the label. That's why the product page calls them “calculated carbs.”

Wet food is mostly water, which pulls every percentage down. With that much water, even a few percent of carbs is a sign that flours were added. So the app uses lower thresholds for wet food, which it recognizes by moisture above 60% or by its name. Treats have a simpler scale. To compare fairly, put wet food up against wet food, and kibble against kibble.

A supplement comes on top of regular meals, so comparing it with kibble wouldn't make sense. The app shows its product page without a score. It also suggests you ask your vet before giving one, about the dose and any interactions with a treatment.

If your pet is sick, older, overweight or on a special diet, yes: talk to your vet first. The score sums up the numbers on the label. It says nothing about the quality or origin of the ingredients, how digestible they are, or your pet's medical needs.

That's the personalized score, on iPhone and iPad. On the card that says “For” and your pet's name, the app adjusts the product score. It takes into account your pet's age, spay/neuter status, activity, weight goal and allergies. Every point gained or lost is explained under “Understand this score.” The product score itself doesn't change, and treats and supplements aren't adjusted. The personalized score is included in Premium.

Yes, if you add it to their profile. You can choose from 12 allergens: chicken and poultry, beef, pork, lamb, fish, egg, dairy, gluten and wheat, corn, soy, rice, and yeast. The app then looks for those ingredients in each product's ingredient list. The product page shows “Allergen detected” or “No declared allergen detected.” A free account is all you need.

The page doesn't have this product's ingredient list. Without it, the app can't tell whether an allergen is in there, and it says so plainly. Read the ingredient list on the bag and, if you can, add it to the product page. Even when the ingredients are there, the app only spots the ones the manufacturer lists. If your pet has a confirmed allergy, follow your vet's advice.

Start by filling in your pet's profile. The app estimates their calorie needs from their weight, age, activity and spay/neuter status. It then turns those needs into grams per day for the food you're giving them. Treat that number as a starting point, and adjust the portion with your vet as their weight changes. The portion is free with an account.

Scanning is free and works without an account. You get the score, the product page and the additives. You can also compare two products, see other highly rated ones and add a missing product. A free account (Apple, Google or email) is for tracking your pets: portions, weight, health log and current bag. It also lets you share their tracking and keep your favorites on all your devices. Anything you scanned without an account moves over when you sign in. On iPhone and iPad, you get widgets as well. Allergen alerts and product recalls are free, and they'll stay free. Kroket Premium is optional: it adds the personalized score, search by name or brand, and the offline catalog. Premium is what keeps the app going.

Your subscription goes through Apple or Google, not through Kroket. On iPhone or iPad, open the Settings app, tap your name at the top, then Subscriptions, then Kroket. On Android, open Google Play, tap your profile icon, then Payments & subscriptions, then Subscriptions. Cancel at least 24 hours before your renewal date. Keep in mind that deleting the app or your account doesn't cancel the subscription.

No. Kroket runs on Premium subscriptions. It doesn't show ads, and it has neither brand partners nor investors. Your data is only used to make the app work and to improve it. The details are in the privacy policy.

In the app, open Settings, go to the “Account” section, tap “Delete my account” and confirm. Your pets, photos, history and favorites are then permanently erased. If the app asks you to sign in again, that's a security step: sign back in, then start over. Deleting your account doesn't cancel Premium, so remember to cancel it with Apple or Google.

Yes. On iPhone and iPad, the app speaks 7 languages: English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Dutch and Portuguese. Pick yours in the app's settings, under “Language,” and your phone's settings stay as they are.

In My pets, open your pet's menu and tap “Share pet.” The app creates an 8-character code that works for 5 minutes and can only be used once. The other person, signed in to their own Kroket account, opens My pets, taps the “…” menu, then “Join with a code,” and types it in. Code expired? Just create a new one.

They see all of that pet's tracking: profile, photo, weight, health log and current bag. They can also add a weigh-in or a treatment. Your other pets stay private, and so do your history and favorites. You can remove someone at any time, and they can also leave on their own. Anything that was added stays with the pet, on the owner's account.

First, check that Kroket has access to your camera: on iPhone, Settings > Kroket > Camera; on Android, Settings > Apps > Kroket > Permissions. Then get the whole barcode inside the frame, in good light and without glare. A shiny pouch under fluorescent store lights doesn't make that easy. Hold your phone still. If the barcode is read but the product isn't recognized, check your connection, or add the product.

Notifications for an almost empty bag, care reminders, weigh-ins and product recalls are scheduled by the app on your phone. Make sure notifications are allowed for Kroket in your phone's settings, and that stock alerts are turned on for the product in question. The list of product recalls updates when you open the app, so open it every now and then.

On iPhone or iPad, touch and hold the Home Screen, tap Edit, then Add Widget, and choose Kroket. The “My pet” widget shows one pet's daily portion, how much food is left and what's due next. The “My pets” widget shows every pet in your home. To use them, you need to be signed in and have added at least one pet.