Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use the app offline?
You’ll need an internet connection the first time you open the app, and every time you scan a new barcode. Barcodes you've already scanned are available offline.
What product information is considered?
We identify the company that owns the brand and the country in which the headquarters are located - but not the production site.
Does Buy From Friends favor EU products since it’s developed in the EU?
NO! Buy From Friends is a shopping companion app that lets you choose and support any country or region you prefer. Buy From Friends is 100% neutral and unbiased towards any country, brand, or product.
Which barcodes are recognized by the app?
We support over 2.4 million EAN-8, EAN-13, UPC-A and UPC-E barcodes, which are commonly used on grocery and drugstore items. Barcodes found on bulk packaging and non-everyday items are not supported.
What are “treats” and how do they work in the app?
Treats are our in-app currency. Buddy (the cute little highland calf) happily munches one treat for every new barcode you scan. Re-scans of the same code and barcodes which we do not support are free. Treats can also be spent to unlock other lovely companions.
You receive a handful of treats as a one-time welcome bonus (a few more when you sign-up), and additional treat packs are available as in-app purchases. Your treat balance is linked to the account you used to sign up. You can use the same account on multiple devices and share the balance. To keep your scan history private, it is stored locally on each device, which means free re-scan history stays available on that device only.
How can I report incorrect product information?
If you believe any product information is incorrect, you can submit a correction directly in the app. You can find the button in the lower right corner. Tell us which information is wrong, upload 1-3 photos of the product, and submit your correction. We will review all submissions and, if necessary, make timely corrections in our database. We reserve the right to delete any of these submissions on our server.
Note for trademark owners: If you feel that you are misrepresented in the app, please contact us directly by email.
What should I know about data accuracy in the app?
The product information in the app is partially sourced from Open Food Facts, Open Beauty Facts, Open Product Facts which are community maintained databases. We also use other public sources and AI for deeper research, so it may not always be 100% accurate. We actively work to detect and remove false or misleading entries. In doubt, always refer to the product’s packaging. If you discover an error, we encourage you to submit a correction directly in the app, so that other users can also receive up-to-date information.
What happens to my scan history if I uninstall the app or switch devices?
For privacy reasons, we refrained from storing the barcodes you have scanned on the server and linking them to your user account. Instead, your scan history is stored on your local device for the sole purpose of free repetitive scans. If you uninstall the app, your history will usually be removed. When switching to a new device, your data may be transferred by the operating system, depending on your device and system settings. Therefore, re-scanning barcodes that you have scanned on the old device could consume treats again.
What information does Buy From Friends collect and share about me?
We value your privacy and think the app should be the product and not you. So we decided against monetizing with ads. Instead, we offer affordable in-app currency packages ("treats") for purchase. To securely handle these transactions, some data must be stored on servers, including your user-id and optionally your email address, if you choose to sign up. To identify and quickly fix technical issues in the app, we also collect crash reports which contain anonymized information about your device (manufacturer, OS version, etc.) and your connection (IP address).
We do not track or otherwise record outside your device which products you have scanned.
Purchase related data is shared with RevenueCat and either the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store, but none of your data is used for anything beyond the app’s core functionality.