Help & FAQ
How does fridge scanning work?
Take a photo of your open fridge or pantry (or pick one from your library). AnnaChef identifies the ingredients it can see, lets you confirm or edit the list, and then suggests recipes you can cook with what you have. Good lighting and a straight-on shot give the best results.
Why didn't it find all my ingredients?
Items that are hidden, in opaque containers, or blurry are hard to detect. You can always add or remove ingredients on the confirmation screen before generating recipes.
What are pantry staples?
Basics that AnnaChef assumes you have so recipes aren't blocked by them. By default that's a core set — salt, pepper, oil, butter, sugar, flour, vinegar, garlic, onion and the usual dried herbs and spices — nothing fancy and nothing that goes off. The first time you scan, the app tells you so and offers I'm well-stocked (every staple on) or Let me pick.
Where do I change my pantry?
Account → My pantry. Staples are grouped — seasoning, oils and vinegars, aromatics, spices, baking — with a switch per group, and kinds fold into one chip ("vinegar · 4 kinds"), so you can say "any vinegar" or pick just the ones you keep. It's remembered until you change it, and follows your account across devices; guests keep it on the phone.
How do timers work in cooking mode?
The times in a step are the timer buttons: tap "bake for 50 minutes" and it starts. Steps without a time have a Set a timer row with presets. Every running timer shows in a strip at the top of the screen, whatever step you're on, and keeps counting after the phone locks — it appears on the lock screen and in the Dynamic Island with pause and add-a-minute buttons, and rings with a notification when it's done (the app asks for notification permission the first time you start one). Tap a timer's chip for its controls; swipe it left to dismiss.
Can I leave a note after cooking?
Yes. When you tap Done on the last step, AnnaChef asks how it went and, for recipes in your library, lets you write a line for next time — "less clove, take it out five minutes early". The note is saved on the recipe with the date, so it's there before you cook it again.
Is there a limit to how many recipes I can generate?
Yes — AI scanning, generation, and tailoring or asking Anna share a daily fair-use limit. The limit resets every day. If you hit it, come back tomorrow or browse the Explore tab, which is unlimited.
What is Tailor with Anna?
Open any recipe and tap Tailor. Tell Anna what to change — "no dairy", "make it for two", "under 30 minutes", "spicier" — and she reworks the whole recipe: ingredients, steps, timings and calories. Every reply is a numbered version; save the one you like and it lands in My Recipes as your own private copy. The original recipe is never changed. Tailoring needs an account.
Can I ask Anna questions instead?
Yes. In the same chat, ask anything about cooking that recipe — how to tell the chicken is done, what to use instead of fish sauce, whether the filling can be made the day before. Anna answers in a sentence or two, and when the answer implies a change she offers it as a one-tap chip. She only talks about the recipe in front of you, and won't give medical, allergy, or dietary advice.
Are my chats with Anna private?
Your messages and Anna's replies are kept for 90 days, linked to your account, and may be read by our team to improve Anna. They are not used to train AI models and are deleted with your account. Keep personal and health details out of the chat. See the Privacy Policy.
Can I save a recipe from a link?
Yes. Paste a link in the app, or share a page from Safari, TikTok, Instagram or YouTube and choose Save to AnnaChef. We fetch that one page, pull out the recipe, and save it as a private copy in My Recipes, ready to tailor. Imported recipes are yours alone: they are never listed in Explore, and a shared link shows the ingredients and sends readers to the original page for the method. Site owners: see Importing recipes.
How do I share a recipe?
Open one of your recipes and choose Share: turn on the link and anyone with it can view the recipe, in the app or on annachef.com, until you turn it off. You can also ask for a recipe to be listed in Explore; we review listings before they appear.
Are the recipes safe to follow?
Recipes are AI-generated and can contain mistakes. Always verify ingredients against your allergies and dietary needs, and follow safe cooking temperatures. See our Terms of Use for details.
How do I report a recipe or block someone?
Open the recipe or the author's profile and use the Report option, or Block to hide everything from that user. Blocked users can be managed in Account → Blocked Users.
How do I delete my account?
Go to Account → Delete Account. This permanently removes your account and all your data — recipes, photos, bookmarks, and activity. See the Privacy Policy for retention details.
I found a bug — what should I do?
Email annachefapp@gmail.com with what happened and, if possible, a screenshot. It helps a lot.