Welcome, beta testers

Install the ZeroSpoils beta

Choose your phone for the installation instructions. Keep your invitation email handy.

Before you start

This is an early beta. Things can break and data can be lost. Your list lives on your phone; uninstalling can erase it. Back up before reinstalling or changing phones.

Free while we test. No card needed. Google sign-in is optional for using the app, but required for Google Drive backup and in-app feedback.

Install on iPhone

Install TestFlight from the App Store on your iPhone.
Then return to your invitation email and open the ZeroSpoils TestFlight link on that iPhone. Installing TestFlight alone does not join the ZeroSpoils beta.
Accept the beta invitation, tap Install and open ZeroSpoils. Return to TestFlight for beta updates.

Your access starts from your invitation email. Not invited yet? Join the waitlist.

Install on Android

Your invitation email tells you whether to use Google Play or Firebase App Distribution. Follow that route; access may be limited to a small test group.

If your invitation says Google Play

Open the Google Play testing link in your invitation email on your Android phone.
Use the Google account invited to the test. Check that the same account is selected in the Play Store, then join the test on the testing page.
Follow the link to Google Play, tap Install and open ZeroSpoils. Get beta updates through the Play Store.

If your invitation says Firebase

Open the Android link in your invitation email on your phone. If it opens a sign-up page, enter your email address, then check your inbox for the Firebase invitation. If you already have that invitation, open it directly.
Accept the Firebase invitation with a Google account you can return to. If the invitation requires a particular email address, follow that requirement.
Follow the Firebase prompts to download and install ZeroSpoils. If Android asks, allow installs from this source for the installation, then turn that permission off again. Open ZeroSpoils; get beta updates through Firebase.

Your access starts from your invitation email. Not invited yet? Join the waitlist.

Stuck on Android?

Google Play: App unavailable? Check that the invited account is selected on the testing page and in the Play Store. Join from your invitation first; searching the store does not join the test. A new test can take time to become available. If you are still stuck, email us.

Firebase: No Firebase email? Check spam and the address entered on the sign-up page. The founder's email alone does not mean Firebase access is ready.

For Firebase, wrong account or no app listed? Use the Google account with which you first accepted the invitation. That may be different from the address that received it, unless the invitation restricts the address.

If access is expired, a build is unavailable or a managed phone blocks installation, email hello@zerospoils.com with the step and error. Do not bypass device protections or uninstall to fix an invitation.

Before any reinstallBack up your list and check that the backup completed.

Start with one item

As you put groceries away, record one item you want to remember while it is already in your hands. Put cold food away promptly; skip capture if it would delay storage. You can stop after one item.

Add an item by hand if scanning does not work. An expiry date is optional: leave it unknown if you are not sure, then use Add dates later. Reminders need an expiry date and notification permission.

When the optional add-two prompt appears, choose Add another or Done for now. Three items are optional. Check your saved item in Inventory, and come back at your next grocery trip if useful.

Protect your list

Sign in with Google in the app, then use the backup controls to save a copy to your own Google Drive. Check that a backup has completed before uninstalling. Signing in alone is not a substitute for checking your backup.

On a new installation, sign in with the same Google account and restore your backup. If you prefer not to sign in, keep a separate record of anything you cannot afford to lose.

Beta notes and limitations

Do not rely on reminders for food safety; check your food yourself. Reminders need an expiry date and notification permission. If one does not arrive, tell us your phone model and app version.
When adding a receipt photo, review each line before saving. If capture does not work, add an item by hand.
Translations are machine-assisted and still need review. Tell us if wording reads wrong.
Before switching between Google Play and Firebase, complete a backup and follow the migration instructions in your invitation. Do not uninstall just to switch.

Tell us what happens

Use Feedback inside the app. It requires Google sign-in, even though sign-in is optional for using ZeroSpoils. Prefer not to sign in? Email hello@zerospoils.com.

One line is plenty. For a bug, include what you tried, what happened, your phone model and app version. Please leave out personal or sensitive information.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a Google account?

You can use ZeroSpoils without signing in. Google sign-in is needed for Drive backup and in-app feedback. Email feedback is always an option. Installing the Android beta through Google Play or Firebase also needs a Google account. For Play, use the invited account in the Play Store. For Firebase, use the account with which you accepted the invitation.

What if the invitation does not work?

Open it on the phone you want to use. On Android, follow the route named in your email: the invited Play Store account for Google Play, or the account that accepted the Firebase invitation. On iPhone, install TestFlight and return to your invitation link. Use the help beside each platform's steps, or email hello@zerospoils.com. No app sign-in is needed to email us.

Will I keep my data after reinstalling?

Local data can be erased when you uninstall. Complete a Google Drive backup first, then restore it with the same Google account after reinstalling.

Does the beta cost anything?

It is free during the beta, with no card needed. Features may change as we learn from testers.

Reach a human

Install trouble, a bug or a question? Write to hello@zerospoils.com.

The beta is provided as available and may change or be interrupted. Read our Terms and Privacy Policy before taking part.