Help
Help and FAQs.
The questions people ask most about Focal, answered in a few lines.
Getting started
What do I get with Focal Pro vs the free plan?
The free plan covers workout logging, food logging, check-ins and 10 food scans a month. Pro adds unlimited food scans, restaurant menu scans, the workout and programme planners, exercise progress charts and Focal Coach chat. The annual plan starts with a 14-day free trial.
In the app: Home > your photo > Subscription > Upgrade to Pro
Why does the app still show the free plan after I paid?
Restore your purchase while signed in to the same Apple Account you paid with. If Restore finds nothing, that store account has no Pro subscription.
- Tap your photo on Home, then Subscription.
- Tap Upgrade to Pro.
- Tap Restore at the bottom.
What is Focal Coach?
Focal Coach is a chat where you can ask about your training, nutrition and progress. It is part of Pro, so on the free plan the button opens the upgrade screen.
In the app: Home > Chat
What is XP and how do I earn it?
XP is points for training and daily habits. Each of these pays once a day: a full workout 10 XP, opening the app 10, hitting your step goal 8, a check-in 5, hitting your calorie target 5 and logging a meal 3. Personal bests, programme weeks and inviting friends earn XP too.
In the app: Home > your photo. Your level and XP sit under your name.
What are levels and rank titles?
Your level comes from your total XP, and each level takes more XP than the last. Your rank title changes at Levels 3, 6 and 10, then every 10 levels, from Novice at the start to Legend at Level 100.
In the app: Home > your photo, under your name. It shows on your public profile too.
How do streaks work?
The Streak card on Home has three views. Activity counts days in a row you earn any XP, Steps counts days you hit your step goal, and Workouts counts weeks in a row (Monday to Sunday) with a logged session. Miss one and that streak starts again. Only you can see your streaks.
In the app: Home > Streak card
Logging food
How do I log a meal with a photo?
Open the food camera, leave the scan type on Your meal and photograph your plate, or pick a photo from your library. Check the items and portions, then add them to your meal. On the free plan each photo uses one of your 10 food scans a month.
- Tap the camera in the Food diary, or Photo when adding food.
- Check the meal chip at the bottom shows the right meal.
- Take the photo. Tap Add context (optional) if it misses something.
- Review, then tap Add to lunch (or your meal).
How do I log a meal by describing it?
Say or type what you ate and Focal works out the nutrition. Check the portion, then add it. On the free plan this uses one of your 10 food scans a month.
- In the Food diary, tap Add on a meal.
- Tap Describe, then Dictate or Type.
- Describe the meal and tap Look up nutrition.
- Choose One meal or Separate items if asked, then add it.
How do barcode and food label scans work?
Both are in the food camera's scan type menu. Barcode reads the code and finds the product. Food label takes two photos, the nutrition panel and then the product name. On the free plan each uses one food scan, but a barcode that finds no product does not.
In the app: Food diary > camera > scan type chip
How many free food scans do I get?
Free accounts get 10 food scans each calendar month and Pro has no limit. Photo, Describe, Barcode, Food label, Recipe card and Look it up in food search each use one. Searching foods, Quick add, re-adding past foods and barcodes that find nothing are free.
In the app: When you add food, the scans left this month show under Photo.
How do I log food without using a scan?
Search the food library, or tap Quick add to enter calories and macros yourself. Re-adding a food from History, Scans or Recent is free too.
In the app: Food diary > Add > search bar or Quick add
How do I edit, move or copy a logged meal?
Tap an entry to change its portion, then Save portion. Long press it, or tap •••, for Copy to another day, Duplicate, or Move to another meal on the same day. Swipe left to delete. To copy a whole meal, tap the copy icon next to the meal's name.
In the app: Food diary
Nutrition targets
How does Focal calculate my calorie and macro targets?
Focal estimates your maintenance calories from your weight, height, age and sex (the Mifflin-St Jeor equation) and your daily movement level, then adjusts for your goal pace, up to 750 kcal below or 500 kcal above. Protein is set from your body weight, fat gets at least 25% of calories and carbs make up the rest.
In the app: Food diary > Targets
What is adaptive calorie coaching?
Once your targets are 3 weeks old and you weigh in regularly, Focal checks your weight trend against your plan. If you have been off by 0.15 kg a week or more for over a week, a card in the Food diary suggests eating up to 150 kcal a day more or less. Apply or Not now hides it for 14 days.
In the app: Food diary, under your daily totals
Can I set my own macro targets?
Yes. Choose Custom split and enter percentages or grams. Percentages must add up to 100%, with at least 15% protein and 20% fat. Grams must add up to your calorie target.
- In the Food diary, tap Targets.
- Under Macro focus, pick Custom split.
- Choose Percentage or Grams and enter your numbers.
- Tap Save targets.
How does the activity allowance work?
With Add activity allowance on, Focal adds today's active calories from Apple Health to today's target, minus the activity your movement level already counts, up to 800 kcal. It needs Apple Health connected first.
- In the Food diary, tap Targets.
- Open Activity allowance.
- Pick Add activity allowance.
- Tap Save targets.
Training and movement
How does workout XP work?
A workout counts once it has at least 3 working sets and lasts 10 minutes. A full session (5 or more working sets, 20 minutes or more, or a big total volume) earns 10 XP and a shorter one 5 XP, each once a day. Personal bests add 5 XP each once you have logged that lift twice before.
In the app: The save screen shows the XP you earned and why.
How do I import a workout from Apple Health?
Tap Import from Apple Health at the top of the Training tab. It lists Health workouts that are not in your history yet, so you can save the ones you want.
In the app: Training > Import from Apple Health
How do leaderboards work?
The Steps leaderboard in People ranks today's steps and can switch to all-time XP, for everyone or just people you follow. Each day the top 5 on the everyone steps board earn 20, 16, 12, 8 and 4 XP, paid the next afternoon to people whose steps had synced.
- Open the People tab.
- Tap Steps leaderboard.
- Tap Filter and pick Everyone or Following, then Steps or XP.
Why am I not on the everyone steps leaderboard?
Turn on Share steps on your profile and Everyone steps leaderboard, then open Focal so today's steps sync. You also need to have finished setting up your account.
- Tap your photo on Home.
- In Movement, turn on Share steps on your profile.
- In Privacy & social, turn on Everyone steps leaderboard.
- Open Focal so your steps sync.
How do Step Battles work?
Challenge someone you both follow to the most steps over 2, 5 or 7 days. You both stake the same XP, 5% to 20% of the lower balance (at least 10 XP), and the winner takes the other's stake. A draw returns both. You both need Open to Step Battle challenges and Share steps on your profile turned on.
- Open the profile of someone you both follow.
- Tap Challenge on the Step Battle card.
- Pick when it starts, how long it runs and the stake.
- Tap Send challenge.
Health and progress
How do I connect Apple Health and what does it sync?
Focal reads steps, active energy, distance, workouts, heart rate, HRV, sleep, water, weight, height, date of birth and sex. It can save your workouts, check-in weight, water and food log back to Health.
- Tap your photo on Home, then Movement.
- Tap Apple Health access.
- Turn on the data you want in the prompt.
- No prompt? Open the Settings app, tap Health, then turn data on for Focal.
How do check-ins and progress photos work?
Check in once a day from Home. Pick what to log (mood, weight, photo, and cycle on female profiles) and Focal takes you through each one. Any one counts. Weight is saved to Health too. Progress photos are stored in your Focal account and only you can see them.
In the app: Home > Check in. Past check-ins: your photo > Body > Check-in timeline.
Privacy and account
How does Focal handle my data and privacy?
Focal uses your data only for the features you use and does not sell it. Health, workout and food data is never sent to Meta. Food photos and descriptions you scan go to AI providers to work out the nutrition. You choose who sees your training, and you can export all your data.
In the app: Home > your photo > Privacy & social, or Data > Export all data
How do I delete my account or manage my subscription?
Deleting your account removes your data straight away and cannot be undone. It does not cancel Pro, so cancel first: Subscription > Manage subscription opens your App Store subscription settings.
- Tap your photo on Home, then Account.
- Tap Delete account and data.
- Type your username to confirm.
- Tap Delete account and data, then Delete account.
Still stuck? Contact us.