Log a meal from a photo already in your gallery

Yes, Nutrola can analyze a photo you already took. Open the logging menu, tap Scan Food, then tap the gallery (images) icon next to the round shutter button to pick a photo from your library. Nutrola adds it as a processing meal and estimates the calories and macros in the background, exactly the same way it handles a live capture.

How do I pick a photo from my library?

1. Tap the center + button in the tab bar to open the logging menu.
2. Tap Scan Food. This opens the live camera (the first time, you may see a short scan tutorial first).
3. At the bottom of the camera screen you'll see three controls: a flash toggle on the left, the round white shutter button in the center, and a gallery icon (a small images symbol) on the right.
4. Tap the gallery icon and choose the photo you want from your library.

Nutrola immediately creates a "processing" meal card and takes you back to your Home screen, then finishes analyzing the photo on Nutrola's servers. You can keep using the app while it works. The result is an estimate you can adjust.

Is a gallery photo analyzed the same as a live photo?

Yes. A photo you pick from your gallery goes through the exact same analysis as one you capture live with the shutter button, so the calories, macros, and ingredient breakdown work the same way. The only difference is where the image comes from. For an overview of all the ways to log, see How to log a meal.

Do I need to grant photo access?

Picking from your gallery uses your device's photo library permission, which is separate from camera permission. If you've denied it, Nutrola shows a "Photo Library Access Needed" message with an option to open your device settings. Enable photo access there, then return to Scan Food and tap the gallery icon again. (Device-settings paths vary by phone and OS version.)

How do I fix the result?

AI photo meals are estimates, so you can correct them after logging. Open the meal from your Home screen, then:

• Tap the calorie value or a macro value to edit it directly (Edit Calories / Protein / Carbs / Fat) Edit a meal's calories, protein, carbs, or fat by hand.
• Edit, add, or remove ingredients Edit, add, or remove ingredients in a scanned meal.
• Tap Fix Result and describe what was wrong, for example "I only ate half" Correct an AI meal with 'Fix Result' (tell it what's wrong).

Photo meals are stored on a fixed 100g basis and don't have a portion or serving-size slider, so use the edits above to correct them Why can't I change the serving size of a photo-scanned meal?. If an estimate looks off, see The calorie or macro estimate looks wrong.

Tips for a better reading

Clearer photos give better estimates, whether live or from your gallery: good, even lighting, a straight-on or slightly overhead angle, and one dish in frame work best. If a photo isn't recognized well, see My photo isn't being recognized.

Still need help? In the app, open Profile/Settings → Support & Legal → Contact us to chat with our support assistant, or email us at support@nutrola.app.