How to log a photo
- Open the Chat tab.
- Tap the camera icon next to the message box.
- Choose Take Photo, or Choose from Library to use a photo you already have.
- Add a note in the box that says "Describe the image for better accuracy...". This is optional.
- Tap send.
A photo sent with no note is treated as a request to log what it shows. Cal replies with the log card and nothing else.
What to write in the note
The photo shows Cal what is on the plate. The note tells it what the photo cannot. Useful things to add:
- portion sizes you know ("about 200g of rice", "two chicken thighs")
- what is hidden or unclear ("cooked in butter", "the sauce is pesto")
- how much you ate ("I left half the chips")
Your note refines the photo rather than replacing it. Cal identifies the whole meal first, then applies what you wrote to the parts you mention.
Photo logs are estimates
Cal judges portions by eye, so a photo log is an estimate. It identifies each food and its amount, then looks each one up in the food database, as it does for typed logs. Where you know a weight, add it to the note. That is the single biggest help to accuracy.
If the photo shows a nutrition label, Cal reads the label's numbers instead of estimating. See Log food from a label photo.
Correcting a photo log
- Tell Cal in chat ("the rice was 150g", "there was no cheese").
- Swipe the log card to the right in chat and describe the change.
- Tap Adjust on the card to change amounts or ingredients yourself.
See Edit or delete a log.