User Manual Document Demo 4 - COS301-SE-2026/Mealchemy GitHub Wiki

Introduction

Mealchemy is a meal-planning and recipe management application that is designed to help users make smarter meal decisions by reducing meal-time decision fatigue. This app allows users to manage ingredients, set dietary and personal preferences, discover recipes through recommendations and dashboards, and organise shopping lists.

This manual explains each main feature of our app using clear instructions and screenshots to ensure users can follow with ease.

This manual covers how to:

sign in, create an account, and log out
navigate between the main app areas
configure personal preferences, equipment, allergies, and measurement units
manage pantry ingredients
discover recipes through Guided Discovery and Sizzles
use the Favourites folder and remove recipes from it
create recipes and view recipe details and nutritional information
edit, delete, and publish your own recipes
organise recipes and external links in a Vault
browse community recipes and save them to a Vault
tune how recommendations are balanced
create shared vaults, manage members, and respond to invitations
understand shared-vault roles and permissions
change member roles and remove members
edit shared recipes and understand editing locks
view notifications and shared-vault activity
follow recipes using Hands-Free Cooking and cooking timers
report community recipes for moderation
review reported recipes as a moderator
schedule and organise recipes using the Meal Planner
manage shopping lists
browse previously saved content while offline
access in-product help and support

Getting Started

This section explains how to open Mealchemy and begin using the app.

Opening the App

When the user opens the Mealchemy app, they are taken to the welcome and login screen. From here, they can either log in with an existing account or create a new account.

Figure 1: Mealchemy welcome and login screen.

Signing In

To sign in, the user enters their email address and password, then selects the 'Log In' button. After successfully logging in, the user is redirected to the main app area.

If the email address or password is incorrect, both fields are highlighted in red and the message Invalid credentials appears. For security, the message does not say which of the two was wrong. Check the details and try again.

Figure 2: Login form where users enter their email address and password.

Creating an Account

New users can create an account by selecting the 'Create Account' button. They enter a Display Name, Email Address, Password, and Confirm Password, then select Create Account. After the account is created, the user is taken to the Preference Profile to set up their preferences.

The password must be at least 8 characters long, and both password fields must match. If a field is missing or invalid, it is highlighted in red with a message explaining the problem, and the screen scrolls to the first field that needs attention. If the email address already has an account, the message Email already registered appears.

Figure 3: Create Account screen for creating a new Mealchemy account.

After signing in or creating an account, users can begin exploring the main features of Mealchemy. This includes the pantry, preferences, recipe discovery, recipe vault, and shopping lists.

Logging Out

To log out, open the Preference Profile by selecting the account icon on the Home screen, then select the log-out icon in the top-left corner of the header. The user is returned to the login screen.

Users should log out when sharing a device so that nobody else can see their pantry, vaults, or shopping lists.

App Navigation

Mealchemy uses a bottom navigation bar to help users move between the different components and features of the app. The navigation bar stays at the bottom of the screen so users can quickly switch between pages.

The five main navigation options are:

Home — opens the main dashboard and personalised suggestions
Swipes — opens Guided Discovery, with a Sizzles tab at the top for recipe videos
Discover — displays recipe categories and browsing options
Vault — opens saved recipes, shared collections, and external links
Pantry — displays and manages the ingredients the user has available

Figure 4: Bottom navigation bar used to move between the main app sections.

To open an area, tap its icon or label. The currently selected area is highlighted in burgundy.

Some areas are opened from icons at the top of the screen rather than from the navigation bar:

Account icon (top-left of the Home screen) — opens the Preference Profile
Shopping cart icon (top-right of the Home, Discover, Swipes, and Vault screens) — opens Shopping Lists; the badge shows how many lists the user has
Bell icon (Home and Vault screens) — opens Notifications
Help icon (top-right of the Preference Profile) — opens Help & Support
Log-out icon (top-left of the Preference Profile) — logs the user out

Feature Walkthroughs

This section explains the main features available in Mealchemy. Each feature includes a short description, basic steps, and screenshots to help users understand how to use the app.

Dashboard

The Dashboard provides an overview of the user’s pantry, recipe recommendations, and useful shortcuts. The welcome bar at the top follows today's Meal Plan, counting down to the next planned meal. Recipe cards show information such as the match percentage, cuisine, preparation time, and ingredients still needed.

Users can access this page by selecting Home from the bottom navigation bar.

Figure 5: Dashboard showing the pantry summary, smart suggestion, and personalised recipe recommendations.

How to Use the Dashboard

Open the app and sign in.
Select Home from the bottom navigation bar.
Review the In Your Pantry card to see the ingredient count.
Select the plus button on the pantry card to add an ingredient.
Review the Smart Suggestion card and select any available action.
Browse Recommended for You and select a recipe to open its details.
Select the shopping cart icon to open Shopping Lists.
Select the account icon to open the Preference Profile.
Select the bell icon to open Notifications.

When a cooking session or timers are active, the Dashboard also displays Continue cooking and Active cooking timers. These only appear during a cooking session and are explained in Cooking Timers.

Discover

The Discover page shows recipes published by the Mealchemy community (the Global Vault). Users can search by recipe name, filter by cuisine, and open any recipe for more information.

Users can access this page by selecting Discover from the bottom navigation bar.

Figure 6: Discover page showing recipe categories and recommended meal ideas.

How to Use Discover

Open the app and sign in.
Select Discover from the bottom navigation bar.
Type in the search bar to find a recipe by name.
Select a cuisine pill, such as Italian, Indian, or Mexican, to show only that cuisine. Select All to show every cuisine again.
Tap a recipe to open its details.
Pull down on the page to refresh the recipes.

Search only looks through the recipes already loaded on the page. Discover content can still be browsed offline from saved data, but Swipes and Sizzles need a connection.

Pantry

The Pantry page helps users keep track of the ingredients they currently have. Ingredients are grouped by category, such as proteins, vegetables, and dairy. Each item shows useful details such as quantity and freshness status. Freshness is estimated from how long that type of ingredient usually lasts and the date it was added to the pantry.

Users can access this page by selecting Pantry from the bottom navigation bar.

Figure 7: Pantry overview showing ingredient categories and freshness information.

How to Use the Pantry

Open the app and sign in.
Select Pantry from the bottom navigation bar.
Use the search bar to look for a specific ingredient.
Select a category filter, such as Proteins, Vegetables, or Dairy, to narrow down the pantry items.
Review each ingredient’s quantity, storage details, and freshness status.
Use the edit icon on an ingredient card to update its quantity or unit.
Use the delete icon to remove an ingredient from the pantry.
Select the plus button to add a new ingredient.

The pantry directly affects recommendations. Recipes that use ingredients the user already has receive a higher match percentage, and recipe cards list the ingredients that are still missing.

Add Ingredient

The Add Ingredient page allows users to add ingredients to their pantry. This helps Mealchemy keep pantry information up to date and improves recipe matching.

Users can access this page by selecting the plus button from the Pantry page or from the Dashboard pantry card.

Figure 8: Add Ingredient page where users enter ingredient details.

How to Add an Ingredient

Open the Pantry page or the Home Dashboard.
Select the plus button. The Pantry Entry sheet slides up.
Search the ingredient catalogue by name and select the ingredient. Its category is filled in automatically.
Set the quantity using the minus and plus buttons. The quantity cannot go below 1.
Select a unit. The units offered follow the user's Metric or Imperial preference.
Select Save Ingredient to add the item to the pantry.
To leave without saving, select the back arrow or drag the sheet down.

Keeping the pantry updated helps Mealchemy suggest recipes that better match the ingredients users already have.

Preference Profile

The Preference Profile allows users to personalise how Mealchemy selects and displays recipes. Users can update their display name, choose a preferred measurement system, record the equipment available in their kitchen, set dietary restrictions, manage critical allergies and ingredient aversions, select favourite cuisines, and specify nutritional goals.

These choices are used to improve recipe matching and personalise recommendations throughout the application.

Users can access the Preference Profile by selecting the account/profile icon from the Home screen.

Figure 9: Preference Profile screen showing dietary directives and allergy options.

How to Use the Preference Profile

Open the app and sign in.
Select the account icon from the Home screen.
Update the Display Name if needed.
Under Preferred Units, choose Metric or Imperial.
Under Your Kitchen, add or remove equipment such as an oven, stovetop, microwave, air fryer, or blender.
Under Dietary Restrictions, select any restrictions, such as vegetarian.
Under Critical Allergies, add ingredients that must always be excluded.
Under Aversions, search for ingredients the user would rather not see in recommendations.
Under Flavour Profiles, select Add cuisine to choose the cuisines the user prefers.
Under Nutritional Goals, select Add goal to choose High Protein or Low Carb.
Select the save button at the bottom of the page. When everything is stored, the button shows All Changes Saved.

Each setting has a specific effect:

Preferred Units — units offered when adding ingredients, recipes, and shopping-list items follow the chosen system.
Your Kitchen — the equipment the user has, used to match recipes to their kitchen.
Dietary Restrictions and Critical Allergies — used to exclude unsuitable recipes. Use Critical Allergies for anything that must never appear.
Aversions — ingredients the user would rather not see. These are kept out of recommendations but are not treated as safety exclusions.
Flavour Profiles — preferred cuisines are recommended more often.
Nutritional Goals — recommendations are steered towards meals that match the selected goals.

Selected options appear as chips. Select the cross on a chip to remove it. Moderators also see a Moderation button at the bottom of this page, described in Moderating Reported Recipes.

Guided Discovery

Guided Discovery helps users explore personalised recipes through an interactive swipe-style experience. Each recipe card displays a match percentage, preparation time, missing pantry ingredients, and filtering options.

Users can like recipes that interest them, dislike recipes that are unsuitable, skip a recipe without deciding, or open a full preview first. The match percentage and the explanation of why a recipe matches the user come from their pantry, saved preferences, and previous swipes.

Users can access Guided Discovery by selecting Swipes from the bottom navigation bar.

Figure 10: Integrated Guided Discovery showing a recommendation card and expanded recipe preview.

How to Use Guided Discovery

Open the app and sign in.
Select Swipes from the bottom navigation bar.
Use the filter pills to narrow the recommendations: All, Quick (30 minutes or less), or a dietary tag such as Vegetarian or Gluten Free.
Review the recipe’s match percentage, preparation time, and missing pantry ingredients.
Swipe right or select the heart button to like a recipe. It is saved to the Favourites folder in the Private Vault.
Swipe left or select the cross button to dislike a recipe. It is hidden for a while.
Select the centre button to skip a recipe without liking or disliking it.
Select View Full Recipe to open the recipe preview. Swipe the preview down to close it.
Review the recipe description, preparation time, cooking time, total time, serving count, and the card explaining why the recipe matches the user. It shows the strongest reasons, such as pantry match or cuisine as a percentage, or a NEW or USE SOON tag.
Continue browsing until a suitable recipe is found.

The tune icon in the top-left corner opens the recommendation settings, described in Tuning Your Recommendations.

Swipes cannot be undone. To take a liked recipe out of Favourites, see Removing a Recipe from Favourites.

Guided Discovery is useful when users are unsure what to cook and want recommendations shaped by their pantry, preferences, and previous interactions. It needs an internet connection and is unavailable offline.

Tuning Your Recommendations

Users can decide how much each factor counts when Mealchemy picks recipes for them. There are five factors: pantry match, cuisine, nutrition, freshness, and novelty.

Select Swipes from the bottom navigation bar.
Select the tune icon in the top-left corner.
Drag a slider to make that factor count more or less. The other sliders adjust automatically so the total stays balanced.
Select the help icon for an explanation of each factor.
Select the reset icon to return to the default balance.
Select the back arrow, or drag the sheet down, to close it.

Setting one factor very high lowers the others close to zero, which can make recommendations repetitive.

Removing a Recipe from Favourites

Recipes liked in Guided Discovery are saved in the Favourites folder. Swipes cannot be undone, but a recipe can be removed from Favourites at any time.

Select Vault from the bottom navigation bar.
Make sure Private Vault is selected.
Expand the Favourites folder.
Select the heart icon on the recipe.

The recipe is removed from Favourites. If the same recipe was saved in another folder, it remains there.

Sizzles

Sizzles allows users to discover recipes through short cooking videos. Each video displays the recipe name and provides controls for saving the recipe, changing the sound, and opening the full recipe.

Users can access Sizzles by selecting Swipes from the bottom navigation bar and then selecting the Sizzles tab.

Figure 11: Sizzles showing a cooking video with Save, Unmute, and Recipe controls.

How to Use Sizzles

Open the app and sign in.
Select Swipes from the bottom navigation bar.
Select the Sizzles tab at the top of the screen.
Watch the displayed cooking video.
Swipe vertically to browse other videos.
Select Unmute to enable sound, or Mute to turn it off.
Select Recipe to open the recipe’s full details.
Select Save, then choose the vault and folder to save the recipe into.
Select the Discover tab to return to the recipe-card view.

Sizzles provides a visual way to explore meal ideas before opening the ingredients and preparation instructions. Sizzles need an internet connection and are unavailable offline.

Vault

The Vault page allows users to organise saved recipes into folders. Each user has one Private Vault, called My Vault, and can also belong to Shared Vaults. This helps users keep their own recipes separate from recipes shared with other users.

The Private Vault includes these folders:

Favourites — recipes liked in Guided Discovery
My Links — recipes saved from external websites
My Recipes — created automatically the first time the user saves a new recipe, and used as the default folder for new recipes

Users can access this page by selecting Vault from the bottom navigation bar.

Figure 12: Vault screens showing Private and Shared Vault views.

How to Use the Vault

Open the app and sign in.
Select Vault from the bottom navigation bar.
Use the Vault selector to switch between Private Vault and Shared Vaults.
Expand a folder to view its saved recipes, then tap a recipe to open it.
Use the plus button to add a recipe or external link.
Expand My Links to view recipes saved from external websites.
Select an external link to open its original website.
Use the edit icon to update a saved link, or the delete icon to remove it.
Pull down on the page to refresh the vault.

The Meal Planner also appears below the folders on the Vault page. See Meal Planner.

How to Manage Folders

To create a folder, open the three-dot menu next to the vault name, select Create folder, enter a Folder Name, and select Create.
To rename a folder, open the folder's three-dot menu, select Rename folder, enter the new name, and save.
To delete a folder, open the folder's three-dot menu, select Delete folder, and confirm.

Deleting a folder removes its recipes from that folder and cannot be undone.

How to Save a Community Recipe

Open a recipe from Discover, Swipes, or Sizzles.
Select the bookmark icon (or Save in Sizzles).
Choose the vault and then the folder. To make a new folder, create it from the same dialog.
Select save. A message confirms which folder the recipe was saved to.

The Vault gives users one organised location for recipes created inside Mealchemy and recipes discovered on external websites.

Creating a Recipe

The Create Recipe page allows users to add their own recipes to Mealchemy. Users can enter recipe details, ingredients, preparation instructions, and supporting media.

Users can access recipe creation through the plus button in the Vault and the available recipe-creation controls.

Figure 13: Create Recipe page showing the title, description, cuisine, and recipe-photo fields.

How to Create a Recipe

Open the Vault page.
Select the plus button and choose the recipe-creation option.
Under Recipe Details, enter the Title, a short Description, and select the Cuisine.
Under Recipe Photo, add a photo if desired. Photos must be JPEG, PNG, or WebP images of up to 5 MB.
Under Time & Servings, enter the preparation time, cooking time, and number of servings.
Under Equipment, select the equipment the recipe needs.
Under Save To, choose the Private Vault folder. It defaults to My Recipes.
Under Sharing, turn on Publish to Global Vault to share the recipe with everyone, then confirm.
Under Ingredients, search the ingredient catalogue for each ingredient and enter its quantity and unit. Select Add Ingredient for another row.
Under Preparation Steps, write each step in order. Select Add Step for another step.
Select Create Recipe, or Cancel to leave without saving.

The title, cuisine, preparation time, cooking time, and servings are required. If any are missing, a message appears under the field and the page scrolls to it.

Once saved, the recipe can be opened from the Vault and used for cooking or shopping-list creation.

Editing and Deleting a Recipe

Users can change or remove recipes they own from the Vault.

How to Edit a Recipe

Open the Vault and expand the folder that holds the recipe.
Select the edit icon on the recipe.
Change the details, photo, equipment, ingredients, or steps. The Publish to Global Vault switch can also be turned on or off here.
Select Save Changes.

How to Delete a Recipe

Open the Vault and expand the folder that holds the recipe.
Select the delete icon on the recipe.
Select Delete to confirm, or Cancel to keep it.

Shared Vaults

Shared Vaults allow households, families, and groups to organise recipes together. Each shared vault has an Owner, and other members can participate as Viewers or Editors.

Users can access shared vaults by selecting Vault from the bottom navigation bar and choosing Shared Vaults from the vault selector.

Figure 14: Creating a shared vault and viewing the newly created vault with its Members and folder controls.

How to Create a Shared Vault

Open the app and sign in.
Select Vault from the bottom navigation bar.
Open the vault selector and choose Shared Vaults.
Select Add Vault.
Enter a name, such as Family Recipes.
Select Create, or select Cancel to close without creating a vault.
Select the new vault from the shared-vault row.
Open the three-dot menu next to the vault name and select Create folder to add a folder for organising recipes.

The user who creates the vault becomes its Owner. When several shared vaults are available, swipe horizontally across the vault row to see more.

Roles and Permissions

Action	Owner	Editor	Viewer
Browse recipes and the Meal Plan	Yes	Yes	Yes
Add, edit, and remove recipes and folders	Yes	Yes	No
Edit the shared Meal Plan	Yes	Yes	No
Invite users, change roles, and remove members	Yes	No	No
Delete the shared vault	Yes	No	No

How to Manage Members and Invitations

Select the shared vault.
Open Members to view its members and the user’s current role.
As the Owner, open Invitations to invite another user by email.
Review the invitation status and cancel a pending invitation if it is no longer needed.

If an invitation cannot be sent, for example because the email address does not belong to a Mealchemy account, an error message explains why. Pending invitations can also expire.

To delete a shared vault, the Owner opens the three-dot menu next to the vault name, selects Delete vault, and confirms. This removes the vault, its folders, and its recipes for everyone and cannot be undone.

How to Change a Member's Role

Select the shared vault and open Members.
Select the member.
Choose Viewer or Editor.

The member is notified of their new role.

How to Remove a Member

Select the shared vault and open Members.
Select the member.
Select the remove option and confirm.

The member loses access immediately and receives a notification.

How to Edit a Shared Recipe

Open the shared vault and expand the relevant folder.
As an Owner or Editor, select the recipe’s edit icon.
Wait while Mealchemy checks editing access and obtains an editing lock.
Update the recipe information.
Save the changes when finished.

The editing lock makes sure only one person edits a shared recipe at a time. If another user is editing the recipe, wait until editing becomes available.

How Shared Copies Work

Recipes added to a shared vault are shared copies. Changes to a shared copy do not change the original recipe in the Private Vault.

Incoming Invitations

The Incoming Invitations page allows users to review invitations to shared vaults. Accepting an invitation joins the vault as a Viewer. The Owner can change the member’s role afterward.

Users can access this page by selecting Incoming invitations in the Shared Vaults view.

Figure 15: Incoming Invitations page showing the empty state when there are no pending invitations.

How to Respond to a Shared Vault Invitation

Open Vault and select Shared Vaults.
Select Incoming invitations.
Review any pending invitations.
Select Accept to join a shared vault, or Decline to reject the invitation.
Return to Shared Vaults and select the vault after accepting.
Use the refresh icon to check for updated invitations.

Accepting or declining an invitation notifies the vault Owner. If no invitations are awaiting a response, the page displays No pending invitations.

Notifications and Shared Vault Activity

The Notifications page provides one inbox for activity across the user’s shared vaults.

Users can access Notifications through the bell icon on the Home or Vault page.

Figure 16: Notifications inbox showing the empty state before shared-vault activity is available.

Users can receive notifications when:

an invitation is received, accepted, declined, or cancelled
a member is added to or removed from a vault
their role is changed
a recipe is added, edited, or removed
a folder is created or deleted
someone starts or stops editing a shared recipe

How to Use Notifications

Select the bell icon on the Home or Vault page.
Review the notifications shown in the inbox.
Select an actionable notification to open its related invitation, vault, or recipe.
Select Mark all read to mark unread notifications as read.
Use the refresh icon to request the latest notifications.
Use the back arrow to return to the previous screen.

Access is checked before opening a destination, so a notification may no longer open if the recipe was removed or the user no longer has access to the vault.

When the inbox is empty, the page displays No notifications yet.

Recipe Details

The Recipe Details page displays the full information for a selected recipe. The page has five tabs: Overview, Ingredients, Equipment, Steps, and Nutrition. From this page, users can also start cooking, save the recipe, or create a shopping list from the recipe.

Users can access this page by selecting a recipe from the Discover page, Vault, or another recipe list.

Figure 17: Recipe Details page showing recipe information.

How to Use Recipe Details

Open a recipe from Discover, Vault, or another recipe list.
Review the recipe overview, including cook time and prep time.
Select the Ingredients tab to view ingredients. Use the minus and plus buttons beside the servings to scale the amounts, and Reset to return to the original serving count.
Select the Equipment tab to see what equipment the recipe needs.
Select the Steps tab to view preparation instructions.
Select the Nutrition tab to view nutritional information.
Select the shopping cart icon to add the ingredients to a shopping list.
Select the bookmark icon and choose a vault and folder to save the recipe into.
Select Start Cooking when ready to begin cooking.

The flag icon for reporting a recipe only appears on community recipes. See Reporting a Recipe.

How to View Nutritional Information

Open a recipe.
Select the Nutrition tab.
Review the recipe’s serving count and total calories.
Select Per Recipe to view nutritional values for the complete recipe.
Select Per Serving to view nutritional values for one serving.
Review the macronutrient values for protein, carbohydrates, and fat.
Scroll down to view fibre and sodium under Other Nutrients.
Expand an ingredient under Ingredient Breakdown to see its nutritional contribution.
Review the USDA disclaimer at the bottom of the page.

Values are shown in the user's preferred units. Nutritional values are estimates based on data provided by USDA FoodData Central and may not be completely accurate.

The Recipe Details page connects recipe instructions, nutritional information, serving adjustments, shopping-list generation, and guided cooking in one place.

Hands-Free Cooking

Hands-Free Cooking presents recipe instructions one step at a time. Users can listen to instructions, move between steps, and use supported voice commands while preparing a meal.

Users can access this mode by opening a recipe and selecting Start Cooking.

Figure 18: Hands-Free Cooking showing the current instruction, progress indicator, playback speed, and cooking controls.

How to Use Hands-Free Cooking

Open the recipe to be prepared.
Select Start Cooking.
Read or listen to the current instruction.
Use Next to move forward or Back to return to the previous step.
Select Pause to pause spoken instructions or Replay to hear the instruction again.
Select the playback-speed control at the top right to adjust the reading speed.
Select Speak to enable voice input and allow microphone access if prompted.
When Listening… appears, say next, back, or repeat.
On the final step, select Finish when cooking is complete.
Use the close icon to leave the cooking screen.

If microphone access is denied, voice commands are unavailable, but the on-screen buttons still work.

The step counter and progress bar help users keep track of their position in the recipe.

Cooking Timers

Cooking timers help users track different parts of a meal while following a recipe. Multiple timers can run at the same time, and optional names make them easier to identify.

Users can add timers from the cooking screen.

Figure 19: Timer controls for entering an optional name, setting the duration, and managing active timers.

How to Add and Manage Timers

Open a recipe in cooking mode.
Select Add a cooking timer or the timer-plus icon.
Enter an optional timer name, such as Sauce, Rice, or Pasta.
Adjust the duration using the minus and plus controls.
Select Start timer.
Repeat these steps to add another timer if needed.
Review the remaining time in the active timer display.
Open the timer controls to pause or resume a timer.
Select the cross beside an active timer to cancel it.

Timers display their remaining time and associated recipe step. Named timers also display their chosen label.

How to Return to Cooking from Home

Leave the cooking screen and open Home.
Review Active cooking timers to check the remaining time.
Swipe horizontally through the timer row when several timers are active.
Select Continue cooking to return to the current recipe and step.

Figure 20: Dashboard showing Continue cooking and active timers while a cooking session is in progress.

Reporting a Recipe

Users can report a community recipe if they believe it contains inappropriate, misleading, copied, or unsafe content. A moderator then reviews the report.

The report option appears within the details of community recipes, such as those opened from Discover. It is not shown on the outer recipe cards or for Private Vault recipes.

Figure 21: Report Recipe dialog showing the available reasons and Submit report button.

How to Report a Recipe

Open a community recipe.
Select the flag icon near the top of the Recipe Details page.
Check that the dialog shows the intended recipe.
Select the reason that best describes the problem:
- Inappropriate language
- Spam / misleading
- Copyright / stolen content
- Unsafe or dangerous instructions
- Other
Select Submit report.
Wait for the confirmation message.
To leave without submitting, select the close icon.

The Submit report button becomes available after a reason is selected. Reporting a recipe sends it for review; it does not immediately remove the recipe.

Moderating Reported Recipes

Moderators review recipes that users have reported and decide whether they stay in the community. Reports are grouped by status:

Pending — waiting for a decision
Reviewed — the report was dismissed and the recipe stays published
Removed — the recipe was taken out of the community

Moderators can access this page by opening the Preference Profile and selecting Moderation at the bottom of the page. The Moderation button is only shown to moderators.

Figure 22: Moderation button on the Preference Profile, and the Moderation page showing the Pending and Reviewed report lists.

Figure 23: Report details showing the reported recipe, its ingredients and steps, and the moderation actions.

How to Review a Report

Open the Preference Profile and select Moderation.
Select Pending, Reviewed, or Removed to filter the reports. The number of reports in the selected list is shown above the cards.
Review each report card, which shows the recipe name, report number, status, reason, the reporting user, and the date and time it was reported.
Select View report to open the full report.
Review the recipe exactly as it is published in the community, including its owner, cuisine, preparation and cooking times, servings, video link, ingredients, and steps.
Under Moderation actions, select Dismiss report to keep the recipe published, or Remove from community to take it down.
Use the back arrow to return to the report list, and the refresh icon to load new reports.

How to Manage Moderators

Open the Moderation page.
Select Manage moderators.
Add or remove moderator access for users.

Shopping Lists

The Shopping Lists page allows users to view and manage multiple shopping lists. Users can create new lists manually, open existing lists, and access list actions from the menu.

Users can access this page by selecting the shopping cart icon on the Home screen.

Figure 24: Shopping Lists page showing one or more shopping lists.

How to Use Shopping Lists

Open the app and sign in.
Open the Shopping Lists page.
View the available shopping lists.
Select the plus button to create a new shopping list.
Tap a shopping list to open its items.
Use the menu icon next to a list to rename or delete it. Deleting a list asks for confirmation first.

Shopping Lists help users organise ingredients they need to buy and keep different shopping trips separate.

Shopping List Items

The Shopping List detail page shows the items inside a selected shopping list. Items are grouped by ingredient category and can be selected when they have been purchased. Users can select all items, deselect items, delete selected items, or send selected items to the pantry.

Users can access this page by selecting a shopping list from the Shopping Lists page.

Figure 25: Shopping List detail page showing item selection and pantry update.

How to Use Shopping List Items

Open the Shopping Lists page.
Select a shopping list to view its items.
Tick an item when it has been purchased.
Select Select all to mark all items as purchased.
Select Deselect to clear selected items.
Use the plus button to add another item to the list.
Use the menu icon on an item to edit it.
To delete several items at once, select them and use the delete action.
Select Update Pantry to send selected purchased items to the pantry.

Update Pantry removes the purchased items from the list and adds them to the pantry, then confirms how many were added. Items that were typed in by hand, rather than picked from the ingredient catalogue, are removed from the list but not added to the pantry.

Adding a Recipe to a Shopping List

Mealchemy can put a recipe's ingredients straight onto a shopping list, so users do not have to type every ingredient by hand. The ingredients can go on a new list or be added to an existing one. If an ingredient is already on the existing list in the same unit, the quantities are combined.

Users can do this from the Recipe Details page.

Figure 26: Recipe Details page confirming that a shopping list was created for a recipe.

How to Add a Recipe to a Shopping List

Open a recipe from Discover, Vault, or another recipe list.
Select the shopping cart icon at the top of the recipe page.
Choose where the ingredients go: New list, or one of the user's existing lists.
For a new list, check the name. It is filled in with the recipe title.
Turn Smart add on to add only the ingredients missing from the pantry, or off to add every ingredient.
Confirm and wait for the confirmation message.
Open the Shopping Lists page to review the items.

Meal Planner

The Meal Planner allows users to plan meals for specific dates and meal slots (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, or Other). Users can choose from meal suggestions, search their Vault, specify scheduled times, add custom notes, and generate a shopping list directly from planned meals.

Users can access the Meal Planner from the Dashboard, and it also appears below the folders on the Vault page. In a shared vault, Viewers see the plan with a VIEW ONLY tag and cannot change it.

Figure 27: Meal Planner showing the date picker, day schedule, recipe selection from Vault, and meal slot configuration.

How to Use the Meal Planner

Open the Meal Plan screen.
Select the calendar date or use the arrow controls to switch between days.
Select + Add on the desired meal slot (Breakfast, Lunch, or Dinner), or open the three-dot menu and select Add meal.
Choose a recipe from the Suggested section or pick one from My Vault using the folder dropdown and search bar.
Select the meal slot under When (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, or Other).
Set the scheduled meal time (e.g. 08:00).
Enter an optional Display name (defaults to the recipe name if left blank).
Add an optional Note (such as "Meal prepped" or dietary reminders).
Select Add to Plan to confirm and schedule the meal.

How to Generate a Shopping List from a Meal Plan

Open the Meal Plan page.
Select the three-dot action menu in the top right corner.
Select Generate shopping list.
Choose the From and To dates.
Choose New list or an existing list. Smart add, which skips ingredients already in the pantry, is only available for a new list.
Confirm, then review the list on the Shopping Lists page. A message lists any recipes that were skipped.

Help & Support

The Help & Support page provides users with guidance on how to use Mealchemy. It includes support contact details, a problem reporting section, navigation guides for key app features, video tutorial access, and frequently asked questions.

Users can access this page by selecting the help icon in the top-right corner of the Preference Profile.

Figure 28: Help & Support screens showing support options and navigation guides.

How to Use Help & Support

Open the Preference Profile and select the help icon in the top-right corner.
Select Contact Support to view support contact information and availability.
Select Report a Problem to see how to report a bug or incorrect recipe.
Expand Getting to know your Pantry for Pantry guidance.
Expand Vaults or Saving External Recipe Links for help organising recipes and links.
Expand Guided Discovery for help using recipe swipes.
Expand Understanding Nutrition for guidance on recipe nutritional values.
Expand Using Mealchemy Offline to learn which functionality remains available without a connection.
Open the remaining Navigation Guide topics for recipe and Shopping List assistance.
Review Frequently Asked for answers to common questions.

Each Help row can be expanded or collapsed so users can read only the guidance they need.

The Help & Support page makes it easier for users to understand the app and find assistance when something is unclear or not working correctly.

Offline Access

Mealchemy provides read-only access to previously saved data when the backend cannot be reached. An offline banner appears at the top of the screen to make it clear that the user is viewing cached information.

While offline, users can browse previously saved recipes, Private and Shared Vaults, Discover content, Pantry items, Shopping Lists, and Meal Plans. Cache-freshness information indicates when content was last saved. Guided Discovery swipes and Sizzles need a connection and are unavailable offline.

In the Meal Planner, saved days display cached meals alongside a "VIEW ONLY" badge. If a day has no scheduled meals, the app indicates that nothing was saved for that date. If an entire week was not cached prior to going offline, Mealchemy displays an advisory notice ("This week has not been saved for offline use.").

Actions that change server data—such as creating, editing, or scheduling meals—are unavailable offline. Opening mutation screens (such as Add Meal) displays a notification that changes are unavailable until connectivity is restored.

Figure 29: Offline mode showing the global banner, cached browsing, cache freshness, and protected mutation routes.

How to Use Mealchemy Offline

Use Mealchemy while online so supported content can be saved to the device.
If the backend becomes unreachable, look for the Offline – showing saved data banner.
Continue browsing previously saved recipes, Vaults, Discover content, Pantry items, Shopping Lists, and Meal Plans.
When viewing the Meal Plan, look for the VIEW ONLY badge to review scheduled meals and times.
If viewing a date that was not previously loaded while online, note messages such as Nothing planned yet or This week has not been saved for offline use.
Look for freshness information, such as Saved just now or Saved 1m ago, to understand when cached content was last updated.
Use available search, category-filter, navigation, and recipe-viewing functionality.
Return online before attempting to create, edit, delete, favourite, check, or update data.
If a protected route is opened offline (such as Add Meal), Mealchemy displays Changes are unavailable offline.
After connectivity is restored, wait for the offline banner to disappear before continuing with changes.

Offline content is scoped to the signed-in user. Signing in as a different user switches to that user’s saved data.

Glossary

Vault — where recipes are saved and organised into folders.
Private Vault — the user's own vault, visible only to them.
Shared Vault — a vault shared with other users, such as a household.
Global Vault — community recipes published by Mealchemy users, browsed on the Discover page.
Favourites — the default folder that holds recipes liked in Guided Discovery.
Pantry — the ingredients the user currently has.
Freshness — how close a pantry ingredient is to expiring.
Match percentage — how well a recipe fits the user's pantry, preferences, and past swipes.
Sizzles — short recipe videos under the Swipes tab.
Editing lock — stops two people editing the same shared recipe at once.
Smart add — adds only the ingredients missing from the pantry to a shopping list.
Owner — created a shared vault and manages its members.
Editor — can add and edit recipes in a shared vault.
Viewer — can browse a shared vault but not change it.
Moderator — reviews reported community recipes.