Scanning a barcode in Mouve, and what to do when a product is missing

To scan a barcode in Mouve, open Nutrition, tap the camera in the "Search, describe or scan" bar and point it at the code on the pack. Mouve finds the product and shows its label values for you to confirm. Barcode scanning is free on every account and doesn't count against the daily limit on photo estimates. If the product isn't found, search by name or add it by hand.

Mouve is the fitness and nutrition app made by Mouve Technology OÜ in Tallinn. A barcode is the most accurate way to log packaged food in the app.

How do I scan a barcode in Mouve?

The camera in the bottom bar of the Nutrition tab is the same scanner for photos, barcodes and nutrition labels. You don't pick a mode. Hold the code in view and it reads on its own.

A matched product opens on the same review sheet as a photo scan, with the meal and time at the top and an amount you can change. For packaged food the quick amounts are its own pack sizes. Tap Add and it goes to your diary.

Why is a barcode more exact than a photo?

A barcode points to one specific product, so Mouve can use the numbers printed on its label. Nothing about what the food is has to be guessed. The only estimate left is how much you ate, which you set with the stepper or the pack chips.

A photo has to work out both the food and the portion. That's why search and barcodes are free while photo estimates have a daily allowance (see the pricing page). A label can still be wrong, though, and a product that was reformulated may lag behind the shelf.

Where does the product data come from?

Mouve's catalogue is built mainly from Open Food Facts, an open, community-edited database of packaged food, plus products from shops in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Open Food Facts alone is about 4.7 million products as of 30 September 2026. That's a count that moves as we refresh, not a promise that your product is in it.

Coverage is better for products sold where people use Mouve than for imports. We're based in Estonia, so Baltic and Nordic shelves get the most attention.

What happens when the product is missing?

Either the scanner can't read the code (curved, shiny or too small), or it reads fine and we have no entry for it. Your options:

1. Search by name. Type the product or brand. The same product often exists under another barcode, like a different pack size.
2. Photograph the food instead. A photo scan estimates it, within the limits in how to log a meal from a photo.
3. Add it by hand. The help centre explains how to create a custom entry with the values from the label. Type them once and the food is in your own list.

You can also contribute foods to the shared catalogue, so a missing product you add can help the next person. Contributions are reviewed before anyone else sees them.

Why did it pick a different pack size?

One product often has several codes: a 330 ml can, a 6-pack, a multipack. If the scanner finds the right brand but the wrong size, change the amount or swap to the right pack on the review sheet. The Not right? button shows the other matches.

If the same product keeps failing, our entry is probably wrong or missing. See correct a wrong food scan for how a correction is recorded.

What doesn't Mouve do with barcodes?

• It doesn't promise every product in every country is in the catalogue.
• It doesn't turn a barcode printed on a menu or poster into a recipe. It matches products.
• It doesn't check whether a product suits your diet or health. It shows label values.

Scan the code, check the amount, tap Add. If nothing matches, search by name, then try a photo, then add it by hand. Other questions are in the help centre, and what is free in Mouve lists the limits of the free plan.