A record you can recognize#

BoxSeek QR keeps a photo inventory of the things you put away. Name a box, shelf or drawer, record its location, and add the items inside. Search those records or scan your printed BoxSeek labels when you need something again.

A box is a storage place. An item is one record in it; quantity describes how many of that thing you have. A location, such as Garage · rack 2 · top shelf, tells you where to look.

See inside a box without opening it#

1. Tap Scan at the bottom of the app and allow camera access.
2. Point at a BoxSeek box label. The app shows the box’s saved contents and location in a sheet.
3. Tap an item to inspect it, or Open box for the full box page.
4. Close the sheet to scan another label.

An item label shows that item and offers Open item and Open box. This is a lookup of saved records, not a live view through a closed box. Keep locations and contents current.

How to use this guide#

Start with Your first box in five minutes, or choose a task from the sidebar. Words in bold are current button names. More → Database → Sharing means open More, find Database, then choose Sharing.

The screenshots are captures of the current web app using a separate sample inventory. Your item counts, account status, system permissions and printer dialogs may differ. This guide is for the current app, rather than the older cloud-household edition.

Start with your own inventory#

Open BoxSeek QR on the phone you intend to use. You can start without creating an account. Boxes, items, photos and settings are stored on that device.

There is no cloud-household or HOME LOCAL choice in the current app. Signing in to a BoxSeek QR+ account does not automatically download another phone’s inventory.

Switch between your inventory and received copies#

Open More → On this device and select the inventory you want. Received separate copies are marked Read-only. Switching changes what you are looking at; it does not merge inventories or move belongings.

To share, use More → Database → Sharing. A sharing transfer creates a copy; changes on one phone do not continuously sync to the other. See Share an inventory, step by step.

Offline use and backups#

You can browse and edit your saved inventory offline. Photo-assisted entry, sharing transfers, account services and fresh weather forecasts need an internet connection. An initial load or required update can also need a connection.

Keep regular Download Database backups outside the app. Browser site data is the inventory’s storage: clearing it can remove your records. An installed web app and a browser tab for the same app origin share storage in that browser profile.

Open the current app#

Open the app in your phone’s browser. A brief Checking for app notices… screen may appear. If a required update is shown, choose Update app, then Check again if needed. Do not clear your inventory to dismiss an update.

The introduction#

The first-use introduction has timed slides. Wait for the countdown, then use Take a look or the next-slide control. Pause lets you read at your own pace. Complete the tour to enter the app. Skip is available when replaying the introduction.

You can replay it later from More → Introduction and sample → Replay introduction.

Add the app to your home screen#

Open More. If Install app is offered, tap it and complete the browser’s installation prompt. You can also use your browser’s Add to Home Screen or installation option. On iPhone, open the app in Safari and use Share → Add to Home Screen. Browser wording varies.

Add the app itself, not this instruction page. If it is already installed, More may not show an install button. You can always use the web app directly.

Permissions and the empty inventory#

A new inventory starts with sample boxes so you can explore. Dismiss the welcome tip with Got it. Remove the sample later under More → Introduction and sample → Remove sample inventory; your personal entries are kept. If your inventory is empty, Home offers Add your first box and Try the sample inventory. Camera access is requested when taking a photo or scanning a label; you can still type items without it.

Use your phone or browser keyboard’s dictation if it supports speech input. The current Search screen uses a text field; it does not have the older dedicated Press to talk workflow. Check Alerts inside the app rather than relying on an old notification-permission walkthrough.

The bottom navigation#

• Boxes opens the full box list, with New box, Quick Add and Print labels actions.
• Scan opens the camera to look up BoxSeek box and item labels.
• Search lets you search Items, Boxes or By location.

Some full-screen tasks, such as the camera and Quick Add review, hide the bottom navigation while you work.

The top bar#

Tap the BoxSeek QR brand to return Home. The back arrow returns to the previous screen. The palette opens Color of the screen; the bell opens Alerts; the menu icon opens More.

Home contains a search shortcut, pinned items and your boxes. A read-only banner identifies a received copy, so check the selected inventory before editing.

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1. Name the box and its place#

1. On an empty Home, choose Add your first box. Otherwise tap Boxes → New box.
2. Enter Winter clothes in Box name and Garage · top shelf as the location.
3. Tap Save box. The app opens the saved box.

2. Add one item#

1. Inside the box, choose Add item.
2. Enter Red scarf, leave Quantity at 1, and add a description or photo if useful.
3. Tap Save item. Look for Saved.
4. Choose Open item to inspect the record, or Add another item to continue.

Finish adding leaves the new-item form. If its last item is unsaved, the app asks whether to Save or Finish. Use Save if you intend to keep it.

3. Try finding it#

Open Search → Items, type scarf, and open the result. Check the recorded box name and location. You have tested the full loop from saving an item to finding its physical box.

4. Print a label when you are ready#

Open the box and choose Print label. Select the label, check Preview and Label setup, then use Print or Download. Stick the printed label on the physical box and try Scan. No printer yet? Names and search still work.

5. Keep it useful#

Use Pin on the item if you want it on Home. Then go to More → Database → Download Database and save the ZIP backup outside the app. The checklist in this guide only tracks your learning; it does not add records to BoxSeek.

Add a box#

1. Tap Boxes in the bottom navigation.
2. Tap New box.
3. Enter a Box name and its location. Use a suggested existing location when appropriate.
4. Tap Save box. Cancel leaves without creating a box.

The current app does not use the old four-box Free limit or HOME plan capacity dialogs.

Browse your boxes and items#

The Boxes tab lists boxes by name with an alphabet index. Items shows item records. By location groups boxes by the location you entered. Quick Add opens photo capture or waiting drafts, and Print labels opens label selection.

Names that are easy to find later#

Use specific names such as Spare cables or Camping cookware. Keep the physical place in the location field. Reuse the suggested place names to keep location grouping tidy.

Rename or move a box with Edit box. Its label identity stays the same, so an existing QR still looks it up; reprint when you want the visible name and location on the sticker updated.

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The box page#

Open a box to see its name, location, stored-item count and items. Add item opens the item form. Print label prints the box label. Edit box changes its name, location and notes. Sort offers Original order, Name A–Z and Newest first.

Use the arrows on the shelf image to move between boxes. The page also includes lent and taken-out records separately from stored items.

More actions for a box#

Open More on the box page for Print item labels, Delete box, Contents still match and Share.

Share exports a written text list of the box contents. It is different from printing a QR label or transferring an inventory from More → Database → Sharing.

Check contents before marking them checked#

Compare the physical contents with the records, then choose More → Contents still match. This updates the checked date; the app does not inspect the box for you. After about 180 days, a box may appear under Not checked in a while in Alerts.

Delete a box deliberately#

More → Delete box asks for confirmation and removes the box and its items from this device’s inventory. Move any items you want to keep to another box first. Download a backup before deleting records you may need later.

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Save an item manually#

1. Open a box and tap Add item.
2. Confirm the box; Change box selects another destination.
3. Enter Name and Quantity. Add Description, Color, Size, Barcode or Notes as useful.
4. Use Take photo or Choose photo if you want a picture.
5. Tap Save item, then Open item or Add another item.

Use Scan barcode to fill the product barcode field. This does not create a BoxSeek QR label.

Fill details from a photo#

After attaching a photo, choose Fill details from photo. Wait for the suggestions, then review names, descriptions, quantities and other details. AI suggestions are optional and may be wrong; estimates are not appraisals.

When several objects are identified, review the proposed items, edit or delete unwanted results, then choose Add … items when offered. Those reviewed additions are saved through that action. Ordinary manual entry uses Save item.

Online recognition uses the AI allowance shown in the app. You can keep adding items manually when that allowance is used up.

Quick Add: capture now, review later#

1. Open Quick Add from Boxes or an item form. Choose a destination box in the camera when prompted.
2. Take photos of the belongings you want to record.
3. Choose Process photos now, or Wait · Keep as drafts to return later.
4. Open Quick Add to see photos grouped by box. Select the photos you want, then choose Go · … photos.

The red Quick Add count shows waiting drafts. An item marked PENDING QUICK ADD still needs review. Opening it takes you back to Quick Add.

Quick Add: read, review and save#

1. Read photos: wait for processing. Use Resume reading photos or Retry photos that failed when needed, then Next.
2. Review items: inspect each proposed item. Use Edit to correct details, Delete to reject a result, and Next to continue. View photo uncropped shows the original.
3. Save items: review the kept count and choose Save … items. Read the completion message.

Quit → Work on later preserves unfinished work. Resume reopens it. Start Over closes an unfinished review while keeping original photos and drafts. Delete actions remove the unsaved work described in their confirmation; read the warning before confirming.

Extra details and pinning#

The form includes Cold / freeze sensitive and Heat sensitive toggles with Celsius thresholds, an expiry date, season, Pin this item and notes. Save changes before leaving. On the item page, Pin and Unpin control the Home shortcut.

The item page shows its box, location, quantity, status and saved product details. Use the shelf arrows to browse neighboring items. More → Print label prints a label for that item.

Edit, move, lend and take out#

Edit → Save item updates the record. Move lets you choose another existing box or Scan the destination label. The recorded destination changes; move the physical item too.

Lend asks for Quantity, Who has it?, an optional Return date and Lending notes. Tap Lend to save. When it comes back, choose Returned on its lent record. Lending only part of a quantity creates a separate record; returning it does not automatically merge the quantities.

Take out records the chosen quantity as removed; Remove all fills in the full quantity before you confirm. A taken-out record can appear in Needs replacement and can be restored with Put back. More → Delete item deletes after confirmation.

Duplicate names and unsaved changes#

If the name already exists in the destination box, the app offers Add anyway, Open existing, Add to its quantity, or Cancel. Choose deliberately to avoid duplicate stock records.

Finish adding leaves the new form. If the final item is unsaved, use Save in the warning to keep it; Finish discards that unsaved entry. On an existing item, Cancel leaves without saving edits.

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Search items, boxes and locations#

1. Tap Search.
2. Choose Items, Boxes or By location.
3. Type into Find an item, Find a box or Find a location.
4. Open the matching result and follow its recorded box and location.

Item search can match names, descriptions, color and barcodes. Include removed includes taken-out records. Check spelling and the selected inventory when a result is missing. Your keyboard’s dictation may be useful for entering a query.

Scan a label#

Tap Scan and allow the camera. A box label opens its saved contents sheet; choose a listed item or Open box. An item label offers Open item and Open box. Close the result before scanning another.

If the app says the label is not in this inventory, choose the correct inventory under More → On this device. A label does not download a missing inventory or grant access to someone else’s data.

Three codes, three different jobs#

• BoxSeek box/item labels: look up saved inventory records.
• Product barcodes: store a manufacturer’s code on an item, using Scan barcode in its form.
• Sharing QR codes: receive an encrypted inventory transfer, using More → Database → Sharing.

The ordinary QR label on a storage box is not an account login, payment receipt or household invitation.

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Open the right label selection#

• Boxes → Print labels: select box labels from the full inventory.
• Box → Print label: start with that box’s label.
• Box → More → Print item labels: choose item labels for that box.
• Item → More → Print label: start with that item’s label.

Choose labels and check the preview#

1. Expand Choose labels and select the records you need.
2. For a selected item with quantity greater than one, choose One label or All … labels.
3. Expand Preview. Check the page count and use the zoom and page controls to inspect it.
4. Expand Label setup. Choose Letter or A4, label size, and whether to Print label outlines.

Quantity copies repeat the same item-label identity; they do not create new inventory entries.

Adjust alignment and print#

Advanced alignment contains Millimetres/Inches, sheet and label measurements, rows and columns, spacing and upper-left offsets. Use Fit as many as possible if appropriate, then Save alignment on this device.

Correct any measurement errors before printing. The preview keeps the last valid layout while measurements are invalid.

Choose Print or Download in the top action bar. Download saves a label PDF. Print at 100% / Actual size, use matching paper, and disable browser headers and footers. Print a small test and scan a label before using a full sheet.

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Read your Alerts list#

Tap the bell in the top bar. Depending on your records, Alerts groups expired or expiring items, loans, cold and heat warnings, seasonal items, Needs replacement and boxes not checked in a while. Tap an alert to open its item or box.

The bell count highlights expired/expiring items, overdue loans and active cold/heat warnings. Some other entries remain in the list without increasing that count.

Expiry dates, loans and seasons#

Set expiry dates and seasons in the item form. For lending, record the borrower and optionally a return date. Under More → Reminder settings, set Days before expiry, Days before return and the month numbers for seasons, then choose Save reminders.

A loan without a return date cannot become overdue by a missing date. A taken-out item can appear under Needs replacement. Use Returned or Put back on the appropriate record when its status changes.

Cold and heat warnings#

1. Set Cold / freeze sensitive or Heat sensitive on the item, and save its Celsius thresholds.
2. Open More → Cold & heat warnings.
3. Enter a city, ZIP or postal code, tap Find City and choose the correct location.
4. Check Alerts. Refresh forecast requests a fresh forecast immediately.

The app checks forecasts when open or returning to use, and after relevant changes. It downloads a new forecast when the saved one is over three hours old or the location changes. Offline forecasts are used for up to 24 hours. Forecasts do not refresh while the app is closed.

These are outdoor forecasts, not measurements inside a box, shed or garage. Turn off weather warnings clears the city without deleting item thresholds.

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Change the palette#

Tap the palette in the top bar. In Color of the screen, choose Light Mode, Dark Mode or Monochrome. The choice applies immediately; the app uses your own inventory’s saved appearance setting.

Changing the appearance does not move, delete or share inventory. If a screen is difficult to read, choose the mode you find clearest.

What is in More#

Open the menu icon in the top bar. More contains On this device, Account details, Database, Cold & heat warnings, Reminder settings and Introduction and sample. Install app appears only when the browser offers installation.

On this device selects your own inventory or a received read-only copy. Account details shows your username or guest status, account ID, linked plan and AI-assisted additions remaining. Use Refresh account details if needed. Signing in recovers account access, not another phone’s inventory.

Share an inventory, step by step#

1. On the owner phone, open More → Database → Sharing.
2. Choose Share this inventory, select an editable inventory and tap Share now.
3. Keep that screen open while it displays the transfer QR code.
4. On the second phone, open Sharing → Receive a copy → Scan source QR code. Alternatively paste the transfer link and choose Use pasted link.
5. After downloading, choose Keep as separate copy for a read-only copy, or Replace my inventory to replace that phone’s own inventory.
6. Read both confirmation prompts before continuing. Back up the receiving phone first if you are replacing its inventory.

The transfer is encrypted on the source device. Once downloaded, the temporary encrypted relay copy is deleted. A saved separate copy does not merge or continuously sync; send a new transfer for later changes. Do not publicly post a transfer link.

Manage a received copy#

Choose a received copy under More → On this device. Read-only copies can be browsed but not edited. Remove this downloaded copy under Database removes that local copy; it does not remove the source phone’s inventory.

Replacing your own inventory makes the received records your editable inventory after confirmation. It overwrites the previous own inventory rather than combining them.

Introduction and the sample#

Use Replay introduction to revisit the tour. Refresh sample inventory restores the sample records. Remove sample inventory asks before removing marked demo items and empty demo boxes. Your personal records and boxes containing them are kept.

Demo records are for practice. Check that important records are yours before using a demonstration location or lending entry as real information.

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Choose the right export#

Download your database#

1. Open More → Database → Download Database.
2. Wait for backup preparation. Check any missing-photo warning.
3. Find the ZIP in Downloads or complete the platform’s Save/Share action.
4. Keep a copy outside this app and preferably outside this phone. Keep an older backup as well as the latest one.

The ZIP includes saved database records and available item photos, including original and cropped photos. Saved drafts are included. Unused photos and unfinished AI review results are excluded. Missing referenced photos are listed in database.json; keep the warning in mind before relying on the backup.

Restore on this phone or a new phone#

1. Back up anything you want to keep on the destination phone first.
2. Open BoxSeek QR on the destination phone. Select your own editable inventory under More → On this device.
3. Choose More → Database → Restore Database.
4. Select the original BoxSeek ZIP file. Keep it intact; do not select a CSV or rename its internal files.
5. Read and confirm Replace this inventory?.
6. Inspect several boxes, items and photos before erasing the old phone’s copy.

Restore replaces the selected inventory; it does not merge two lists. A full-device ZIP can contain several inventories, but the current restore flow restores the main inventory. Use Sharing separately when you need to transfer another inventory.

Before deleting the app or clearing storage#

Check that your backup actually exists outside the app. Keeping a username or a payment receipt is not a replacement for saving your inventory and photos. Clearing browser data can remove the inventory even if you later sign back into your account.

Keep backup ZIPs private: they contain personal inventory, photos and account-related records. Share an inventory through the dedicated Sharing feature when you want to send a copy without handing over a full device backup.

Boxes and manually saved items#

The current app has no set limits on boxes, manually saved item records or their quantities. The old Free four-box/four-item limits and HOME STARTER, HOME PLUS, HOME EXTREME and HOME LOCAL capacity table do not describe this edition.

Quantity is a count on a record: ten screws can be one item with quantity ten. Separate lent or taken-out portions can create additional records so you can track their status.

AI-assisted entry has its own allowance#

Photo suggestions and Quick Add use the AI-assisted additions allowance shown in the app. Check the remaining count at the relevant entry screen or under More → Account details. Manual entry, existing inventory search and label lookup remain available when the AI allowance is used up.

Review the current in-app offer if you want more assisted additions. A BoxSeek QR+ account may show Monthly, Annual or Lifetime choices; use the current checkout for amounts, terms and availability rather than the old native-store plan instructions.

Account access is separate from inventory recovery#

If you choose a paid option, the current flow opens secure Stripe checkout. After payment, return to the app, check payment status if needed, and secure the account with a username and password when prompted. The current password creation asks for 12–128 characters.

Do not purchase again just to troubleshoot a delayed status update. Keep your payment confirmation and use Refresh account details or Check payment status. Account recovery does not automatically restore the inventory on another device: keep backups.

Read-only means a received copy#

An inventory marked Read-only is a separate received copy. Switch to your own inventory to add or edit records. It is not the older plan-capacity or household-seat restriction.

An update or notice is blocking entry#

Read the message. If Update app is shown, use it and then Check again. Reconnect if the update cannot load. Keep your inventory data; clearing storage is not an update method.

The inventory looks empty#

Go to More → On this device and check which inventory is selected. Also check that you opened the same app address and browser profile where you saved your records. Account sign-in does not sync a missing inventory from another phone. Use a saved backup or Sharing from the original phone.

I cannot save or move an item#

A read-only received copy cannot be edited. Choose your own inventory, give the item a name, select an existing destination box and correct invalid quantities or dates. Do not confuse Save item with Finish adding or Cancel.

If a message mentions local storage, site data or another BoxSeek tab, keep site data and close other app tabs or installed instances as the message advises. Leave one instance open and retry. Download a backup before any reset.

The camera is black or a code is not recognized#

Allow the app origin to use the camera in your browser or system settings, reopen Scan, and use a secure HTTPS connection. Keep the whole label in frame, reduce glare and vary the distance. A recognized label missing from the current inventory needs the correct inventory selected, not another purchase.

A photo did not fill the form#

Attach the photo and choose Fill details from photo; attaching a photo alone is not a guarantee of recognized fields. Check the connection and the AI allowance. In Quick Add, Resume unfinished work or Retry photos that failed. You can always enter details manually and Save item.

A sharing transfer fails#

Keep the source Sharing page open, check both connections and use its current sharing QR or full link. An ordinary box label is not a transfer link. A temporary transfer may already have been downloaded; create a new one if needed. Back up before choosing Replace my inventory.

A weather warning is missing#

Check the item’s saved thresholds and city under More. Open Alerts and tap Refresh forecast. Weather uses outdoor data and does not keep refreshing while the app is closed. Older offline forecasts are not fresh storage measurements.

A backup or print action does nothing#

For labels, select at least one record and fix layout errors. Check your browser’s download or print dialog. For Download Database, wait for preparation and confirm that the ZIP actually reached Downloads or your chosen destination. Restore Database expects the intact supported BoxSeek ZIP, not a spreadsheet.

If you need help#

Keep the exact on-screen message, app version shown at the bottom of More, device/browser details and the steps you took. Contact The Mind Factory through its contact page. Do not send passwords, live transfer links or a full private database unless you have arranged an appropriate support exchange.

Save first, then leave#

Save item saves manual entries. Finish adding leaves the new-item form and asks about an unsaved last entry. In Quick Add, reading and reviewing photos are separate from Save … items.

Keep the record and the shelf together#

When something moves, update its box or the box’s location. When you lend it, record the borrower. When it returns, use Returned. When you take stock out, record the quantity and use Put back if it is replaced.

Keep your own recovery copy#

Download Database regularly, verify the ZIP outside the app and retain a previous copy. Separate sharing copies do not live-sync, and signing in does not bring back cleared local inventory. A short, accurate list is more useful than a long list you no longer trust.

Can I start without photos or an account?#

Yes. Add a box and type item names and details. Photos, AI assistance and account checkout are optional for starting a manual inventory.

Does quantity ten mean ten separate items?#

No. It is one record with quantity ten. Lending or taking out part of that quantity can split it into another record with its own status.

Is Take out the same as Delete item?#

No. Taken-out records can be found using Include removed and can be Put back. Deletion removes the record after confirmation. Back up before deleting anything you may need later.

Does a box sticker share my inventory?#

No. It identifies a saved box or item. Use More → Database → Sharing to send an encrypted inventory copy.

Can a received copy be edited or kept in sync?#

A separate received copy is read-only and does not live-sync. For fresh information, send another transfer. Replace my inventory is a separate confirmed overwrite action that makes the received data the destination phone’s own inventory.

Can I work without internet?#

Your stored records are available offline. Recognition, transfer links, current forecasts, payment and account services require a connection. Keep a backup in case device or browser storage is lost.

Does the weather feature measure inside the box?#

No. It uses outdoor forecasts for the selected city. Actual temperatures inside a garage, cupboard or vehicle may be different.

Will signing in or recovering payment restore my items?#

No. Use Download Database and Restore Database, or transfer the inventory from the original phone using Sharing. Keep the backup ZIP and photos together.

Which button completes an addition?#

For manual entry, Save item. For the photo suggestion review, Add … items when offered. For a Quick Add batch, Save … items after the read and review stages. Look for the success message before leaving.