Q: Which websites work with Instant Import?
A: Check out the list of current sites here.

Q: How do I get my recipes from my iPad to the iPhone?
A: There are two ways: 1) You can use the technique outlined in the backup tutorial to copy your iPad recipe file to your computer desktop, then copy it to your iPhone via iTunes File Sharing.
2) Use Recipe Link to sync your collection. You may want to do #1 first, to get all your settings, then use #2 whenever you add a few recipes. Recipe Link checks for duplicates so it only takes a few seconds to update, rather than a few minutes to get the whole collection.
Tip: if you want to take a picture with your iPhone and copy that to your iPad, just delete the recipe from your iPad first so it will copy over.

Q: I can't get Recipe Link to work!

A: Here are some basic troubleshooting tips that can help solve issues:

• Do you have a strong WiFi signal on both devices? We find that it works best when both devices have at least two bars. Is there another WiFi network you can connect to?


• Can you send a recipe the other way - try sending from the device that would have received... Then we know whether the problem is the network or the device.


• Be sure to check to be sure your iPhone is set to connect to WiFi and not 3G!

Q: How do I delete a single recipe?

A: There are two ways: 1) Open the recipe in Cook mode. Tap the trash can button in the recipe header. You’ll be asked to confirm that you do, indeed, want to delete the recipe. Or, 2) In Browse mode, tap the little x that’s on the top left corner of each recipe card. Once again, you’ll be asked to confirm.

Q: How do I edit a recipe?

A: With the recipe open in Cook Mode, tap the button with the pencil on it, directly to the right of the recipe photo. In iPad, there's also a pencil button on each recipe in Browse mode.

Q: How do I delete categories?

A: You can edit categories in the settings page. Read the Edit, Add, and Delete Categories tutorial for details.

Q: How do I make a copy of a recipe?

A: Enter the entry mode by tapping the pencil icon. Change the name. Tap done. The Recipe Box will ask if you want to change the name of the recipe, or add a new one based on the current one. This is great for folks who like to experiment, and make notes based on different ingredients.

Q: Can I scan my recipes, then get the Recipe Box to import them?

A: A recipe in a magazine can't easily be added until you have the text in digital format. A scan, by itself, is just a picture, and can't be read as text information. One solution that we haven't tested (but should work) is to scan the recipes, then use an OCR (Optical Character Recognition) program to translate the scanned image into text that can be read by a computer. Here are the Google results for OCR software.

The most reliable way is to type it up, either by 1) typing directly into the app or 2) type it up in a word processing program on your PC, which you then email to yourself, open in your iPad, then copy and paste it into the app.

Q: How do I add my own photo to a recipe?

A: If you already have the photo you want to use stored in your iPad photo album, all you need to do is open the recipe you want to add the photo to, tap the pencil icon to go into the editing mode, then tap the default photo (the measuring spoons picture) to bring up the photo picker. If you have a 2nd generation iPad, you’ll have the option to open the camera, and either shoot a picture or a movie. Don’t forget to hit the Use button when you’re done. There’s a section in our Entering a Recipe tutorial that shows an illustrated explanation.

Q: How do I delete the recipes that came with The Recipe Box?

A: You can easily delete the recipes that we included with The Recipe Box. Just go to the settings page (tap the gear button at the bottom of this page.) Then scroll to the appropriate button. If you decide you really want Kathy’s dad’s meatloaf or Vibrata’s mom’s risotto there’s another button to reimport them.

Q: Where did the special keys on the keyboard go?

A: You might notice that some of the extra keys above the default keyboard are missing when you are in entry mode with your iPad rotated sideways to landscape position. We left out some keys to give you as much viewing space above the keyboard as possible — When your iPad is turned that way, the keyboard automatically becomes much larger, and the viewing space much smaller. So we had to compromise just a little. If you want all the extra keys, just use your iPad turned upright. PLEASE NOTE: The Recipe Box special keyboard is not available in Recipe Box To Go.

Q: How do those beautiful ornaments show up in my ingredients list?

A: While entering a recipe, simply add an extra line to the ingredients list with a double tap of the return key.

Q: I want to post a recipe to Facebook, but I don't see the icon when I tap the action button.

A: Make sure your device is logged on to Facebook by going to the Settings app, scrolling the menu on the left until you see the Facebook icon and selecting it. You'll see a section to sign in with your Facebook ID and password.

Q: Can I import recipes from another user of The Recipe Box?

A: Yes! Importing is now available, via email. Find out more.

Q: How come The Recipe Box emailed fewer cards than I selected?

A: The Recipe Box does not mail its own recipes in Browse mode...that saves space when mailing. If you really want to send them, you can do it one at a time from Cook mode.

Q: How do I email photos with my recipes?

A:When you email an individual recipe from a device running iOS 6 or 7, the photo will be included. You cannot send a photo when emailing from a list of recipes, or if your device is running iOS 5.

Q: How do I get to the list of recipes when I’m looking at a single recipe?

A: In the latest update we added a Back button (a left-pointing arrow) that you'll find in the upper right corner. Please make sure you've updated to the latest version, available in the iTunes App Store.

Q: I’m looking at a long list of recipes. How do I get back to the top?

A: In the Recipe Box for iPad, tap The Recipe Box logo. In both the Recipe Box and the Recipe Box To Go, tap your device's status bar where it shows the time.

Q: I want to see the ingredients at the same time as my directions.

A: (iPad only) Rotate your iPad so the long edge is on top.

Q: I want to browse through my recipes in Cook mode.

A: Swipe across the recipe screen with two fingers in either direction. You’ll be moving forward or backward through whatever list you’ve called up while in any browse mode category, or search. It might be a little tricky. What helps is to have the top finger above the bottom one, rather than side-by-side. In testing is ourselves, we find that a thumb and middle finger work quite well.

Q: I want to see more directions when I’m cooking. How do I do that?

A: (iPad only) Tap the directions tab or the recipe title to make the recipe header disappear. Tap the title if you want to see the header again.

Q: Can I change the font size to be bigger or smaller?

A: Absolutely. In iOS 7, the app will update the font size according to your Dynamic Type settings. Go to your Settings app. Select General > Text Size. In iOS 6, use two fingers in a pinch-to-zoom gesture.

Q: I’d love to have an iPhone version of The Recipe Box and sync it with my iPad. Can you do that?

A: We can, and we did!

Q: Can the Recipe Box scale ingredient amounts if I change the number of servings?

A:We get asked this a lot, and we know it would be a great feature. Here's the thing: Our number one focus when designing this app was to make entering a recipe easy, fast and fun. We made that possible by allowing users to simply plop a whole paragraph of text into the entry screen without having to individually enter each ingredient separately. In order to do recipe scaling effectively, we would need users to enter amount, unit of measurement and ingredient each in their own little box. What a chore, especially if it's a complex recipe. So we made a choice to leave out recipe scaling until we come up with a better way. Wish us luck!

Q: Can I import recipes from a program on my PC, or from another Recipe Box user?

A: The short answer? No and yes. Here’s the long answer: At this time we don’t import recipes from other programs, but are looking into supporting this. We developed the app with our own use-habits as a model, and are only now becoming aware of the variety of desktop apps out there, like MacGourmet and MasterCook.

Q: Can I import recipes directly from a website into the Recipe Box?

A: Yes.

Q: What’s new in this version?

A: If you use the Recipe Box To Go, we're now fully compatible with iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, iOS 8.x!

• Our icon, logo and interface are cleaner, brighter and 21st century retro-futuristic!

• Bug fixes for various Instant Import websites.

• Special extended keyboard now properly adapts to iPad orientation

• Faster Recipe Link functionality for some users

• Performance enhancements

• Stability improvements

Thanks to our intrepid beta testers and everyone who wrote in letting us know about bugs and other useablilty issues.

Q: I don’t see my question here. What should I do?

A: Send us a message.