Create your household
Open Settings → Households and create one. Lists, folders, meals, chat, and budget data are tied to the selected household.
Popular guides
Fast answers for common tasks. If your app build looks different, labels may vary slightly while flow stays the same.
Invite family members
Open the invite icon in the header or go to Settings → Members. Share the Invite Code — they enter it in CartWhiz to join your household.
Create a folder (private or shared)
Tap “+ New folder”, name it, then toggle “Private (only me)” if needed.
Getting started
Follow these steps to get your household fully set up from invite code through budget tracking.
Join household (enter invite code)
Use Join household → Enter invite code in the app. Ask the owner to share their Invite Code from the invite icon or Settings → Members.
Add items and categories
Tap the + button in Lists, add quantities or notes, and categorize items for faster shopping sessions.
Plan meals and generate groceries
Use the Meals tab to schedule weekly meals and add needed ingredients to shopping lists (where available in your build).
Track receipts and budget totals
Add receipts after each trip so household monthly totals reflect real spending and stay aligned with your budget.
Quick troubleshooting
Most sync and display issues resolve quickly with the checks below.
Sync delay or household switching delay
Switching households can take a short moment while CartWhiz loads the selected household and resyncs activity.
Reconnect steps
- Toggle Wi-Fi or cellular once.
- Wait 10–20 seconds for realtime reconnection.
- Open the affected household again.
Force close + reopen
If the UI looks stale, force close CartWhiz and relaunch. This usually refreshes list, chat, and budget views.
Network + Apple account basics
Confirm internet access and make sure your Apple ID/iCloud session is healthy on device settings before restoring purchases.
Restore Pro
Open Pro settings and tap Restore purchases while signed in with the same Apple ID used for purchase.
Privacy & data
What is visible to the household and what stays personal.
What is shared in a household
Shared lists, shared folders, meal plans, receipts, budget totals, and household chat are visible to household members.
What stays private
Private folders and private notes stay visible only to you. Use private mode for personal reminders or separate planning.
Private vs shared folders
Choose private for personal tasks; choose shared for anything the household should see and update collaboratively.
Full privacy policy
Read complete details in the Privacy Policy.
Frequently asked questions
Search above to filter by keywords like invite code, join code, receipts, notifications, chat, and restore purchases.
Getting started
How do I create my first household?
When you create an account, CartWhiz will prompt you to create your first household right away. Follow the on-screen steps, choose a name, and you’re in.
If you skipped it, you can still set one up later: go to Settings → Households and create one.
Your lists, folders, meals, chat, and budget are tied to the currently selected household.
Want to join instead of create? Choose Join household and enter the Invite Code you received.
Creating or joining additional households: In Settings → Households, you can create or join additional households if you have Pro.
If you skipped it, you can still set one up later: go to Settings → Households and create one.
Your lists, folders, meals, chat, and budget are tied to the currently selected household.
Want to join instead of create? Choose Join household and enter the Invite Code you received.
Creating or joining additional households: In Settings → Households, you can create or join additional households if you have Pro.
How do I invite someone?
Use the invite icon (top right) or Settings → Members to view your Invite Code. Share the code, then they join in CartWhiz via Join household → Enter invite code.
Where does the other person enter the invite code?
On their device, open CartWhiz and use Join household, then choose Enter invite code and submit the code exactly as shared.
Why does switching households sometimes look delayed?
Household switching can take a moment while the app syncs the selected household. If it stays stale, switch connection or reopen the app once.
Lists & items
How do I add an item quickly?
On the List tab, tap the + button, add name/quantity, and save. Pro users may see Smart formatting options.
How do I edit or delete an item?
Tap an item to open its details, then edit fields or delete it. Some builds also support swipe actions for quick edit/delete.
What happens when I check off an item?
Checked items are marked done and may move to history depending on your build settings, keeping active lists focused.
Why do I see merge prompts for duplicate items?
CartWhiz can detect similar entries (for example, “Milk” and “2% milk”) and suggest a merge to avoid clutter.
Folders
Private vs shared folders — what’s the difference?
Private folders are visible only to you. Shared folders are visible to all members in the current household.
How do I create a folder?
Tap + New folder, set a name, choose private/shared visibility, then save.
Can I move items between folders?
Yes. Open item details and change its folder assignment, or use bulk actions if available in your app build.
Receipts & budget
What does “Add receipt” do?
It records an expense entry for the selected household and contributes to monthly budget totals.
How are budget totals calculated?
Budget totals are calculated from receipt entries in the active household for the selected date range (usually monthly).
My receipt is missing — what should I check?
Confirm you are in the right household, verify date filters, and wait for sync if your connection changed recently.
Meals & planning
How does the meal planner work?
Use Meals to place meals on specific days so the household sees one weekly plan.
Can I generate groceries from meal plans?
In supported builds, you can add meal ingredients directly to a list. If not shown, add items manually from meal notes.
Chat & notifications
What is the Chat tab used for?
Use household chat for quick coordination like substitutions, pickup updates, and shopping status.
How do notifications work?
CartWhiz may send notifications for household updates or chat activity. Check in-app and iOS notification settings if alerts are missing.
Sync & offline
What happens when I’m offline?
You may see cached data temporarily. Once back online, CartWhiz resyncs household changes.
Realtime updates stopped — what should I do?
Switch Wi-Fi/cellular once, wait briefly, then reopen the app if needed. Realtime usually reconnects automatically.
Pro & billing
What do I get with Pro?
Pro unlocks premium capabilities (for example Smart add/formatting and other advanced options) that can evolve over time.
I bought Pro — how do I restore it?
Open Pro settings and tap Restore purchases. Use the same Apple ID that originally purchased Pro.
My subscription is active but Pro is still locked
Run Restore purchases first, then restart the app. If still locked, contact support with your purchase receipt and account details.
Contact support
If you still need help, send details and we can diagnose faster.
Email: cartwhiz.staff@gmail.com
- Screenshot (or screen recording)
- Steps to reproduce
- Which household (name or ID)
- Device model (e.g., iPhone 14 Pro)
- iOS version (e.g., iOS 17.4)
- App version (if available)
- Time of issue (optional)