Questions and answers

It shows how acidic a food is on a color strip, rates it Gentle, Caution or Avoid for acid reflux, warns about hidden triggers, and suggests gentler swaps. Premium adds a personal trigger tracker, a barcode scanner, recipes, a meal plan and a grocery list.

Not to check foods or save a list on your device. Create a free account to keep your saved foods and logs safe across your phone, tablet and computer. You need an account for Premium.

iPhone: open phbytes.com/app in Safari, tap the Share button, then Add to Home Screen.

Android: open it in Chrome, tap the menu, then Install app or Add to Home screen.

Once you've opened it, the food checker keeps working offline. Signing in, syncing your logs, the barcode scanner and payments need a connection.

Gentle means pH 5 or higher with no known trigger. Caution means pH 4 to 5, or a low-acid food with a known trigger such as fat, caffeine or onion. Avoid means pH below 4, which is strongly acidic.

They're typical averages from published food references, such as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's list of approximate food pH values. A food's real pH changes with ripeness, variety, brand and cooking, so treat the number as a guide rather than an exact measurement.

Some foods cause reflux for reasons other than acid. Fatty foods, chocolate, mint, caffeine, alcohol, fizzy drinks, spicy food, onion and garlic can relax the valve at the top of the stomach. pHBytes flags these so they don't catch you off guard.

Mixed dishes like pizza don't have one published pH, so we estimate from their main ingredients. Recipes vary a lot, so check how you feel.

For each food you log, it counts how often a symptom followed within a time window you choose (3 hours by default), then compares that with your overall rate. A food needs at least three logs before it gets a label. Foods you always eat together share results, so try changing one at a time. These are patterns, not a diagnosis.

Product details come from Open Food Facts, a free public database. Some products aren't listed yet. When that happens, check the ingredient label for the common triggers listed in the app.

$4.99 a month, $34.99 a year, or $79 once for lifetime access. Prices are in US dollars and may include sales tax where required.

In the app, go to More → Account → Manage subscription and billing, then choose Cancel subscription. You keep Premium until the end of the period you already paid for, and you won't be charged again.

Yearly plans can be refunded in full within 14 days of purchase, and lifetime within 30 days. Monthly plans can be canceled anytime but aren't refunded for the current month. The Refund Policy has the details.

Stripe, a payment company used by millions of businesses. Your card details go straight to Stripe — pHBytes never sees or stores your full card number.

Yes. From Manage subscription and billing you can switch between monthly and yearly. To move to lifetime, cancel your subscription and buy lifetime, then email us and we'll refund any unused time on your yearly plan.

Only you. Your logs are tied to your account and protected by security rules. We don't sell your information or share it with advertisers. See the Privacy Policy.

You can delete any entry in the app. To delete your whole account and everything in it, email us from the address on your account and we'll do it within 30 days.

On the sign-in screen, enter your email and tap Forgot password. We'll send you a reset link.

No. It's an educational and tracking tool. It doesn't diagnose or treat any condition. Talk with your doctor about your symptoms and before changing your diet or medicines.

If reflux happens more than twice a week, or over-the-counter remedies aren't helping. Get care right away for trouble or pain when swallowing, weight loss you can't explain, vomiting blood, or black stools. Chest pain can be a heart problem — call 911 if you're unsure.