OurGroceries

Frequently Asked Questions

General questions

Features

Problems

What problem does OurGroceries solve?

OurGroceries lets you keep a single set of grocery lists for your family or household. Everyone can edit these lists on their mobile phone or web browser. Whenever anyone modifies a list, everyone else sees the changes right away.

For example, you might be at work and remember that you’re out of coffee. You use the OurGroceries application on your mobile phone to add it to the list. If your partner happens to go to the store later that day, they’ll see the new item on their mobile phone and pick up some coffee. Once they do so, they can cross it off the list and it will be crossed off on your list too—automatically.

How much does OurGroceries cost?

OurGroceries is free! We show unobtrusive ads at the top of the screen to help pay for development costs.

What devices is OurGroceries available for?

OurGroceries is available for the following devices:

iPhone™
iPod touch®
Most BlackBerry® phones running OS version 4.5 or higher, including:
- Torch™ (9800 Series)
- Curve™ (8300, 8900, and 8500 Series)
- Bold™ (9000 and 9700 Series)
- Tour™ (9600 Series)
- Storm™ & Storm2™ (9500 Series)
- 8800 Series
- Pearl™ (8100 Series)
- Pearl™ Flip (8200 Series)
Any Android™-powered device, including:
- Google Nexus One™
- Google Ion™
- Motorola CLIQ™
- Motorola DEXT™
- Motorola Devour™
- Motorola Droid™
- Motorola Droid X™
- HTC Dream™
- HTC Hero™
- HTC Magic™
- HTC Tattoo™
- HTC Wildfire™
- Huawei U8230™
- Samsung Behold II™
- Samsung Galaxy™
- Samsung InstinctQ™
- Samsung Moment™
- Samsung Vibrant™
- T-Mobile G1™
- T-Mobile G2 Touch™
- T-Mobile myTouch 3G™
- T-Mobile Pulse™
- Verizon Droid Incredible™
- and many more...
Most PC web browsers (try it now!)

Visit our download page to download OurGroceries. If you would like us to make a version available for your device, please let us know.

How do I get OurGroceries?

Please see our download page for instructions. You can also see and edit Your Lists online.

Do I have to type in the full grocery item name each time?

No, OurGroceries keeps track of the items you’ve entered before and lets you search through them when adding an item. You can remove items from this list if you no longer want them to show up. OurGroceries automatically shows you the best matches as you type an item’s name, so you’ll rarely have to type more than the first letter or two.

Can OurGroceries keep track of multiple shopping lists?

Yes! You can have one list for each store (Safeway, Costco, Home Depot), one list for each type of store (hardware store, drugstore, butcher), and even lists for things not related to shopping (to do, questions for the pediatrician). All lists are shared amongst household members and are updated automatically within seconds.

Can OurGroceries keep track of recipes?

Yes! You can keep track of recipes that you prepare often, along with their main ingredients. You can use this list to inspire you next time you have to make a dinner decision and can’t remember which dishes you haven’t made in a while. The recipes don’t include the instructions or minor ingredients (such as water or salt)—just the key ingredients, so that you can quickly check which ones you already have and easily add the rest to your grocery list.

Does OurGroceries allow you to change the order of items in the list?

No. Today, OurGroceries displays the items in your shopping list in alphabetical order. We’re working on an update to allow you to organize your shopping lists however you wish.

Can OurGroceries keep a backup of my grocery list in case my phone crashes?

Yes! OurGroceries keeps your lists backed up on our servers as part of its ability to share lists between the members of your household. In order to make use of this feature, you’ll need to enter your email address in the List Sharing section of the Settings screen, and then click through on the confirmation email that you’ll receive. As long as your phone can get an Internet connection (occasionally) when you’re using OurGroceries, it will keep the lists backed up.

Later, if your phone crashes, or you buy a new one, or upgrade to another phone, you can just install OurGroceries, enter the same email address in the List Sharing section of the Settings screen, click through on the confirmation email you’ll receive, and your lists and items will be automatically restored from our servers.

My partner and I installed OurGroceries. Why are we seeing different lists?

You must associate the two phones together. To do this, go to the List Sharing section of the Settings screen:

On iPhone and iPod touch, return to the main lists screen (tap the Lists button in the upper-left corner), and then press the gears button. Then choose “List sharing”.
On BlackBerry and Android-powered devices, press the Menu key, and select Settings. Then choose “List sharing”.

Once you’re at the List Sharing screen, enter your email address, and press Send. You’ll receive a confirmation email with a link. (Check your spam or bulk email folder for the confirmation email, as these types of automated emails are often mis-classified as spam.) Click on the link in the confirmation email to associate your mobile device with that email address.

Then, on your partner’s device, do the same thing, still using your own email address. You must use the same email address for both phones. By associating both phones with the same email address you link them up, causing the lists to become synchronized. If you both already had items on your lists, they will be merged to create new shared lists.

I followed the instructions. Why didn’t I receive a confirmation email?

These types of automated emails often get mis-classified as spam. We’ve seen problems with both Yahoo and Gmail. Check your spam folder for the confirmation email.

Sometimes the Yahoo bulk-email folder is configured to delete spam immediately. If your spam folder is empty, do the following: Click “Options” in the upper-right, then “Mail Options” in the drop-down menu, then “Spam” in the left-hand pane. Look at the “Empty Spam folder” option. Make sure it’s set to anything other than “immediately”, then click “Save Changes” at the top. You’ll need to ask OurGroceries to send you the confirmation email again (see next paragraph).

To send the confirmation email again, launch OurGroceries, go to the Settings screen, and press the Send button.

Every time I sync my iPhone or iPod touch with my computer, I lose the app.

Plug your iPhone or iPod touch into your computer and run iTunes. Your device should appear in the left-hand pane of the iTunes window (under the heading “DEVICES”). When you click on your device in the left-hand pane, the right-hand pane of the iTunes window should show you several tabs across the top. Click the one named “Applications”. Make sure that the OurGroceries application is selected for syncing on this screen, or at least that the checkbox to sync “All applications” is selected.

How do I stop sharing the list with my partner?

Either of you can go to the List Sharing section of the Settings screen (see above answer) and blank out the email address, then press the Send button. You will both keep any existing items and shopping lists, as well as recipes you may have created, but the lists will no longer be synchronized.

OurGroceries for BlackBerry is stuck on the splashscreen and I can’t get to my lists.

This is a rare problem that affects some BlackBerry devices. To fix it, please first try turning your phone off and then back on again.

If that doesn’t work, then please do the following:

Uninstall OurGroceries.
Turn your phone off and back on again.
Reinstall OurGroceries.

If you had previously set up OurGroceries List Sharing on your BlackBerry, you’ll need to set it up again after reinstalling the app. If you haven’t set up List Sharing yet, please take a moment to do so now, since it provides an online backup of your lists.

If you lost your lists during the reinstallation process and wish to recover them, please contact support with your BlackBerry PIN and we will help you restore your lists.