Frequently asked questions
Using Glotlens
Is Glotlens free?
Yes, it is currently free. Scanning, translation, conversion, comparing and the ledger cost nothing.
Do I need an account?
No. Everything works without signing in. Google sign-in on the website is optional and not yet in the mobile app.
Is there an iPhone app?
iOS is coming soon. The Android app (Android 7.0 or later) is available now.
How do I update the app?
Once installed, the app checks for new versions and offers to download them; each download is verified before installing.
Reading and translating
Which countries’ price tags work?
On-device reading is currently tuned for Vietnamese price tags. For tags from other countries, turn on “Use AI recognition” in Settings.
Which languages are product names translated into?
Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, English, Vietnamese, Japanese, Korean and Thai — 7 in all.
Why is no price shown sometimes?
When a tag has several prices, such as member or multi-buy prices, and the app is unsure which one you pay, it asks you to check the tag instead of guessing.
Do I need to take a photo?
No. Hold the tag in the frame for a moment. You can also pick a photo of a tag from your gallery.
Rates and the ledger
Where do the exchange rates come from?
Daily reference rates from Frankfurter, synced by our server once a day. What your card is charged may differ; the rates are for reference only.
Does conversion work offline?
The app keeps the latest rates and uses them offline; after 2 days they are marked as an older rate, after 7 days they are no longer used. Product names can be translated offline once the on-device translation model has downloaded; AI recognition needs a connection.
Where is my ledger stored?
Only on your phone; it is never uploaded. View it by month, by dates or by country — one country is one trip.
Which currencies are supported?
CNY, USD, EUR, VND, THB, JPY, KRW, GBP, HKD, SGD and TWD — 11 in all.
Privacy
Are my photos uploaded?
Not by default; the camera feed is processed on your phone. Only with “Use AI recognition” on is the framed image (or the whole photo you pick from your gallery) uploaded for recognition, and the server does not keep it.
Is my location used?
Location is optional and used to tell which country you are in; only the country code is sent to our server. With price sharing on, your precise position is used once to find nearby shops and is not stored.
What does price sharing upload?
It is off by default. When on, it uploads, for products with a global barcode, the barcode, product name, price, currency, price type, unit and quantity, package size, observation time and shop — never your identity.
No matching questions.
Didn’t find your answer? See the guide or the privacy policy.