Common questions
Where do the answers come from?
First the label: every ingredient is read against the rules. If the label leaves a question open, Know Halal searches the web for the maker's own written answer and for halal certifier listings. If nothing is published, we contact the company and ask.
Every answer shows its source: a halal certifier, the maker's own words with the date, or the label itself.
The app says Doubtful. What do I do?
Open the result and look under Why & sources. You see the exact question the label leaves open (for example, where the gelatin comes from) and anything the maker or a halal certifier has already published, with the link.
If our web research finds nothing, we contact the company and ask. Tap Contact manufacturer, then Ask Know Halal, to add your question, or email the company yourself. When the answer comes, it is shown with the company's name and the date, and you get a notification if you turned notifications on.
If you personally accept an ingredient, open it and tap I accept it. It then applies to every product, shown as your own ruling. This is not offered for pork, ingredients that could be pork, or animal gelatin.
The barcode isn't found
Know Halal searches the maker's and retailers' pages automatically. If that finds nothing, take one photo of the ingredient panel. You get a verdict straight away, and the next person who scans it gets an answer too.
I think a verdict is wrong
Email us the product name, the barcode and what you believe is wrong. The rules are drafted from published certifier guidance and reviewed; a correction reaches everyone in the next update. You can read every rule and its reasoning in the app under How rulings work.
Which strictness profile should I use?
Standard follows the mainstream certifier consensus and is right for most people. Strict wants a certifier named for meat and treats unconfirmed animal-derived ingredients as not halal (Hanafi positions on seafood and carmine). Lenient accepts unspecified enzymes, whey and cheese, and trace alcohol used to carry flavors.
No profile accepts meat unless it is stated halal, and pork is never accepted. Change the profile any time in Settings; every result says which profile produced it.
Does Know Halal work outside the US and Canada?
Scanning works anywhere the product is in the databases, but the rules, certifiers and questions to makers are built for North America. Recipes differ by country, so a verdict for the US pack may not apply to the same product elsewhere.
How do contributions work, and how do I cancel a monthly one?
Every feature is free. Support Know Halal, in Settings, takes an optional contribution through Apple, one time or every month. Nothing unlocks.
A monthly contribution renews until you cancel it: on your iPhone open Settings, tap your name, then Subscriptions, and choose Know Halal. Apple handles every payment and refund.
How do I delete my data?
In the app, Settings, under Privacy, Clear history and cache removes what is on your phone; deleting the app removes everything stored on the phone.
To delete the anonymous server records tied to your device, email [email protected] with the device id shown in Settings, under Privacy. Details are in the privacy policy.
For manufacturers and certifiers
Received an ingredient question from Know Halal? Reply to the email. Your answer, with your name and the date, is shown to every shopper who asked, quoted as you wrote it.
Certifiers: we show your mark on certified products with your permission, and we can list your directory as the source that settles a question. Write to [email protected].