Receipt scan not reading: what to do

Use this page when a receipt photo does not read, or when High IQ says the scan failed. A sharp photo in good light solves most scan problems. If a photo keeps failing, paste the text instead.

What you may see

• “Camera access needed”
• “Photo access needed”
• “Photo too large” with “Take a new photo at a lower resolution.”
• “Could not read photo” with “The photo may be blurry.”

Likely causes

• Camera or photo access is off for High IQ.
• The photo is blurry, too dark, or the text is hard to read.
• The photo is too large, even after it is resized.
• The connection dropped while the photo was sent.

Fixes, in order

1. Allow access. Open iPhone Settings, tap High IQ, and turn on Camera or Photos. Then return to the app.
2. Take a new photo. Use good light, hold the phone still, and fit the whole receipt in the frame. The text should be flat and easy to read.
3. If you see “Photo too large,” take a new photo at a lower resolution, as the message says.
4. If you see “Could not read photo,” tap Change photo or Take new photo, then try a clearer picture.
5. If the scan still fails, tap Paste receipt in Add Order and paste the text. Pasted text often works when a photo does not.

Label photos

Scans of product labels follow similar rules. Use good light, fill the frame with the label text, and make sure the label text is visible. Lab result labels, called COA labels, usually work best. For a curved jar, include the front and back.

• “Scan failed” means the text was not clear enough. Try better light or a closer photo.
• “This scan took too long” means the scan timed out after 2 minutes. Your photo is still there. Retry, or use fewer or clearer photos.
• “You’ve used all scans today. More tomorrow.” means the daily allowance is used. Try again the next day.

Note: Your photo stays on screen while you retry. You do not need to take it again.

Still not working?

Read how to add an order by scanning a receipt for the full steps. If the problem is an order that will not save, see order import failed.

Email hello@highailabs.com and include:

• Your iPhone model and iOS version.
• Your High IQ app version. See How to contact High IQ support.
• Whether you scanned a receipt or a label, and the exact message you saw.