Boxtrot support
Need help with Boxtrot? Email support@boxtrot.app. Say which device (model and iOS version) and what you were doing, plus the app version from Settings > About; a screenshot helps. Never send an API key (Anthropic or OpenAI); describe the problem in words, and support will ask for anything else. Expect a reply within a few days.
Common questions
Where is my data? On your device. Boxtrot has no servers and no accounts of its own. If you turn on iCloud sync (Settings > iCloud, off by default), your inventory and photos are also kept in your own private iCloud account, which Apple runs; the developer cannot see it. iCloud sync is not a backup: make one from Settings > General > Backup (Export backup) before changing devices or deleting the app.
Do I need an Anthropic or OpenAI account? No. Every Boxtrot feature works without one. The AI actions (identify, read receipt, estimate, draft listing, barcode lookup) are optional and use your own API key, from Anthropic (Claude) or OpenAI (ChatGPT’s models): pick the provider and save its key in Settings > AI. You can also use “Ask your own AI app” with the Claude or ChatGPT app you already have, without any key.
How do I get an API key for the AI actions? In Boxtrot, open Settings > AI, choose Claude or ChatGPT, and follow “How to get a key”. In short: sign in to the Claude Console (platform.claude.com) or the OpenAI Platform (platform.openai.com); either is separate from a Claude or ChatGPT subscription, which does not cover these requests. Add prepaid credit under Billing (about $5 covers hundreds of items; there is no subscription), set a monthly spend limit for a workspace or project named “Boxtrot”, create a key there, then paste it into Settings > AI, choose Save key and then Test key. You pay the provider directly for what you use; Boxtrot adds nothing on top and never sees the key. Each device needs its own key. The AI actions are included in the free version and in Boxtrot Unlimited alike.
The AI says “Your Anthropic spending cap was reached” (or “Your OpenAI spending cap was reached”). You or your organization set a monthly limit, or the account reached its tier limit. Raise the limit in the provider’s console (Anthropic: platform.claude.com, Settings > Limits; OpenAI: platform.openai.com, Settings > Limits) or wait for the next billing period.
“Your API key was rejected”. The key is wrong, revoked or expired, or it belongs to the other provider. Create a new key in the Anthropic Console or the OpenAI Platform and save it in Settings > AI for the provider you selected.
“Anthropic is overloaded right now” (or OpenAI). The provider’s service is busy. Try again in a minute.
Why can’t I add more items? The free version lets you create ten items on one board; unlocking (a one-time purchase) removes the limit. Nothing is ever hidden: if you have more than the free amount, for example after restoring a backup or because items arrived from another of your devices through iCloud, all of it stays visible and usable, and every backup includes everything. Until you unlock you cannot add more, and that includes restoring a deleted item or board from Settings > Recently deleted.
How do I restore a backup? Settings > General > Backup > Restore from backup, then pick the .boxtrotbackup file. If iCloud sync is on, Boxtrot asks you to switch Sync with iCloud off first (Settings > iCloud, then reopen Boxtrot), because iCloud would otherwise copy the restored data back over your other devices; after the restore you can switch Sync with iCloud on again and choose Merge.
How do I turn iCloud sync off, and what happens to my data? Switch Settings > iCloud > Sync with iCloud off and reopen Boxtrot. Everything already on the device stays and keeps working; it simply stops syncing. The copy in your iCloud account stays until you delete it in the Settings app > [your name] > iCloud > Manage storage > Boxtrot.
Privacy policy: see the privacy policy page of this site (https://boxtrot.app/privacy/).