The Cruelty-Cutter app links product barcodes to company profiles in our database. Once a user has scanned a product, they will see information about whether that company tests on animals and be given the option to post on social media. They can either Bite-Back (condemning cruel companies) or Share (commending compassionate companies); both of these options will earn Doggie Dollars which can be redeemed for coupons and discounts on cruelty-free products. If the scanned product is not already in our database OR if we don’t currently have information on that company, users are prompted to Request Data. Clicking this button sends us an email alerting our researcher that there’s work to do! Once we’ve compiled the new data, we will update the app for you and future users.
If you would like to change your app account password, you can do so at any time:
- Go to app settings menu (within the open app)
- Go to Password
- Type your current password followed by new password, click Submit
If you forgot your password:
Contact our tech support team with your username and we can reset or email your previous password. Email is unsecured, so we recommend you then change your password following the above steps.
If you chose to create your Cruelty-Cutter account using your Facebook account, you will be using the same password. If you’ve forgotten it, you’ll need to contact Facebook to get it re-set (we do not have access to private Facebook account info).
The App is designed to provide you with an easy way to both praise or express concern regarding a company’s practices! The methods of sharing your scan results across social media platforms will vary based on the types of social media you have enabled for your personal account, as well as the contact information available from specific companies.
For social sharing to work, you must be logged into and have enabled your own social media accounts through your mobile device. To ensure that you’ll be able to share your Cruelty-Cutter scan results across social media, follow these simple steps!
- Go to your mobile device’s ‘settings’ (this is an icon of a little gear somewhere on your phone’s home screen)!
- Scroll through your list of Apps and select a specific social media platform.
- Login to that social media platform through their own app with your existing account.
- Now, reopen the Cruelty-Cutter app and give sharing a try!
Downloading the app:
The Cruelty-Cutter app is available from Apple’s App Store and the Google Play Store. You will need to have/create an account with Apple or Google in order to download the app. You’ll be asked to grant permission for use of your camera at this point – please accept as the app relies on the use of your device’s camera to scan product barcodes (if you accidentally said NO to camera access, please see below for how to fix this later)!
Registering:
Once the app has downloaded to your device, you’ll need to register with Beagle Freedom Project’s Cruelty-Cutter app specifically and create an account. This registration is unique to the Cruelty Cutter app, and you’ll be able to create your Cruelty-Cutter user information; such as your username and password. You can also create an account by logging in through Facebook, which you may be prompted to do should you have a Facebook account. If you create an account via Facebook, your Cruelty Cutter account login information should be the same as your personal Facebook’s!
The Cruelty-Cutter app works by using your device’s camera to scan product barcodes and then links to our database of company profiles.
It requires the following:
- Permission to access your camera functions
- An autofocus feature (standard on most newer devices)
- Access to the internet (either via cell network or Wi-fi)
To scan items and find out if they are cruelty free, click on the barcode icon in the app homepage. This will bring up a camera window containing a red horizontal line in the view. You do not need to click any buttons at this point; simply allow your camera to focus and it will automatically pop up a report for you.
If your camera is having trouble focusing, you may need to try the following:
a) slowly move your phone away from the barcode and then hold it still
b) adjust the lighting or rotate product to remove any glare or shadows covering the barcode
The Cruelty-Cutter app relies on having access to your device’s camera in order to scan barcodes. If you accidentally did NOT allow permission during registration OR if you have performed a phone system update, your permissions may have been re-set.
*If you simply see a blank/black screen, please try the following steps:
- Go to your phone Settings menu (this is an icon of a little gear somewhere on your phone’s home screen)
- Scroll through your list of phone features and apps until you find Cruelty-Cutter (click Cruelty-Cutter to open)
- Make sure that Cruelty-Cutter has access to BOTH “Camera” and either “Use Cellular Data”/ “Wi-fi” (there is a little slider button and it should be set to green).
If Cruelty-Cutter does not have access to your camera, you will see a blank scanner. If Cruelty-Cutter doesn’t have access to either cell or Wi-fi (depending on your device), you cannot access our database of company testing status.