Help Center

Short answers to the things people ask most. If yours isn't here, email hello@getgrowl.app and a person will read it.

Cooking hands-free

Growl reads each step aloud, so you never stop to scroll. When a step finishes, the microphone opens and the pill at the bottom of Directions turns green — that means Growl is listening.

The microphone only listens between steps. While narration is playing it stays closed, so Growl can't mishear its own voice. Wait for the pill to turn green, then speak.

You can say:

Turn voice commands on in Settings → Hands-free. Growl asks for microphone and speech recognition permission the first time. Recognition happens on your iPhone — nothing you say is sent anywhere.

Timers

Steps that involve waiting carry a timer. Tap it on the step to start it, or say "set timer" while the microphone is open.

A timer keeps running while you use other apps or lock your phone, and you get a notification when it finishes. For that you need notifications allowed for Growl, and Cooking timers switched on in Settings → Notifications.

A timer that says "per side" counts one side only. When it finishes, flip, then tap Restart Timer.

Narration keeps playing when you leave the app

Lock your phone or switch apps and Growl keeps reading. Controls appear on the Lock Screen, in Control Center and in the Dynamic Island, and they work with AirPods and CarPlay — play, pause, and move between steps.

Requiring Face ID to open Growl

iPhone can lock Growl behind Face ID. This is built into iOS rather than into Growl, so you set it from the Home Screen:

It applies every time the app is opened, not only after a restart. Needs iOS 18 or later. To undo it, press and hold the icon again and choose Don't Require Face ID.

Growl Pro

Most of Growl is free and stays free: browsing, reading directions and ingredients, scaling servings, switching to metric, search, your Library, likes, grocery lists, ratings and The Weekly.

Pro adds:

Adding recipes to a cookbook you already have is free. If a subscription lapses, every cookbook you made stays yours to open, read and fill.

The free trial. Everything unlocks the day you start it. The day before it ends, Growl sends you a reminder, as long as notifications are allowed for Growl. Billing starts on the last day unless you cancel before then. Apple sends its own reminder too.

Manage or cancel in Settings → Subscription → Manage, which opens Apple's subscription settings. Billing, refunds and cancellations are handled by Apple rather than by us.

Your account

Your library follows your account. Likes, cookbooks, grocery lists and ratings sync, so signing in on another iPhone brings them with you.

Deleting your account — Settings → Delete Account. This removes your account and its data and cannot be undone. A subscription bought through Apple is cancelled separately, in Apple's subscription settings.

Reporting a problem

Email hello@getgrowl.app. It helps to include:

A screenshot or screen recording is worth a lot, especially for anything that only happens sometimes.