Frequently asked questions

SmartPacks is two things that work together: QR code labels for your boxes, bins and totes, and a free app for iPhone, iPad and Android. Stick a label on a box, scan it, and add what goes inside with photos and keywords.

Later, scan the label or search the app to see what’s in any box without opening it.

Yes. Everything in the standard app is free and unlimited. Pro only adds Pro features. There is no cap on boxes, items, locations or labels.

The labels are a one-time purchase. SmartPacks Pro is an optional subscription for extras such as Smart Search and shared profiles.

As many as you have labels for. The free app has no limit on boxes, items or locations, and a box can hold as many items as you add to it.

SmartPacks runs on iPhone, iPad and Android phones. Download it from the App Store or Google Play. The app speaks English, German, French, Italian and Spanish.

Yes. SmartPacks needs a connection to sign in and to save your boxes to the cloud. That is also what keeps your inventory backed up and the same on every device you sign in on.

On Amazon. There are two packs: 48 white labels, and 64 colored labels in red, green, blue and purple. Labels are a one-time purchase, and the app is free.

Pick white for one clean look across every box. Pick colored when you want to sort at a glance: by room for a move, by person in a shared home, or by season in the garage.

The app shows each box’s label color in your list and can sort your boxes by color.

Each label is 2 × 2.5 in with a laminated face. That fits a shoebox, a moving carton or the end of a plastic tote.

They are water-resistant. The laminated face lets spills run off, and our test video shows a label scanning right after liquid was poured over it. They are made for boxes and bins, not for sitting under water.

No. Every SmartPacks label carries a unique code that the app recognizes, so the app works with official SmartPacks labels only. That is what keeps two boxes from ever sharing a code.

Wipe the label clean, find better light or turn on the flashlight in the scanner, and hold the phone steady. Glare from clear tape over the code can get in the way too.

If the camera does not open at all, check that SmartPacks has camera permission in your phone’s settings.

Tap the scan button in the middle of the bottom bar and scan an unused SmartPacks label. Choose a location, add a name if you like, pick private or public, and save. The box is ready for items.

Open the box by scanning its label or tapping it in the Box List, then tap the add button. Add photos, a quantity and at least one keyword, and save. With AI suggestions switched on, keywords can fill in from your photos.

Two ways. Scan a box’s label to see everything in it. Or open the Item List tab and search a keyword: you’ll see every matching item across your boxes, with the box and location for each.

Yes. Inside the box, swipe right on the item, tap Move and choose the box it is going to. Swipe left instead to delete an item.

Locations are the places your boxes live, like Garage, Attic or Storage unit. You manage them from Settings.

To move boxes, long-press a box in the Box List, select as many as you need and choose a new location for all of them at once.

Open the box, tap its settings and choose delete. To delete several at once, long-press boxes in the Box List to select them. Deleting a box deletes its items too, so export your data first if you want a record.

You can add several photos to each item on the free plan. Short videos (up to 30 seconds) and voice notes are part of SmartPacks Pro.

Yes. In the box settings, set its type to public. Anyone signed in to the SmartPacks app who scans that label then sees a read-only list of what’s inside. Private boxes show nothing to anyone else.

A shared profile is an inventory you keep together with other people: your family, roommates or a small team. Boxes and items in a profile are visible to all its members, and your personal boxes stay separate.

Creating a profile is a SmartPacks Pro feature.

Open Settings, go to Profiles and choose the profile. Add people by the email address they use for SmartPacks, so they need a free account first. Each person gets the Editor or Viewer role. Only the profile’s owner needs SmartPacks Pro.

The owner manages the profile and its members. Editors can add, change and delete boxes and items. Viewers can look but not change anything. The owner can switch people between Editor and Viewer, or remove them.

No. Only the person who creates the profile needs SmartPacks Pro. The people they add use the profile with the free app.

Tap the profile selector at the top of the home screen and choose Personal or one of your profiles. New boxes you scan go into whichever one is active.

Pro adds Smart Search, shared profiles with roles, video and voice notes on items, box reminders, and more AI keyword suggestions beyond the free daily allowance.

You don’t need Pro to label, scan, photograph and search your boxes.

Pro is a subscription you start from inside the app, under Settings and then Subscriptions. The app shows the current price for your country before you confirm. You manage or cancel it in your App Store or Google Play account.

Regular search matches the keywords you gave your items. Smart Search, part of SmartPacks Pro, uses AI to match meaning, so “winter clothes” can find items tagged sweater, jacket or scarf, and “spooky decorations” can find your Halloween box.

Turn it on with the sparkle icon in the Item List search bar.

A Pro feature that lets you pick a date and time for a box, and the app reminds you when it comes. Use it for a seasonal swap, a return deadline or the day a storage rental ends.

Yes. Free accounts get a daily allowance of AI keyword suggestions from your photos. When it is used up for the day, you can keep adding keywords by hand, or get more suggestions with SmartPacks Pro.

Sign in with the same account, then open Settings, go to Subscriptions and tap Restore purchases.

With Google, with an email address and password, or with Apple on iPhone and iPad. Use the same sign-in on each device to see the same boxes.

Open Settings and tap Export your data. Choose PDF or CSV and the email address to send it to. The file lists your boxes, their items and keywords.

Open Settings, tap Language and pick English, German, French, Italian or Spanish.

On the sign-in screen, tap Forgot password and we’ll email you a reset link. If you’re signed in, sign out first.

Open Settings, expand Account and choose Delete account. This can’t be undone, so export your data first if you want to keep a copy.

In the app, open Settings and tap Contact us. You can also email us from the Support page on this site.