Help
Common questions
Quick answers to the things people ask most. Tap a question to open it.
About Bolus
What does Bolus cost?
Bolus is free to use. Your weekly plan, your shopping list, swaps and the weekly review are all part of the free programme. Bolus Premium is an optional subscription that adds Emily, your AI coach, weight goals and how each meal lands on your glucose. It is £14.99 a month, or £99.99 a year — about £8.33 a month — and the yearly plan starts with a free week. Apple handles the billing.
How do I get Bolus?
Download it free from the App Store on your iPhone and sign in with Apple, then answer a few questions and your first week is built. There is nothing to apply for and no waiting list. Bolus is on iPhone only for now, with Android on the way.
Is Bolus on Android?
Not yet. Bolus is on iPhone only at the moment, and needs iOS 18 or later. Android is on the way, and you can join the waitlist at bolus.health to hear when it is ready.
Do you deliver food?
No. Bolus plans your week and gives you a shopping list. You buy the food yourself, in your usual supermarket or online shop, whichever you prefer.
Is Bolus a medical device? Does it give dosing advice?
No to both. Bolus is a healthy eating programme that helps you plan and shop for food. It does not give medical, dosing, or treatment advice, and it is not a medical device. Keep managing your diabetes with your care team.
Who is Bolus for?
Adults in the UK living with diabetes or pre-diabetes. You need to be 18 or over and living in the UK to use Bolus.
What do I need to use Bolus?
An iPhone running iOS 18 or later. You sign in with Apple, so there is no separate password to set up.
Emily and Bolus Premium
Who is Emily?
Emily is the AI coach on the last tab. She knows your plan and your week, and helps you pick one realistic next step, then follows up on how it went. She is an AI, not a person, and the app says so wherever she appears.
What do I lose if I do not subscribe?
Nothing you already had. Your plans, shopping list, swaps, the cook flow, the weekly review, your glucose trace and your exercise all stay free. Premium adds Emily, weight goals, and the per-dish read of how meals land on your glucose.
Is there a free trial?
The yearly plan starts with one week free. Cancel before it ends and you are not charged. It is Apple’s introductory offer, so it is once per Apple Account, and the monthly plan has no trial. The free programme itself needs no trial: plans, shopping and swaps are free for as long as you use Bolus.
How do I cancel Bolus Premium?
Cancel in your Apple settings: tap your name, then Subscriptions, then Bolus, then Cancel Subscription. It goes through Apple rather than inside the app. You keep Premium until the end of the period you have paid for, and your free programme carries on.
Can I get a refund?
Refunds are handled by Apple, requested at reportaproblem.apple.com. Cancelling stops future charges but does not refund one already taken. If you have been through Apple and something still looks wrong, email us.
Will Emily tell me how much insulin to take?
No, and that is deliberate. She will say she cannot help with doses and point you back to your care team, however the question is phrased. Bolus is not a medical device and gives no dosing guidance.
Meals and plans
Can I swap a meal I do not fancy?
Yes. Tap Swap on the Today card, or open the meal in the Food tab, and pick a different one for that slot, the first five days, or every day.
Can I edit a recipe or remove one ingredient?
No. Bolus swaps whole meals rather than editing recipes, so you cannot remove a single ingredient or add a protein. If part of a meal does not work for you, dislike it and Bolus steers around it.
How do I make a meal come up more often?
Like it with the thumbs-up. Liked meals, and similar ones, are favoured in future weeks. There is no separate save or pin, so liking is the way to say "more like this".
Why is next week not there yet?
Your next week is created through the weekly review, near the end of the current week. Once you have done the review, next week appears underneath this one in the Plan segment.
Does Bolus count calories or make me log food?
No. Bolus asks one thing: mark each planned meal as eaten, skipped, or eaten out. There is nothing to describe or search for, and no calorie counting.
I changed a setting but this week did not change.
Most planning changes apply to weeks created after you make them, not the week you are in the middle of, which keeps a plan you have already shopped for steady. Household and portion size are the exception: they re-scale your current plan and list straight away.
Your CGM and exercise
Which CGMs does Bolus support?
FreeStyle Libre, through your LibreLinkUp login, and Dexcom, through Apple Health. Connecting one is optional.
Do I need a CGM to use Bolus?
No. Bolus plans your food fully without one. A CGM just adds your glucose for you to reflect on.
Why is my glucose not used to choose my meals?
Bolus is not a medical device. Any glucose you see is there as retrospective reflection for you. Bolus does not give dosing advice and does not tell you to change what you eat because of a reading.
Are my Libre login details safe?
Yes. Your LibreLinkUp login is kept in your iPhone secure keychain and is only used on your device to fetch your readings. It is never sent to or stored on Bolus servers.
Why is my Dexcom data behind?
Dexcom readings arrive about three hours behind through Apple Health. That is a property of the Dexcom to Apple Health route, so a gap at the most recent end of the chart is normal.
Does Bolus write anything to Apple Health?
No. Everything Bolus reads from Health, glucose, steps, workouts, energy, heart figures and weight, is read-only. It never writes anything back, and you control each category in the Health app.
Why is there no step target?
The national guidance Bolus follows is written in minutes of activity, not steps, so there is no official daily step target to set. Your steps are shown; the weekly aim is measured in moderate minutes.
Privacy and data
Can I get a copy of my data?
Yes. There is not a download button in the app yet, so email support from your account address and we will put together a copy for you.
What happens if I delete my account?
Deletion is immediate and permanent. It removes your profile, plans, shopping lists, meal history, conversations with Emily and any connected glucose, movement and weight data. Only a small record that you accepted the terms is kept, for a limited period, for legal reasons. It does not cancel an Apple subscription.
How do I contact support?
Email support@bolus.health. In the app you can also tap the ! button on any tab to report an issue or suggest a feature, or message the team on WhatsApp.