Help & how-to.
A short page covering the things people most often ask. If something here doesn't fit your situation, send a note to tankit@tankit.app.
01Getting started
Once TankIt is installed on your iPhone, the first run takes about a minute:
- Open the app — no account, no sign-in.
- Grant camera access when prompted, so you can scan receipts.
- Grant location access (while using the app), so the price finder can show stations near you.
- Scan your first receipt: hit the camera button, fill the frame with the paper, hold steady. The app finds the receipt edges and auto-corrects perspective.
- Review the extracted fields (volume, total, price per litre, station, date), correct anything that's off, save.
Both permissions are optional — you can still enter fills manually and search stations by address if you'd rather not grant them.
02Scanning receipts
The scan didn't pick up the right numbers
Every extracted field is editable on the confirm screen. Tap the value, fix it, save. The original photo stays attached to the entry, so you can always re-open and check.
The whole receipt didn't scan
Try again with even, diffuse light and no shadow across the printed area. Crumpled paper is fine; folds across the totals line are harder. If the receipt is thermal-paper faded, manual entry is faster than fighting the OCR.
I already have a photo of the receipt
From any app that handles photos (Photos, Files, Messages, Mail), use the iOS share sheet and pick "Scan with Tankit". The app opens with the photo pre-loaded.
Re-cropping after the fact
From the fill history, open an entry and tap the receipt photo — you can re-run the rectangle detection and perspective correction at any time.
03Price finder
The list is empty
Two things to check first:
- Location services are on for TankIt (iOS Settings → Privacy & Security → Location Services → TankIt → "While Using the App").
- You're in a supported country. At launch TankIt covers Austria and France. Other countries will return no results until we add them.
The cheapest station I see in the app and on its sign don't match
TankIt shows the prices that the operator submitted to the national registry. Pump prices can change between updates, and some stations post slower than others. The government feeds are the source of truth — if a station's pricing isn't current, it's an issue with their reporting.
I tapped "navigate" but nothing happened
TankIt opens Apple Maps for directions. Make sure Apple Maps is installed (it's a system app and can't normally be removed, but on some managed devices it is).
04CarPlay & widgets
TankIt doesn't appear on my CarPlay screen
In CarPlay, tap the app grid and look for TankIt. If it's missing, go to iOS Settings → General → CarPlay → [your car] → Customize, and drag TankIt into the visible apps list.
The widget shows old data
Widgets refresh on iOS's schedule, but they're seeded fresh every time you open the app. If a widget feels stale, opening TankIt once will update it. Widgets also rely on having recent location data — using the app or the price finder near where you want the widget to be accurate is the fastest way to refresh.
05Your data
Export
From the app's Settings screen you can export:
- A CSV file with every fill-up.
- A ZIP archive containing the CSV plus every receipt photo.
You can share the file through the iOS share sheet — AirDrop it to your Mac, save to Files, email it, whatever fits.
Backup
Because everything is stored locally, your TankIt data is backed up wherever your iPhone is backed up — iCloud or your computer. Restoring an iPhone backup brings TankIt's data back with it.
Deletion
Delete the TankIt app. iOS removes the local database, the App Group container, and all receipt photos. There's no server to wipe.
06FAQ
Which countries does TankIt support?
It depends on the feature:
- Receipt scanner — works with receipts in English, German and French, from stations anywhere. The on-device OCR is tuned for those three languages, so a receipt from Italy or Spain will still scan but field detection is less reliable.
- Cheapest-pump finder — live prices are Austria and France only at launch, because each country requires wiring up its official government fuel-price feed. More countries are planned as we add feeds.
So you can use TankIt to track fill-ups on a road trip across Europe; you just won't get nearby-price suggestions outside AT/FR yet.
Is there an Android version?
No. TankIt is iPhone only. A lot of what makes it good — on-device receipt parsing, CarPlay, native widgets, Apple Maps integration — leans on Apple-only frameworks.
Do I need an account?
No. There is no sign-in, no email collection, nothing to remember. Open the app and use it.
Does it work offline?
Yes — receipt scanning, entry, and statistics work fully offline. The price finder needs a network connection to query the government feeds.
What iOS version do I need?
iOS 18 or later, iPhone only.
Does the app track me or sell my data?
No. There are no analytics SDKs, no advertising IDs, no third-party trackers. The only network calls go to two government price registries, with your GPS coordinate. See the privacy policy for the full picture.
Can I track more than one car?
The first version of TankIt is built for one vehicle. Multi-vehicle support is on the roadmap as a premium feature.
How does it handle partial fills?
Properly. A common bug in fuel apps is that a partial fill breaks the L/100 km calculation for that period. TankIt accumulates volumes across consecutive partial fills and only closes the efficiency cycle at the next full fill.
I found a bug / I have a feature idea.
Excellent — email tankit@tankit.app with as much detail as you can. Screenshots help, version number helps, and so does "what I was doing right before it happened."
07Contact
TankIt is a solo project. Replies arrive when they arrive, but every email gets read.