Profiles

What is a Profile?

A profile in MAE represents a person whose food allergies you want to track. Think of it as a personalized safety net – each profile contains all the allergen information needed to keep that person safe. A profile in MAE represents one person’s complete allergy and medical information:

Each profile contains:

  • Personal information: Name and unique identifier
  • Allergen list: Which allergens affect this person (milk, peanuts, etc.)
  • Additional ingredients to avoid: Custom ingredients not in standard allergen lists
  • Safe ingredients: Foods confirmed safe for this person
  • Reaction diary: Complete history of allergic reactions
  • Epi pen devices: Emergency medication tracking (type, lot number, expiration)
  • Emergency contacts: Key medical and emergency contact information

Why Use Multiple Profiles?

Many families need to track allergies for more than one person:

  • Parents managing allergies for multiple children
  • Adults with different dietary restrictions
  • Caregivers tracking allergies for those they care for
  • Schools or daycares managing multiple students

Each person gets their own profile with their specific allergens, making it easy to switch between them when scanning products or checking recalls.

Creating Your First Profile

When you first open MAE, you’ll be guided through creating your initial profile:

  1. Enter a Name
    • Use a clear identifier like “Sarah” or “Dad”
    • This helps you quickly identify whose allergens you’re checking
  2. Select Allergens
    • Choose from the list of common allergens
    • Each category expands to show specific ingredients
    • Don’t worry – you can always change these later
  3. Add Custom Ingredients (Optional)
    • Include any ingredients not in the standard lists
    • Brand-specific items or uncommon allergens
    • Cultural or dietary restrictions
  4. Set Up Emergency Info (Optional)
    • Add epinephrine device details
    • Include emergency contacts
    • Track medication expiration dates

Managing Profiles

Viewing All Profiles

  1. All profiles are accessible from the profile drawer
  2. The active profile is listed at the top and can be “expanded” to see all important information about that person.

Adding a New Profile

Open the profile drawer by tapping on the current profile name. add a new profile using one of the following methods:

  1. Manual: Tap “add a new profile” to create one manually
  2. Wizard: Long press “add a new profile” to enable the setup wizard
  3. Import: click import to chose a profile shared with you OR saved to cloud storage* (premium feature)

Switching Between Profiles

  1. Tap the profile name in the app header
  2. Select the profile you want to use
  3. All features now use that profile’s allergens

Editing a Profile

  1. Tap the profile name to expand
  2. Tap any section to modify it:
    • Allergens
    • Additional ingredients
    • Safe ingredients
    • Emergency devices
    • Emergency contacts
    • Reactions

Deleting a Profile

  1. Long-press the profile name
  2. Confirm deletion

Note: You cannot delete your only profile

Profile Features

Allergen Lists

Each profile tracks three types of ingredients:

My Allergens

  • Common allergens like milk, eggs, peanuts
  • Select all that apply to this person
  • MAE scans for these in every product

Additional Ingredients to Avoid

  • Custom items not in standard lists
  • Brand names, additives, or specific products
  • Treated the same as allergens for scanning

Safe Ingredients

  • Foods you’ve confirmed are safe
  • Helps track what this person can eat
  • Useful for meal planning

Emergency Information

Epinephrine Devices

  • Track EpiPens, Auvi-Q, or generic devices
  • Monitor expiration dates
  • Get reminders before they expire
  • Store lot and NDC numbers

Emergency Contacts

  • Add important phone numbers
  • Quick dial from the app
  • Include doctors, schools, caregivers
  • Available even offline

Reaction Diary

What It Is

  • Track allergic reactions for each profile
  • Record symptoms, medications, and notes
  • Export history for medical appointments
  • Essential for identifying patterns

Recording a Reaction

  1. Access from Profile Drawer → Select person → “Reactions”
  2. Tap the “+” button to add new reaction
  3. Fill in the details:
    • When: Select date and time (defaults to now)
    • Allergen: Choose from person’s allergens or “Unknown”
    • Symptoms: Check all that apply
    • Medication: What was administered
    • Notes: Additional context

Date and Time Selection

  • Tap date button to choose when reaction occurred
  • Tap time button to set specific time
  • Critical for delayed recording after emergency care
  • Shows selected date/time on buttons

Managing Existing Reactions

  • View: Tap any reaction to see full details
  • Edit: Single tap opens the reaction for editing
  • Share: Long press to share individual reaction details
  • Delete: Swipe left to reveal red delete option
    • Shows confirmation: “Delete this reaction record?”
    • Cannot be undone – be careful!

Symptoms Tracked

  • Breathing difficulties
  • Hives/rash/itching
  • Sneezing
  • Runny nose
  • Eye symptoms (itchy/red/watery)
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Diarrhea
  • Swelling (face, throat, contact site)

Exporting Reaction History

  1. Open Reaction Diary for the person
  2. Tap export button (bottom left)
  3. Choose how to share:
    • Email to doctor
    • Save to files
    • Share via messaging
  4. CSV format includes all reaction data

Why Track Reactions?

  • Identify patterns and triggers
  • Share accurate history with doctors
  • Track medication effectiveness
  • Monitor reaction severity over time
  • Document for allergy testing

Sharing Profiles

Why Share?

  • Give caregivers access to allergen info
  • Backup your profiles
  • Transfer to a new device
  • Share with family members

How to Share

  1. Go to Settings
  2. Long-press the profile name
  3. Choose sharing method:
    • Email
    • Text message
    • Cloud storage
    • Any sharing app

What Gets Shared

The exported file includes:

  • Profile name
  • All allergen selections
  • Custom ingredients lists
  • Feature preferences
  • (Emergency info is NOT shared for privacy)

File Format

  • Exports as MAE-[ProfileName].xml
  • Human-readable format
  • Can be imported by any MAE user
  • Safe to store as backup

Importing Profiles

From Another MAE User

  1. Receive the shared XML file
  2. Tap the file (MAE opens automatically)
  3. Profile is imported instantly
  4. Review and adjust as needed

Manual Import

  1. Save the XML file to your device
  2. Open MAE Settings
  3. Tap “Import Settings”
  4. Select the file
  5. Profile appears in your list

Profile Best Practices

Naming Profiles

  • Use clear, recognizable names
  • Include relationship if helpful: “Sarah (Daughter)”
  • Avoid abbreviations that might confuse
  • Consider including major allergen: “Tom – Peanut”

Keeping Profiles Current

  • Review allergens after doctor visits
  • Update when allergies change
  • Remove outgrown allergies
  • Add new sensitivities promptly

Profile Organization

  • Active profile appears in the header
  • Most-used profile should be default
  • Archive unused profiles by exporting
  • Keep emergency info updated

Safety Tips

  • Double-check active profile before scanning
  • Each caregiver should have current profile
  • Export profiles regularly as backup
  • Test scanner with known products

Common Questions

Q: How many profiles can I have? A: Unlimited! Add as many as you need.

Q: Can I copy a profile? A: Export it, then import and rename.

Q: Do profiles sync between devices? A: No, profiles stay on your device for privacy. Use export/import to transfer.

Q: What happens to old scan results when I switch profiles? A: Scan history stays with the app, but new scans use the active profile.

Q: Can I password-protect a profile? A: Not currently, but this is a requested feature.

Q: Are profiles backed up automatically? A: Only if you use your device’s backup system. We recommend regular manual exports.

Troubleshooting

Profile Won’t Switch

  • Force close and reopen the app
  • Check if profile has allergens selected
  • Ensure you’re tapping the name, not just viewing

Missing Profile After Import

  • Check file wasn’t corrupted
  • Ensure it’s a MAE XML file
  • Try manual import method
  • Contact support with the file

Scanner Using Wrong Allergens

  • Verify active profile in header
  • Switch profiles and switch back
  • Restart the app
  • Report persistent issues

Tips for Success

  1. Start Simple – Add basic allergens first, refine later
  2. Use Descriptive Names – Make profiles instantly recognizable
  3. Regular Reviews – Check profiles seasonally
  4. Share Liberally – More backups = safer
  5. Test First – Scan known products to verify

Remember: Profiles are your personalized safety system. Keep them accurate, current, and shared with those who need them!

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