Questions about Basil

What is Basil?

Basil is an AI calorie coach you chat with, on iPhone and Android. You tell Basil what you ate, send a photo of your plate, or scan a barcode, and it logs the estimated calories, macros and protein in a food diary on your phone.

Basil also works out calorie and protein targets with you, checks in if you want it to, and suggests changes to your plan as your weight trend comes in.

How is Basil different from a calorie counter app?

Basil has no food database to search and no logging form. You describe a meal in your own words, and Basil writes the entry and tells you what each estimate is based on.

Fixing a log works the same way: say “that was a double”, “delete the yogurt” or “log yesterday's dinner”, and Basil edits your food diary for you.

Why not just use ChatGPT to count calories?

A general AI chat can estimate a meal. Basil is built only for this job: every meal goes into a food diary that adds up your day, your plan's arithmetic is done in code from published equations, and Weekly Reviews compare your weight trend with the plan.

Basil also remembers your routine, can look up restaurant menus, and can check in when your journal gives it something real to say.

How does Basil estimate calories from a photo?

Basil identifies the foods in the photo, estimates the portions, and says what it assumed, such as cooking oil or chicken skin. Photo estimates can be off, so check the portions and correct anything in plain words.

For packaged food, a barcode scan or a photo of the nutrition label gives Basil the label's numbers to work from.

Does Basil adjust my calorie targets?

Yes. Weekly Reviews compare your logged meals and weight trend with your plan and can suggest new calorie targets. One unusual day doesn't rewrite the plan, and nothing changes until you agree.

How does Basil set my calorie and protein targets?

Basil asks a few questions in chat, then estimates your energy needs from your age, size and activity using published equations, and sets a protein range per kilogram of body weight. It shows the reasoning, and you can ask it to change anything in plain words.

How reliable are Basil's numbers?

Every calorie and macro number in Basil is an estimate, and Basil tells you what it is based on: what you typed, a barcode, a nutrition label, a photo, a formula, or a web source. All of these can vary.

Do I need an account to use Basil?

No. Basil has no email, password or sign-in.

Where does Basil keep my food diary, and what does it send?

Your journal, plan and conversations are stored in a database on your phone. To answer you, Basil sends what the answer needs, such as your messages, photos and the journal entries it reads, to Google or OpenAI through OpenRouter.

Those AI models never train on your data. Google may keep requests and responses for up to 55 days, only to detect abuse and meet legal obligations. The Privacy Policy has the full detail.

Does Basil work with Apple Health and Health Connect?

Yes, if you connect them. Basil reads weight, body fat, height, lean body mass, activity, workouts, sleep and resting heart rate, so weigh-ins sync on their own. It only reads, and never writes back.

Can Basil help with a cut, weight gain or maintenance?

Yes. Tell Basil what you're working toward, whether that's weight loss, weight gain, maintenance or specific macro goals, and it builds the plan around it. You can change direction any time.

Who is Basil for?

Basil is for adults 18 and older, for general wellness. It is not a medical device, and it is not a doctor, dietitian or other licensed professional.

Talk to a healthcare professional before making medical decisions, especially if you are pregnant, managing a condition, or have a history of disordered eating.