Yuka

Review:

Yuka is a food and cosmetic scanner app for Android from Yuka App. You point your phone camera at a product barcode, and Yuka gives the product a score out of 100, with a short explanation of what earned it. It covers more than 4 million food products and more than 2 million cosmetics, and it works the same way in a supermarket, a pharmacy, or at home in front of your own shelves. There are no ads in the app, and no brand can pay to change a score.

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The current version on this page is v5.8.1, updated on November 10, 2026, and the official package name is io.yuka.android. The file is about 132.7MB, so download it over Wi-Fi if you can. This guide covers the genuine app: how the score works, what is free and what Premium adds, how to scan and read results, safe installation steps, and answers to the questions shoppers ask most.

What is Yuka?

Yuka is a free app that reads product labels for you. Most labels are hard to read in a hurry: long ingredient lists, small print, and names you do not recognise. Yuka turns all of that into one number and a colour, so you can decide in seconds whether a product is a good choice or whether a better one is sitting next to it on the shelf.

The app started in France, created by Julie Chapon and brothers François and Benoît Martin, and it has since grown to more than 80 million users. Food is scored on three things: nutritional quality, additives, and whether the product is organic. Cosmetics are scored on their ingredients, with flags for substances that research links to health risks. Every score comes with the reasons behind it, so you are not asked to trust a number on its own.

Yuka is funded by its Premium members, not by brands or advertising. That is the whole point of the model: if no brand pays the app, no brand can push its products up the list. The scores use the same published method for every product, and the app points to the scientific sources behind its ingredient checks.

Yuka APK Download Latest Version (v5.8.1):

Version 5.8.1 is the current release, updated on November 10, 2026. It follows version 5.8 from November 5, 2026, and it brings the usual round of bug fixes and small improvements the developer ships with each update. The version before that, 5.7, was the release most users were running through October.

There is no need to chase a beta or an older build. The stable release is the right choice for everyday shopping: it has the full product database behind it, it matches the version on Google Play, and it works with the same account and history as the store version. If a site offers you a much newer version number than 5.8.1, check it carefully, because that build does not exist yet.

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How Yuka Scores Food:

A food score runs from 0 to 100, and the app shows it in four bands. A score of 75 or more is excellent, 50 to 74 is good, 25 to 49 is mediocre, and anything below 25 is bad. The colour changes with the band, so you can read the result at a glance and then tap through for the detail.

The score is built from three parts. Nutritional quality counts for 60 percent and follows the Nutri-Score method, which looks at calories, sugar, salt, saturated fat, fibre, protein, and fruit and vegetable content. Additives count for 30 percent: each additive is rated by its known risk level, and risky additives pull the score down. Being organic adds the last 10 percent, as a bonus for products that carry a certified organic label.

Tap any result and the app shows the full breakdown: the nutrition facts behind the score, every additive with its risk level, and the organic bonus where it applies. If a product scores badly, Yuka suggests similar products that score better, so a bad scan usually ends with a simple swap rather than a dead end.

How Yuka Scores Cosmetics:

Cosmetics work differently from food, and Yuka scores them on their ingredients alone. The app checks each ingredient against current scientific research and flags four kinds of risk: possible endocrine disruptors, carcinogens, irritants, and allergens. You see which ingredients raised a flag and why, which makes a long INCI list much easier to read.

The cosmetics database holds more than 2 million beauty and personal care products, from shampoo and toothpaste to sunscreen and baby care. As with food, a low score comes with better-rated alternatives in the same category, so you can compare a moisturiser or a cleanser with one that uses gentler ingredients.

A cosmetic score is a guide to ingredient risk, not a verdict on the whole product. A low score means some ingredients carry a known risk; it does not mean the product will harm you. If you have a skin condition or an allergy, the ingredient list in the app is a good starting point for a conversation with a doctor or pharmacist, not a replacement for one.

Yuka App Features:

The core of the app is the barcode scanner. Open the app, point the camera at a barcode, and the score appears in a few seconds. The scan works on food, drinks, and cosmetics, and the result page always shows the reasons behind the score, not just the number.

Here is what the app does day to day:

- Barcode scanning for food and cosmetics, with a score out of 100 and a colour band you can read at a glance.

- A detailed product page for every scan, with nutrition facts, additive risk levels, and ingredient flags for cosmetics.

- Healthier alternatives when a product scores poorly, with no advertising and no brand influence on the suggestions.

- Scan history, so you can look back at products you checked earlier and compare them.

- A way to add missing products by photographing the label, which helps the database grow in countries where coverage is still thin.

- Premium extras for members: search by product name without scanning, offline mode, dietary preference alerts, and unlimited history.

The database is the feature that makes the rest work. Four million food products and two million cosmetics is a large catalogue, but no database covers everything. If a local product is missing, photographing its label adds it for everyone, and food contributions may also appear on Open Food Facts.

Is Yuka Free? Free vs Premium:

Yes, Yuka is free to use, and most people never pay. The free version includes barcode scanning, the score out of 100, the full breakdown of additives and ingredients, healthier alternatives, and scan history. There are no ads in the free version either, which is unusual for a free app and is paid for by Premium members.

Premium is an optional yearly membership, and you pick the price: $10, $15, or $20 a year, with the same features at all three prices. On the Yuka website it is listed at $15 a year. There is no monthly plan and no free trial. Premium adds four things: search for products by name or brand without scanning, offline mode for the most scanned products, dietary preference alerts, and unlimited scan history.

The dietary alerts are the most useful Premium feature for many people. You set your preferences once, and Yuka warns you when a product does not fit: vegetarian or vegan, palm oil free, gluten free, lactose free, pork free, soy free, or sulfite free. The healthier alternatives it suggests respect those settings too.

Be careful with copies that promise Premium unlocked for free. A "mod" or "Premium unlocked" Yuka APK is not an official build: it is usually an old version with the payment check removed, and it is a common way to spread malware. The official app is free already, so a mod buys you nothing except risk. Stick to the genuine file on this page.

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How to Use Yuka:

Using Yuka takes less time than reading a label, and it works the same way in a shop or at home. Follow these steps for your first scan:

1. Open the app and grant camera permission when it asks, so the scanner can read barcodes.

2. Hold your phone steady and centre the barcode in the frame. Wait a moment while the scan completes and the score appears.

3. Tap the result to open the product page. Read the nutrition breakdown for food, or the ingredient risks for cosmetics.

4. If the score is low, scroll down to the suggested alternatives. Compare them and pick one that fits your needs and budget.

5. Check the products you already own at home the same way. A quick pass through the pantry and the bathroom shelf often turns up a few easy swaps.

A few habits make the app more useful. Scan before you buy, not after, so the alternative is still on the shelf next to you. Read the breakdown, not just the number, because two products can share a score for very different reasons. And remember that a single score is a first filter: a food with a good score can still be high in calories, and a cosmetic with a bad score is a reason to look closer, not a reason to panic.

Yuka for Android: How to Download and Install:

The file on this page is the genuine Yuka build, version 5.8.1, with the official package name io.yuka.android. Download it over Wi-Fi, then install it with these steps:

1. Tap the download button on this page and wait for the XAPK file to finish downloading. Do not install files named Yuka from other sites while this one is downloading.

2. Open Settings, then Apps, then Special app access, then Install unknown apps, and allow your browser or file manager to install apps from outside Google Play. Turn this permission off again after installing.

3. An XAPK cannot be installed by tapping it like a normal APK. Open it with an XAPK installer app, which unpacks the bundle and installs the app and its extra files together. If your file manager cannot open XAPK files, install a reputable XAPK installer from Google Play first, then open the downloaded file with it.

4. After installing, open Settings, then Apps, then Yuka, and confirm the package name is io.yuka.android. If it shows a different package name, uninstall it immediately and download again from this page.

5. Open the app, allow camera permission, and scan the first product in front of you. A kitchen staple or a shampoo bottle is a good first test: the score and the breakdown will show you everything the app can do.

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Frequently Asked Questions:

Is Yuka free to use?

Yes. Yuka is free to download, and the free version includes barcode scanning, the score out of 100, the full additive and ingredient breakdown, healthier alternatives, and scan history. There are no ads. Premium is an optional yearly membership at $10, $15, or $20 a year that adds search without scanning, offline mode, dietary preference alerts, and unlimited history.

Is Yuka accurate? Can I trust the score?

Yuka is reliable as a quick, consistent first filter, because it applies the same published formula to every product: 60 percent nutrition, 30 percent additives, and 10 percent organic for food, and ingredient risk checks for cosmetics. The assessments reference current scientific research, and the app shows its working. It is not medical advice, though. If you have a health condition, an allergy, or a strict diet, use the score as a starting point and check with a doctor or dietitian.

Does Yuka work offline?

The free version needs an internet connection to look products up. Premium includes an offline mode that covers the most scanned products, which helps in supermarkets with poor signal. The offline set does not hold the full database, so a rare product may still need a connection.

What does Yuka Premium cost?

Premium is an annual membership, and you choose the price: $10, $15, or $20 a year in the US app store, with identical features at all three prices. The Yuka website lists it at $15 a year. There is no monthly plan and no free trial, and cancelling has to happen before renewal, because a mid-year cancellation is not refunded.

Does Yuka work in the US?

Yes. Yuka started in France and its database is strongest in Europe, but it covers products worldwide, including the United States. Coverage varies by country, and a local product may be missing from the database. If that happens, you can add it by photographing the label, which helps other users in your country too.

Is Yuka safe to download from this page?

The file on this page is the genuine Yuka build from Yuka App, version 5.8.1, with the official package name io.yuka.android. After installing, check the package name in Settings, then Apps, then Yuka. Avoid "mod", "Premium unlocked", or "Pro" copies from other sites: they are not official builds and are a common source of malware.