Frequently Asked Questions

SupplyScout is a mobile app that shows you where to find essential supplies during emergencies, like ice, propane, gasoline, and groceries. Think of it as "Waze for emergency supplies." Instead of driving store to store searching for items, you get real-time, crowdsourced information about supply availability. This helps you save time and money, and reduces stress during disasters.

Yes! The core features—viewing the supply map, filtering for items, and reporting supplies—are always free. Free users also get 2 supply alerts and 2 favorite stores. Premium ($2.99/month or $19.99/year) unlocks unlimited alerts and favorites, plus SmartScan, disaster alerts, the Emergency Preparedness Hub, first aid guide, checklists, and more. Your subscription supports SupplyScout's mission.

Store websites show inventory from their own systems, which may be outdated or inaccurate during disasters. SupplyScout gets real-time information from people actually at the store, plus verified data from partner retailers. Additionally, SupplyScout consolidates supplies from all stores in one place, so you don't have to visit multiple websites.

Great question! While individual reports could be inaccurate, our consensus system strengthens data over time. When multiple people "thank" (confirm) the same report, its confidence score rises. The system also decays older reports automatically so stale data fades. We partner with retailers who provide verified inventory data too. The combination creates reliable, real-time information that's better than any single source during emergencies.

SupplyScout includes over 312,000 store locations across the United States, sourced from OpenStreetMap and Google Places data. This includes major grocery stores, hardware stores, gas stations, pharmacies, convenience stores, and supply retailers. If a store in your area is missing, you can add it yourself by long-pressing on the map.

Yes, to use SupplyScout you'll need a free account so we can track your reports, save your preferences, and send you notifications. You can sign up with an email and password, or use one-tap Sign in with Google or Sign in with Apple for faster setup.

We take privacy seriously. Your location is used only to show you nearby supplies and to verify your reports. We never sell location data to third parties. See our Privacy Policy for complete details. You can adjust location sharing in app settings.

On the login screen, tap "Forgot Password." Enter your email and we'll send a password reset link. Click the link and create a new password. If you don't receive the email, check your spam folder or contact contact@supplyscout.org.

SupplyScout works on iPhone (iOS 13+) and Android devices (Android 8+). Download from the App Store or Google Play Store. It requires location permission to function properly.

First, make sure you've allowed SupplyScout to send notifications in your device settings (Settings > Notifications > SupplyScout). Also check that notifications are enabled in the app (Profile > Notification Settings). If you still don't receive notifications, contact contact@supplyscout.org.

Use the filter dropdown at the top of the map and select a supply category (e.g., 'Ice,' 'Propane,' 'Gasoline'). The map will show only stores with reports for that item.

Find the store on the map, tap it, then tap 'Supply' in the info card. Select the supply category and its availability level, then submit. You can also tap 'Status' to report whether the store is open, closed, or has power.

You should report only what you personally observed. Our system verifies reports based on location, so reports from outside a store are marked as less reliable. If you heard from someone else that supplies are available, encourage them to report it themselves!

✓ = In stock, ⚠ = Limited availability, ✗ = Out of stock, ? = Unknown/no recent reports. These icons help you quickly see supply status without reading details.

Accuracy depends on how recent the reports are and how many people have confirmed them. The system decays older reports over time, so recent reports are weighted more heavily. You can also "thank" reports to add your confirmation, which builds consensus and helps everyone trust the data. Check the "Last Updated" timestamp on each store to gauge freshness.

When you see a supply report that matches what you observe, tap the thumbs-up button to "thank" the reporter. This confirms the report and increases its consensus score, making the data more trustworthy for everyone. You can thank reports that are less than 6 hours old.

Yes! Go to My Activity (in the menu) to see all your past reports. Supply reports can be edited or deleted within 12 hours. Store status reports can be deleted within 2 hours. After those windows close, reports become permanent to maintain data integrity.

Yes! Go to Settings and choose Light, Dark, or System (follows your device setting). Your preference is saved and persists across sessions.

Yes. In Account Settings, tap "Export My Data" to download a copy of all your SupplyScout data including reports, favorites, checklists, and account information.

Premium unlocks: (1) SmartScan™ — AI supply scanning, (2) Unlimited Supply Alerts, (3) Disaster & Preseason Alerts, (4) Preparation Checklists with custom templates, (5) Unlimited Favorite Stores, (6) Emergency Preparedness Hub with readiness scoring, (7) Important Contacts & Accounts storage, (8) First Aid Guide, (9) Utility Shutoff Guide, and (10) expanded search radius up to 100 miles.

That depends on your needs! If you just want to check supply availability occasionally, free is perfect. If you want advance warning of emergencies, automatic alerts for supplies you need, and preparation tools, premium is worthwhile. Plus, your subscription supports SupplyScout's mission.

Yes! Cancel anytime in your account settings. You'll continue to have access through the end of your paid period, then revert to free features. No questions asked, no cancellation fees.

The Preparedness Hub (Premium) is your command center for emergency readiness. It includes a readiness score that tracks your preparedness across checklists, contacts, and alerts. It also houses the First Aid Guide, Utility Shutoff Guide, Important Contacts, and all your disaster checklists in one place. Your readiness score increases as you complete more preparedness activities.

Preseason alerts (Premium) send you reminders before hurricane season and winter storm season, so you can stock up on supplies while they're plentiful and prices are normal. Configure which seasons matter for your region in Settings.

Your data is saved. If you re-subscribe later, your checklists and saved preferences will still be there. If you delete your account, all data is permanently removed within 30 days.

SupplyScout uses a time-decay system where older reports are automatically weighted less. If you see incorrect information, the best thing to do is submit an accurate report yourself. Community corrections are the fastest way to update the data.

Report serious issues through the app's flag system or email contact@supplyscout.org. Provide the username/account details and a description of the abuse. We take this seriously and take action including warnings, temporary suspension, or permanent bans.

Yes. SupplyScout is designed for emergency use. All infrastructure is redundant and regularly tested. We keep our systems up even during regional disasters. If you can't access the app, call our emergency hotline or contact your regional administrator.

Yes! Long-press anywhere on the map to add a new store. Enter the store name and type, and it becomes available for the whole community to use.

Contact contact@supplyscout.org to discuss partnership opportunities.

Contact us at contact@supplyscout.org to discuss how your agency can work with SupplyScout for emergency response coordination.

A public API is coming soon. Contact contact@supplyscout.org if you're interested in early access or partnership integration.

We love feature ideas! Email us at contact@supplyscout.org with your suggestion and why you think it would be valuable.

Thank you for helping keep SupplyScout secure! Email contact@supplyscout.org with details. We take all security reports seriously and will work with you to resolve issues responsibly.