Food search says it is busy or fails
The food lookup allows only so many searches, so wait a minute or use another way to log.
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Steps
- Wait one minute, then search again. SOS stops asking for a minute after a busy answer, so searching sooner shows the same message.
- In the Food Diary, use Quick Picks. They come from SOS's own list and do not use the USDA limit.
- Open Food Database, tap Search, and use Database mode. It searches the foods SOS keeps itself.
- In the Diet Log, tap Add Food, then tap Enter manually.
- On Home, use Log Food in the Quick Log row.
- Try again later, or on a different Wi-Fi or mobile network.
What is happening
The Food Diary and the Diet Log send your search words to USDA FoodData Central. That service allows only a limited number of searches in an hour. The limit can be shared by people on the same network, such as school or office Wi-Fi.
When it runs out, the Food Diary shows a message that starts with "Food search is temporarily rate-limited". The Diet Log shows a short note and results from SOS's own food list, tagged Local. Food Database says USDA is busy.
A message that says it could not reach the food database means your connection is the problem. A message about an error from the database means it is down for now.
You did nothing wrong
A busy message does not mean there is a problem with your account or your device. It is a limit on the food service.
What happens next
Foods you already logged are not affected. Only searching is slow.