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iOS Cooking Mode

Last updated: 2026-10-23

Cooking mode transforms your recipe into an easy-to-follow, hands-free cooking experience. View one step at a time, set timers, and keep your screen awake while you cook.

Cooking mode shows one step at a time with its ingredients.

Starting Cooking Mode

You can start cooking mode from any recipe in your collection:

From Recipe Detail View

  1. Open any recipe from your collection
  2. Tap Start Cooking
  3. Cooking mode opens in full-screen view

From Meal Plan

  1. Go to the Plan tab
  2. Tap on a scheduled meal to open the recipe
  3. Tap Start Cooking

From Community Recipe

  1. Find a recipe in the Community tab
  2. Open the recipe details
  3. Tap Start Cooking
  4. You can cook community recipes without adding them to your collection

Tip: Your screen will stay awake while in cooking mode, so you don't need to keep unlocking your phone with messy hands.

Step-by-Step View

Cooking mode displays one instruction at a time, making it easy to focus on the current task.

Navigating Steps

  • Swipe left/right: Move between steps
  • Tap left/right edges: Navigate to previous/next step
  • Step counter: Shows current step and total (e.g., "3 of 8")
  • Progress bar: Visual indicator of your progress through the recipe

Ingredient Panel

The ingredient list is always accessible:

  • Tap the Ingredients button to see the full list
  • Tap ingredients to check them off as you gather or use them
  • Checked ingredients are crossed off to show what's been used
  • Ingredient quantities adjust based on your serving size selection

Adjusting Servings

Scale recipe quantities on the fly:

  1. Tap the servings chip at the top of the screen
  2. Adjust between ¼× and 16×
  3. Quantities re-render everywhere — in the ingredient list and in the step text

Cooking Timers

Set timers directly from cooking mode. Timers are detected automatically from recipe instructions containing time references.

Automatic Timer Detection

When a recipe step mentions a time (e.g., "Bake for 25 minutes"), cooking mode highlights it as a tappable timer link.

  1. Tap any highlighted time in the instruction
  2. A timer starts automatically with that duration
  3. The timer label matches the instruction context

Manual Timers

You can also create custom timers:

  1. Tap the Timer icon in the toolbar
  2. Enter a name for your timer (optional — e.g., "Pasta water")
  3. Set the duration (1–180 minutes; for longer cooks use the native Clock timer)
  4. Tap Start Timer to begin the countdown

Managing Active Timers

  • View all timers: Tap the timer icon to see active timers
  • Pause/Resume: Tap the pause button on any timer
  • Cancel: Tap the ✕ on the timer card
  • Timer alerts: You'll receive a notification when a timer completes

Native vs. In-App Timers

Choose how timers behave in Settings:

  • In-App Timers: Timers run within momoChef (default)
  • Native Timers: Timers are added to the iOS Clock app

Native timers run in the Clock app; in-app timers keep counting down even after you close the app and fire a notification when they finish.

Tip: Native timers are great for long cooking times like slow cooker recipes, while in-app timers are perfect for multiple short timers.

Auto-detected timers run right from the step.

Hands-Free Options

Cooking mode is designed for messy hands in the kitchen.

Keep Screen Awake

By default, your screen stays on while in cooking mode. This setting can be toggled:

  1. Open Settings → General in momoChef
  2. Toggle Keep Screen Awake

Large Text

Instructions are displayed in large, easy-to-read text. The font size respects your iOS Dynamic Type settings for accessibility, and cooking mode follows the system's Increase Contrast setting.

Cooking Sessions

Cooking sessions let you save your progress and resume later, or share a live cooking session with family members.

Saving Progress

Your cooking progress is automatically saved:

  • Current step position
  • Checked ingredients and steps
  • Active timers
  • Serving size adjustments

If you exit cooking mode, you can resume where you left off when you return.

Session Switcher

If you're cooking multiple recipes simultaneously:

  1. Tap the session bubble in the toolbar
  2. See all active cooking sessions
  3. Switch between recipes quickly

Shared Cooking Sessions (Premium)

Invite family members to join your cooking session:

  • Everyone sees the same step in real-time
  • Timers are shared across all participants
  • Great for cooking together in different locations
  • Invite via QR code or direct link

Quick Actions

Access these helpful features from the cooking mode toolbar:

Jump to Step

Quickly navigate to any step in the recipe:

  1. Tap the step counter (e.g., "3 of 12")
  2. Select the step you want to jump to

View Full Recipe

See the complete recipe with all ingredients and steps:

  1. Tap the Recipe button
  2. Scroll through the full recipe view
  3. Tap Back to return to cooking mode

Share Recipe

Share the recipe while cooking:

  1. Tap the Share icon
  2. Choose how to share (Messages, Mail, etc.)

Rate After Cooking

When you complete a public recipe, you may be asked to rate it (1–5 stars).

Cooking Mode Settings

Customize cooking mode in the app settings:

Available Options

  • Keep Screen Awake: Prevent screen from turning off (default: on) — Settings → General → Interaction
  • Highlight Timers: Automatically detect and highlight time references (default: on) — Settings → Recipes
  • Open iOS Timer App: Add timers to the iOS Clock app instead of in-app (default: off) — Settings → General → Timers
  • Auto-Start Timers from Links: Start timers when tapping highlighted times (default: on) — Settings → General → Timers

Accessing Settings

  1. Go to Settings → General (Highlight Timers lives under Recipes)
  2. Adjust options as needed

iPad Optimizations

On iPad, cooking mode takes advantage of the larger screen:

Roomy Layout

  • On iPad, cooking mode uses a large centered reading column
  • Comfortable to read from a distance

Kitchen Stand Mode

Perfect for propped-up iPad cooking:

  • Large touch targets for easy tapping
  • Optimized for viewing from a distance
  • Works great with iPad stands and cases

Troubleshooting

Screen Turns Off During Cooking

If your screen is turning off:

  • Check that Keep Screen Awake is enabled in settings
  • Make sure Low Power Mode isn't overriding the setting
  • Some older devices may have limitations

Timers Not Working

If timers aren't alerting you:

  • Check that notifications are enabled for momoChef in iOS Settings
  • Verify Do Not Disturb isn't blocking alerts
  • Try using native timers as an alternative

Cooking Session Not Syncing

For shared cooking session issues:

  • Ensure all participants have stable internet connections
  • Check that you're using the latest version of the app
  • Try leaving and rejoining the session

For more help, see our Troubleshooting Guide.

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