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The Masked Manual

Open source iOS app for referencing face mask data

The Masked Manual on the iOS app store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/the-masked-manual/id1542536599

The problem:

Masks are important. Choosing the right type of mask and understanding its qualifications is critical. Currently, mask information is scattered between the openFDA database, FDA websites and CDC websites.

The solution:

“The Masked Manual” is a free iOS app that shows mask information compiled from openFDA, FDA websites and CDC websites. It lets you easily search for masks and see their qualifications, as well as instructions for wearing it. You can also use the camera to recognize and find your mask by scanning its packaging.

Screenshots from the app. 2000+ masks are included.

At the time of writing, the following masks are referenced:

Data sources

The source for each data is listed explicitly in the application for each mask or respirator entry. Data are sourced from:

The substantive content of the materials has not been changed from their original sources.

The material is otherwise available on the respective agency website for no charge.

The terms of service for all data follow from their source as indicated for each entry for a mask. Data from openFDA is available under Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal dedication (timestamp: 11/28/2020). Data from the CDC provided here is not under copyright and is in the public domain (timestamp: 11/28/2020). Data from the FDA provided here is not under copyright and is in the public domain (timestamp: 11/28/2020).

Link to the app (free):

You can find the app on the iOS app store here:
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/the-masked-manual/id1542536599

Developer?

This is an open source project — you can contribute here:
https://the-masked-manual.herokuapp.com
https://github.com/smrfeld/the-masked-manual-ios
https://github.com/smrfeld/the-masked-manual-python

Feedback and contributions are welcome, thanks!

Contents

Oliver K. Ernst
November 30, 2020

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