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Quick answers
How often do you check?
- About every 6 hours, against recalls that governments have published.
How soon will I know about a new recall?
- On the first check after it is published. Governments can take days or weeks to publish a notice, and we can't speed that up.
How sure is a match?
- That depends on what you saved. Every result says what it is based on and links to the official notice.
Checking a car seat, crib or hand-me-down: the official routes
How do I know if my car seat has been recalled in Canada?
Transport Canada lists three routes: register the seat with its maker (the maker must notify registered owners), search Transport Canada's child car seat alerts by make, model and date, or use the Government of Canada recalls and safety alerts app. Tot Recall also checks a car seat you save, using its make, model and year. Transport Canada
What should I do if a baby product I own is recalled?
Read the official notice and follow its instructions. Health Canada also says that if you own a recalled product whose problem hasn't been fixed, you should make it unusable and throw it away so nobody else can use it. Tot Recall links every result to the original notice. Health Canada
Can I check a second-hand crib, stroller or car seat?
Yes. Save its brand and name, and its model number if you can find the label. Health Canada advises checking the maker and Health Canada for recalls before buying used, and avoiding a car seat with an unknown crash history. Tot Recall can only match what you save and what the notice lists. Health Canada · Buying second-hand products
What if I bought a product in the U.S. or online?
Tot Recall also checks U.S. recalls from the Consumer Product Safety Commission and the Food and Drug Administration, because many kids' products are sold online across the border. A U.S. recall applies in the U.S.; the product sold in Canada may differ, and the card says so. Data sources
Does the government tell me when something I own is recalled?
The Government of Canada recalls site offers email alerts, RSS feeds and a mobile app, by product type. A maker must notify owners who registered a child car seat. Neither is based on the list of products you own; Tot Recall is. recalls-rappels.canada.ca · Transport Canada
How is Tot Recall different from the government's recall emails?
The government's emails follow categories such as food or consumer products. Tot Recall follows the specific products you save and tells you when one may match. You can use both. Canadian Digital Service
From recall to you
- 1A recall is decided
A company and a government agency agree on a recall.
- 2The notice is published
The agency posts it. This can take days or weeks, and it is outside our control.
- 3Tot Recall checks
About every 6 hours we compare new notices with your list.
- 4You hear from us
You see a result in the app and, if alerts are on, you get an alert.
Until the notice is published, nobody outside the agency can see the recall, and that includes us. A quiet app means we haven't found a match yet. It does not mean we checked that something is free of defects.
How a match is decided
Tot Recall compares what you saved with what each notice lists. The more exact the detail, the more exact the result.
- Recalled
The notice lists the same barcode, brand and model number, DIN or NPN, or car seat make, model and year that you saved.
- Possible recall
Your brand and product name match, but the notice lists a detail you haven't saved, a model number one character off, or no codes at all because it names products only. The card says what to check.
Same product line, but a detail you saved isn't in the notice, for example another model or year. It appears under Past & related recalls and never sends an alert.
If a notice covers certain dates or lots, we check the date or lot code you saved. Outside the range, the result becomes Related. If you saved none, you keep the result and see "Check your date code".
The same thing, step by step
- You save a product: a name, or a barcode, or a car seat make and model. Optional details such as a model number, a lot or date code, or a DIN help a lot.
- We compare it with published recalls. The strongest signs are an exact barcode, model number, DIN, or car seat make, model and year. Brand and product name alone give weaker matches.
- You see one of three results: - Recalled: the notice lists the same barcode, model, DIN or car seat as you saved. Read the notice and follow its instructions. - Possible recall: based on what you saved, this may match. Check whether your model is affected. - Related: a recall for the same product line that doesn't match the details you saved. We don't send alerts for these.
- Alerts: if you turned them on, we notify you when a new recall is confirmed or possible for one of your products. You can hide product names in notifications in Settings.
Each result links to the original notice, and the notice's own wording on what to do is shown as published.
The more you save, the more exact it gets
Only a name or a barcode is needed to start. Extra details are optional, and the app never nags.
- Limited
A barcode only, or a name with no brand.
- Good
Brand and product name. We can find recalls that name your product and tell you what to check.
- Best
Brand, name and the key detail for that kind of product. We can confirm a match.
The key detail
- Food and formulabarcode or lot code
- Gear and furnituremodel number
- Car seatsmake, model and year
- MedicinesDIN or NPN
- Toys and othermodel number or barcode
Three examples
Fictional products.
| You saved | The notice lists | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Little Nook · Cozy Nook Bassinet · model CN-450 | Little Nook · model CN-450 | RecalledYour model number is listed. |
| Little Nook · Cozy Nook Bassinet · no model number | Little Nook · models CN-450 and CN-460 | Possible recallCheck the model number on the label. |
| Little Nook · Cozy Nook Bassinet · model CN-520 | Little Nook · models CN-450 and CN-460 | No alert. |
What to do with each result
- Recalled
Stop using it and open the official notice. Its instructions are shown word for word. When you're done, tap Mark as handled. The product goes back to normal, the recall stays under Past & related recalls, and we keep checking for new ones.
Open official noticeMark as handled - Possible recall
Compare the label with the notice, then answer. "Yes, it's affected" turns it into a recall. "No, it's not" moves it to Past & related recalls. You can change your answer later.
Yes, it's affectedNo, it's not - No recalls found
We found no match, among the recalls we know about, on the date shown. It doesn't mean a product is free of defects. Read notices yourself too, and register your products with their makers, especially car seats.
Alerts
Alerts are short and rare by design.
- At most one per product per day.
- Only for Recalled and Possible recalls. Never for Related ones, or for recalls you said aren't yours.
- In the language you chose.
- You can hide product names in notifications.
What Tot Recall can't know
- A recall that has not been published yet, or that a source has delayed or removed.
- Whether your product is the one affected, when the notice lists no barcode or model, or your details differ from it. Many recalls identify products by name only.
- Anything about a product you haven't saved, or details you entered incorrectly.
- Recalls from sources we don't use.
"No recalls found" means only that we found no match on the date shown. It doesn't mean a product is safe or free of defects. Check the notice, and register your products with their makers, especially car seats.
If a source is late
If we haven't been able to get new recall data for a while, the app says so and keeps trying.
Medicines and health products
Tot Recall doesn't give medical advice. If you have questions about a medicine or health product, talk to a pharmacist or doctor.
Where recalls come from
- Government of Canada: Recalls and Safety AlertsEnglish and French, as published
Health Canada (consumer products and medicines), Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Transport Canada (child car seats).
- U.S. Consumer Product Safety CommissionEnglish only
Consumer products.
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration (openFDA)English only
Food and drug recalls, limited to infant and children's products.
A U.S. recall is labelled "Recalled in the US. The product sold in Canada may differ." We never translate government text or change its instructions. Full list and licences
Your information
Your list is stored in Canada under an anonymous ID, and the photos you scan stay on your phone. Privacy policy