Frequently Asked Questions

AfriWidget is a free collection of practical online calculators and tools built specifically for African users and the global African diaspora. We cover health, personal finance, real estate, education, business, and productivity — all in one place, with no sign-up required. Our goal is to make high-quality analytical tools accessible to everyone, regardless of where they live or what device they use.

Yes — completely and permanently free. There are no premium plans, no paywalls, and no hidden charges. Every calculator on AfriWidget is and will always be accessible at no cost. We sustain the platform through non-intrusive display advertising (Google AdSense), which lets us keep the lights on without charging users a cent.

No. AfriWidget requires zero sign-up. Open any page, enter your numbers, and get instant results. We deliberately built the platform this way — creating an account just to run a BMI or mortgage calculation is unnecessary friction, and we believe your time is better spent on the answer, not the login process.

Our tools are designed to be currency-agnostic — you enter any amount and interpret the result in your local currency. Whether you're in Lagos, Nairobi, Accra, Johannesburg, London, or New York, the mathematical relationships (interest rates, margins, rent ratios) work identically. We're actively expanding to add explicit local-currency formatting; if your currency is important to you, let us know via the contact page and we'll prioritise it.

We release improvements continuously. Bug fixes and formula corrections are pushed as soon as they're verified. New calculators and features are added regularly — typically several times a month. Follow our social channels or bookmark this page to stay current. If you notice something that looks outdated, please report it via the contact form and we'll investigate within 48 hours.

No. Every single calculation on AfriWidget happens entirely inside your browser using JavaScript. Your weight, salary, debt figures, loan amount, GPA — none of it is ever transmitted to our servers or stored anywhere. When you close or refresh the page, the numbers disappear. We literally cannot see what you enter.

We collect only standard, anonymised web-analytics data: page views, referrer sources, approximate geographic region (country-level), device type, and browser. This data is aggregated and never tied to an individual. We use it solely to understand which tools are most useful and how to improve the site. We do not sell any data to third parties. See our Privacy Policy for the full breakdown.

We use two types of cookies. Essential cookies remember your cookie consent preference so we don't ask you repeatedly. Analytics and advertising cookies (Google Analytics and Google AdSense) are set only if you accept our cookie banner. You can decline them and all tools will still function perfectly — we never gate functionality behind cookie acceptance. Visit our Cookie Policy for the complete list.

Never. AfriWidget does not sell, rent, or trade any user data. The advertising on our site is served by Google AdSense, which may use its own anonymised signals to show relevant ads — but that is Google's system, not data we hand over. We have no commercial relationship with advertisers beyond displaying their ads.

Our formulas are derived from widely accepted peer-reviewed standards and authoritative bodies — the WHO for BMI and nutrition references, standard actuarial mortgage amortisation formulae, CGPA calculation conventions used by African universities, and established personal-finance rules of thumb (30% rent rule, 50/30/20 budget). The mathematical output is precise. However, real-world results depend on your actual inputs, so please treat every result as an informed estimate, not a guaranteed prediction.

AfriWidget tools are designed to educate and inform — not to replace professional advice. For health matters, always consult a licensed physician or dietitian. For financial decisions (mortgages, investments, loan applications), speak with a qualified financial advisor or bank. Our calculators are excellent starting points and planning aids, but they cannot account for your individual medical history, credit profile, or local market nuances. Please use them accordingly.

First, double-check your inputs — the most common cause of unexpected results is a unit mismatch (e.g. entering weight in pounds when the field expects kilograms) or an out-of-range value. If the inputs look correct and the result still seems off, please contact us with the specific values you entered and what you expected. We take accuracy reports seriously and typically investigate within 24 hours.

Our BMI calculator uses the World Health Organization (WHO) international classification: Underweight (<18.5), Normal weight (18.5–24.9), Overweight (25–29.9), and Obese (≥30). BMR is calculated using the Mifflin–St Jeor equation, which is considered the most accurate for general populations. TDEE is derived by multiplying BMR by standard PAL (Physical Activity Level) multipliers. All category thresholds and multipliers are displayed on the calculator's explainer section below the result.

Yes. Every AfriWidget tool is fully responsive and designed to work beautifully on smartphones, tablets, and desktops. We test on Android and iOS across multiple screen sizes. If a specific tool has a layout issue on your device, please report it and include your device model and browser — we'll fix it promptly.

Currently, AfriWidget requires an internet connection to load the page initially (we use a Tailwind CSS CDN). Once a page has fully loaded, the calculations themselves run offline in your browser. We're evaluating a Progressive Web App (PWA) version that would allow full offline use after the first visit — if offline access is important to you, let us know via the contact form to help us prioritise it.

Right now you can screenshot or print any results page using your browser's built-in print function (Ctrl+P / Cmd+P). A proper PDF export feature is on our roadmap. Some tools, like the JSON Formatter, have a dedicated copy button. If export functionality is blocking a specific workflow for you, please describe your use case in the contact form — user demand drives our feature priorities.

African universities don't share a single grading system. Nigerian universities predominantly use a 5.0 scale (NUC standard), while many East and Southern African institutions use a 4.0 scale similar to the North American system. Some universities (like UNILAG or OAU) have slight variations even within Nigeria. Our GPA calculator provides multiple scale options so you can match your exact institution's system. If your school's scale isn't listed, contact us with the details and we'll add it.

Our Password Generator uses the browser's built-in crypto.getRandomValues() API — the same cryptographically secure random number generator used by security-focused applications. It does not use JavaScript's Math.random(), which is predictable and unsuitable for security purposes. Generated passwords are never sent anywhere — they exist only in your browser tab.

Embedding is available for approved partners. If you run a blog, news site, school portal, HR platform, or similar, reach out via our contact form and select "Partnership Inquiry." Tell us which tools you'd like to embed and your site's audience. We review every request and respond within 5 business days. We currently don't offer a self-service embed code — partnership review lets us maintain quality and prevent misuse.

Absolutely — direct links are always welcome and encouraged. If you're writing a blog post, newsletter, or social media thread and want to send readers to our BMI calculator or Compound Interest tool, go ahead and link freely. We only ask that you don't reproduce our content verbatim without permission.

Not yet, but a developer API is planned. If you have a specific integration use case — for example, pulling mortgage calculation logic into a fintech app or integrating our GPA calculator into a university portal — tell us about it via the contact page. Developer demand helps us scope and prioritise the API. Early partnership discussions are already underway.

Occasionally we consolidate or rename tools during site updates. Check the All Widgets page for a complete, up-to-date list of every tool. If you still can't find something you previously used, contact us with the name you remember and we'll point you in the right direction.

Try these steps in order: (1) hard refresh with Ctrl+Shift+R (Windows/Linux) or Cmd+Shift+R (Mac) to bypass any cached stale files; (2) disable browser extensions, especially ad-blockers, as they can occasionally interfere with the Tailwind CSS CDN; (3) try an incognito/private window; (4) check your internet connection. If the problem persists, note the page URL and error message (if any) and send it to us — we monitor uptime closely and want to know about any access issues.

Use the contact form and choose "Feature Request" as the subject. Describe the tool you'd like, what problem it solves, and who you think would use it. We read every request and track the most popular ones — your suggestion may already be on our roadmap, or it might become our next build. Community input is how AfriWidget's tool library grows.

We welcome contributions in several forms: writing explainer content for existing calculators, translating pages into additional languages (Swahili, French, Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo, and Amharic are our priorities), reporting bugs, or suggesting formula improvements. If you're a developer or writer interested in collaborating, reach out via the contact form with "Partnership Inquiry" and tell us about your background. We're a small team and we love working with passionate contributors.