Help and questions

What is Register?

Register is a digital checkbook. You record deposits and payments yourself, and Register keeps a running balance for each account, the same way a paper check register does. It doesn't connect to your bank. Nothing about your finances leaves your device unless you turn on sync, which goes through your own Dropbox, or your own iCloud Drive on Apple devices.

Why doesn't Register connect to my bank?

Bank-connection services charge the app maker a fee for every user, every month. Offering one would turn Register into a subscription. Register is a one-time purchase instead, and you enter transactions yourself or import them from a CSV file your bank provides.

What do the statuses mean?

• Uncleared: you entered it, but the bank hasn't shown it yet.
• Cleared: it appears on your bank statement or in online banking.
• Reconciled: it was confirmed during a statement reconcile.
• Void: kept for your records, but it counts toward no balance.

Each platform marks them a little differently. On Android, Cleared rows show “c” and Reconciled rows “R”. On iPhone and iPad, a small badge shows C, R or V (Void). On the Mac, a column of circles shows the status: open for Uncleared, filled for Cleared, a check for Reconciled, and an X for Void. Uncleared rows have no letter.

To change a status:

• Android: tap the transaction in the register and choose Set Status.
• iPhone and iPad: tap the transaction and choose Set Status, or swipe the row to the right to switch between Uncleared and Cleared (Reconciled and Void rows don't swipe). To change several at once, long-press a row and choose Select.
• Mac: right-click the transaction and choose Set Status ▸ Mark Cleared, Mark Reconciled, Mark Uncleared or Mark Void. This works on several selected rows at once. The same commands are in the Transaction menu: ⌘K marks Cleared, ⇧⌘K marks Reconciled.

To check off a whole statement at once, reconcile instead.

Why is the balance at the bottom of the register different from my account balance?

They answer two different questions:

• The account balance is your balance as of today: everything dated today or earlier. It's what the Accounts screen (Android, iPhone), the sidebar (Mac) and the dashboard total show.
• The figure at the bottom of a register covers the date range you picked for that register (This month, Last month, and so on), up to the date printed beside it. It can include bills dated later this month that Register has already entered for you.

If the two disagree, check the date printed next to the register's balance.

What does “Total balance” on the dashboard include?

It adds up today's balance of every account, except:

• hidden accounts;
• accounts with Exclude from total turned on in the account's settings.

Credit cards you owe on are negative, so they reduce the total. If your accounts use different currencies and currency conversion is on, the total is converted and marked with “≈”. Otherwise each currency gets its own line.

I moved money between my accounts and my total changed. Why?

A transfer between two of your own accounts should never change your total. If it did, the money was probably entered as a plain deposit in one account instead of a transfer. That adds money to one account without taking it out of the other. Open the transaction, switch it to Transfer, and choose the other account. Register then keeps both sides in step.

Also check that neither account is hidden or excluded from the total. Money moving into or out of an account that isn't counted does change the total.

How do I reconcile my account?

1. Open the account's register and start a reconcile. On Android, choose Reconcile from the ⋮ menu; on iPhone and iPad, from the … button at the top right. On a Mac, choose Transaction ▸ Reconcile Account… (⇧⌘R), click Reconcile in the register's toolbar, or right-click the account in the sidebar and choose Reconcile Account….
2. Enter the statement ending date and ending balance. For a credit card, type the amount owed exactly as printed on the statement, as a positive number.
3. Check that the opening balance shown matches your statement's beginning balance.
4. Tick each transaction that appears on the statement. The summary shows your cleared balance and the difference.
5. When the difference is zero, you're balanced. Choose Finish, and every ticked transaction becomes Reconciled.

You can leave at any time. Your ticks are saved, and they sync to your other devices.

The difference won't go to zero. What should I check?

• A transaction on the statement that you never entered, such as a bank fee, interest, or a deposit. Use Add transaction on the reconcile screen: from its menu on Android and iPhone, or from the controls at the top of the reconcile window on a Mac.
• An amount typed differently from the statement.
• A transaction ticked by mistake, or one dated after the statement. Turn on Show later transactions to see those.
• An opening balance that doesn't match the statement's beginning balance. This usually means something was marked Reconciled earlier by mistake.

If you can't find it, Finish offers to add an adjustment for the difference, so you can start clean next month.

What happens to the other side of a transfer when I reconcile?

Nothing. Each side of a transfer appears on its own account's statement, so each side is reconciled from its own account.

How do I record a transfer?

Add a transaction, switch it to Transfer, and pick the other account. Register writes both sides: money out of one account and into the other. Editing or deleting either side updates the other.

How do I split one payment across several categories?

In the transaction editor, add split lines, each with its own category and amount. Register counts the payment once in your balance, and each line in its own category in reports. Splits are a Premium feature.

Why do I see bills that haven't happened yet?

Register enters each recurring bill in your register ahead of time, through the end of next month, so you can see what's coming. They don't count in your as of today balance until their date arrives.

How do I change or stop a recurring bill?

Open your recurring bills, then select one to edit it, or stop it:

• Android: Settings → Recurring transactions, then Stop.
• iPhone and iPad: Settings → Recurring transactions. Tap a bill to edit it; swipe or long-press it for Stop repeating.
• Mac: Recurring in the sidebar, then Stop.

Stopping removes future copies that haven't cleared. Anything already cleared or reconciled stays.

My bills show up a day early or late.

Register reads dates in one ledger time zone on every device, so a phone in another time zone doesn't shift your bills. Set it to the place where you keep your books:

• Android: Settings → Dates → Ledger time zone.
• iPhone and iPad: Settings → Ledger time zone.
• Mac: Register ▸ Settings… ▸ Appearance ▸ Ledger time zone.

What's the difference between hiding an account and excluding it from the total?

• Hidden: the account disappears from your account list, the dashboard total, and Reports. Its history is kept. To see it again, use Show hidden accounts on the Accounts screen (Android), in the Accounts screen's … menu (iPhone and iPad), or the Show Hidden Accounts checkbox under the sidebar's account list (Mac).
• Exclude from total: the account stays visible, but it isn't added to the dashboard total or net worth. This suits, for example, an account you track for someone else.

Can my accounts use different currencies?

Yes. Each account has its own currency. With Premium, you can turn on currency conversion to see the dashboard total and reports in one currency.

How do I use Register on more than one device?

Turn on cloud sync (Premium). On any device you can connect your Dropbox; on iPhone, iPad and Mac you can choose iCloud Drive instead (Settings → Cloud sync on iPhone and iPad, Register ▸ Settings… ▸ Sync on a Mac). Either way, Register keeps its data in its own folder in your account. There is no Register server.

iCloud Drive syncs only between Apple devices. To include an Android phone, use Dropbox.

Can I sync between my iPhone and my Android phone?

Yes, if both are connected to the same Dropbox. Your purchase doesn't transfer between stores, though; see below.

Does Register back up my data?

• Android: once a day, plus whenever you tap Back up now (Settings → Backups). The 7 most recent backups are kept on the device, inside the app. Receipt photos aren't included in these backups, but cloud sync does carry them.
• iPhone and iPad: about once a day, automatically, plus whenever you tap Back up now (Settings → Backups). The 7 most recent backups are kept on the device, inside the app. Tap one to restore it, or swipe it to share a copy. Receipt photos aren't included, but sync carries them. Deleting the app deletes these backups, so share a copy or turn on sync to keep one elsewhere.
• Mac: once a day, plus Back Up Now in Register ▸ Settings… ▸ Backups, where Restore is too. The 7 most recent backups are kept on the Mac, inside the app. Receipt photos aren't included, but sync carries them.

Can I import transactions from my bank?

Yes. Download a CSV file from your bank's website, then:

• Android: Settings → Import from CSV, and pick the account to import into.
• iPhone and iPad: Settings → Import CSV…, and pick the account to import into.
• Mac: open the account's register, then choose Import CSV… from the toolbar's Import / Export menu.

If some rows look like ones you already have, Register warns you before adding them.

Can I export my data?

Yes, with Premium, as CSV or QIF. QIF is for Quicken and similar apps.

• Android: Settings → Export to CSV (all transactions) or Export to QIF (one account).
• iPhone and iPad: Settings → Export CSV (all transactions) or Export QIF (one account).
• Mac: both formats export the open account, from the register toolbar's Import / Export menu.

What's free, and what does Premium add?

Free: up to 3 accounts, the register, transfers, recurring bills and reminders, statement reconcile, budgets, tags, all reports, the calendar, favorites, CSV import, backups, and the app lock. No ads.

Premium is a one-time purchase, not a subscription. It adds:

• cloud sync;
• more than 3 accounts, and more custom categories;
• split transactions;
• CSV and QIF export;
• currency conversion;
• themes: choosing light or dark yourself, plus extra color palettes (following your device's appearance is free);
• the home-screen widget (on a Mac, a desktop widget).

You can try Premium free for 14 days.

I bought Premium on my iPhone. Why is my Android phone still on the free plan?

Purchases belong to the store where they were made. An App Store purchase unlocks Register on iPhone, iPad and Mac. A Google Play purchase unlocks it on Android. App makers can't move a purchase between stores.

How do I restore my purchase on a new device?

Open the Premium screen and choose Restore purchase on Android, or Restore Purchases on iPhone and iPad (Settings → Premium) and on a Mac (Register ▸ Settings… ▸ Premium). You need to be signed in with the same Apple Account or Google account you bought with.

How do I get a refund?

Refunds are handled entirely by the store you bought from. App makers can't see who bought an app, and can't issue or block refunds.

• App Store: go to reportaproblem.apple.com, or contact Apple Support.
• Google Play: go to your Google Play order history, or see Google's refund help page.

Can I lock the app?

Yes. Set a PIN, and optionally allow your fingerprint, face, or Touch ID:

• Android: Settings → Lock & privacy.
• iPhone and iPad: Settings → Security → Set PIN. Saving your first PIN turns the lock on. Then choose a lock mode, and turn on Use biometrics for Face ID or Touch ID.
• Mac: Register ▸ Settings… ▸ Lock: a PIN, plus Allow Touch ID.

When the lock is on, the widget hides your balances, and bill reminders hide the amounts.

I forgot my PIN.

Unlock with your fingerprint, face, or Touch ID, if one is set up on the device, then set a new PIN. Without either, the only way back in is to clear the app's data, so keep a backup or turn on sync.

Who can see my data?

Only you. Register has no server and no account system. Your data stays on your device, and in your own Dropbox or iCloud Drive if you turn on sync. The app does send crash reports, which contain nothing from your ledger. The privacy policy has the details.