How do I sync with my iOS devices?

In addition to the powerful software we offer for use on Mac OS, we also offer Banktivity on iOS with many features that are offered on Mac but with a user interface that is designed to be easily useable on iPhone and iPad devices.

Banktivity for iOS is a full-featured financial manager. Available only at the iTunes App Store, this app handles all account types and includes investment tools, a budget planner and basic reports — all wrapped up in a stylish interface. Use it as a stand-alone app or sync with Banktivity on other devices.

Banktivity Cloud Sync

Banktivity Cloud Sync keeps your documents in sync between all of your Macs and mobile devices, seamlessly. Cloud Sync is included in all tiers of our subscription service! This means that if you have an active subscription you can use the software across multiple devices. For information about our policies regarding security and privacy, see Security & Privacy.

Cloud Sync makes it possible to keep any number of Macs and mobile devices in sync without them having to talk to one other - they only have to communicate with the cloud. This allows workflows such as Mac to Mac syncing, iPhone to iPad syncing without a Mac, or any other combination thereof

One caveat is that syncing between different versions of Banktivity is not supported. If you are using Banktivity 8 on one device and Banktivity 9 on another device, you should not be using Cloud Sync. Syncing across different major versions of Banktivity may corrupt your financial data.

To use Cloud Sync, a Banktivity ID is required that has an active subscription. Once you sign in with your ID, you may upload one or more documents to the cloud server where they can be accessed from any Mac or mobile device running Banktivity. You will give each cloud document a unique name so that you can choose which of your devices will sync with which documents. The cloud server is the documents' home, so any changes you make to documents in the cloud will sync to all of your Banktivity devices.

At this time, transaction attachments, category images, and security price histories do not sync between devices.

Add document to the cloud

To get started with Banktivity Cloud Sync, first send your Banktivity for Mac documents to the cloud.

  1. Launch Banktivity on your Mac and open a document you want to use with Cloud Sync. Choose File > Subscription > Sync Setup to begin the setup process.
  2. Enter a name for the cloud document. This name will be visible to your other devices when you configure them for Cloud Sync.
  3. Choose a password to encrypt the cloud document. You must not forget the password – it is required to set up other devices to sync with this cloud document.

At this point the assistant will show a progress bar until all of your data has been uploaded to the Cloud Sync server. Once it completes, you can begin setting up other devices to sync with this newly created cloud document.

Open cloud document

Once you have uploaded one or more Banktivity documents to the cloud server, you can open them from as many additional Macs and mobile devices as you like.

Connecting a Mac or mobile device to Banktivity Cloud Sync requires you to create a new document. It is not possible to connect an existing document to one that has already been uploaded to the Cloud Sync server.

Banktivity for Mac

  1. Launch Banktivity.
  2. Make sure you are connected to the Internet.
  3. Choose File > New > Document from Cloud Sync.
  4. Log in with your Banktivity ID.
  5. Choose the cloud document you want to open.
  6. Enter the password required to open the document.
  7. Wait for the document to download.
  8. Choose a location to save the file.

Banktivity for iOS

  1. Launch Banktivity.
  2. Make sure you are connected to the Internet.
  3. If a document is already open, tap on the file cabinet icon on the top left of the app to return to the Banktivity home screen.
  4. Tap "Create a New Document."
  5. Tap "I've Used Banktivity Before."
  6. Tap "Open Cloud Sync"
  7. Tap "Open Cloud Sync Document," then "Set Up Cloud Sync."
  8. Log in with your Banktivity ID.
  9. Choose the cloud document you want to open.
  10. Enter the password required to open the document.
  11. Wait for the document to download and Choose Done once you see the success message.
  12. Choose a name for the local document(this in only the name on this device).
  13. Set a document password or choose to skip the step if you do not want to use a passcode to open the local document.

Syncing a document

Banktivity for Mac

You can initiate a sync at any time by clicking the "Update" button on the toolbar or choosing View > Bring Up to Date. Along with initiating a cloud sync, this will also update your accounts, security quotes, exchange rates, and bill pay payments. In addition, there is a setting to "Automatically update documents" in Banktivity > Settings under the "General" tab. When that option is checked, your documents will sync automatically when they are opened and closed.

Banktivity for iOS

Documents sync automatically when they are opened and closed by default, and when you switch between Banktivity and other apps. You can initiate a sync manually by tapping the gear-shaped settings button, "Sync Settings" then "Sync now." You can also pull down on the Accounts screen to sync and update your accounts.

When switching from Banktivity for iOS to another app, Cloud Sync may be slowed or interrupted as the operating system assigns lower priority to apps running in the background.

Rename document on the Cloud Sync server

Banktivity for Mac

To rename a cloud document, choose File > Subscription > Sync Settings and click "Edit name." Type in a new name for the document, then click "Change." Make sure the name is unique; no two cloud documents may share the same name.

Banktivity for iOS

If a document is currently open, tap the file cabinet icon to return to the document list. Tap "Banktivity ID Services" and log in with your Banktivity ID. A list of all cloud documents will appear, showing their names and dates when they were last updated. To rename a cloud document, tap on it, type in a new name, then tap "Continue." Make sure the name is unique; no two cloud documents may share the same name.

Change document passwords

After a document has been uploaded to the Cloud Sync server, you can change the password used to access it from other Macs and mobile devices.

Banktivity for Mac

Choose File > Subscription > Sync Settings and click "Edit Password." Enter the old password along with the new password twice. Once you submit the change, other Macs and mobile devices that sync with that document will be unable to sync until their passwords have been updated.

Banktivity for iOS

Tap the gear-shaped settings button, "Sync Settings" then "Change password." Enter the old password along with the new password twice. Once you submit the change, Macs and other mobile devices that sync with that document will be unable to sync until their passwords have been updated.

Troubleshoot sync connections

Banktivity for Mac

In the event that a document on your Mac gets out of sync with the Cloud Sync server, a few troubleshooting options are available. Choose File > Subscription > Sync Settings, then click "Advanced options" and choose one of the following:

Banktivity for iOS

In the event that a document on your mobile device gets out of sync with the Cloud Sync server, a few troubleshooting options are available. Tap the gear-shaped settings button, tap "Sync Settings" then tap "Troubleshooting" and choose one of the following options:

Disconnect document from the cloud

It is possible to disconnect a document from Cloud Sync and leave a copy of the document on your Mac or mobile device for stand-alone use.

Once a document has been disconnected from Cloud Sync, it is not possible to reconnect it to the same document on the cloud server, although it can be used to create a new Cloud Sync document.

Banktivity for Mac

Choose File > Subscription > Sync Settings and click "Turn Off Syncing" to disconnect the document from Cloud Sync.

Banktivity for iOS

Tap the gear-shaped settings button, "Sync Settings" then "Troubleshooting." Tap "Remove sync settings" to disconnect the document from Cloud Sync.

Deleting document from the Cloud Sync server

If all your devices have been disconnected from a particular cloud document, you may want to remove that document from the Cloud Sync server. Beware – deleting an active document from the Cloud Sync server will cause syncing to fail on all Macs and mobile devices that are connected to that document. Cloud Sync will need to be disabled on those devices so they can continue operating as stand-alone documents.

Banktivity for Mac

Choose File > Subscription > Sync Documents. A list of all cloud documents will appear, showing their names and dates when they were created and last updated. To delete a document from the server, click the "Delete" button next to any document.

Banktivity for iPad/iPhone

If a document is currently open, tap "Back" to return to the document list. Tap "Banktivity ID Services" and log in with your Banktivity ID. A list of all cloud documents will appear, showing their names and dates when they were last updated. To delete a document from the server, swipe it to the left and tap the "Delete" button.