Welcome to Banktivity 10
What's new, how to upgrade from v8 or v9, and answers to your most common questions
What's New in Banktivity 10
Banktivity 10 is very much the Banktivity you know and love — but with one fundamental change to how your files are managed.
Meet the Organizer
In previous versions of Banktivity, you could store as many Banktivity documents as you liked, scattered anywhere on your hard drive. Banktivity 10 introduces a new concept: the Organizer.
All of your financial files — now called ledgers — live in the Organizer. Think of it as a dedicated home for all of your Banktivity data. This makes it easier to find, protect, and manage your finances without worrying about hunting down files across your file system.
Everything else about Banktivity that you rely on every day works the same way. The Organizer is simply a better, more secure home for your data.
Upgrading on Mac
Banktivity 10 will find your existing files and guide you through moving them into the Organizer.
Automatic migration
When you launch Banktivity 10 for the first time, it automatically searches for any previously open Banktivity 8 or 9 files and queues them up for import into the Organizer. In most cases this is seamless — just follow the on-screen prompts.
Depending on your computer, environment, and the state of your files, you may be asked to:
- Log in to your Banktivity User Account (formerly called Banktivity ID)
- Enter the password used to lock your old Banktivity file
- Enter your Cloud Sync password
We work hard to avoid asking for passwords whenever possible, but computers are complex and there is always a chance you will be prompted for one or more of these.
If Banktivity 10 can't find your files
If Banktivity 10 can't locate your existing v8 or v9 files automatically, you'll be shown a screen where you can manually add a file to migrate. Simply locate your .bank8 file and follow the prompts.
Importing additional files after migration
Even after the initial migration assistant completes, you can still bring in additional older files at any time. On your Mac, go to File > Import Banktivity Document and select the file you'd like to add to the Organizer.
Upgrading on iPhone & iPad
We already know where your files are
On iOS, Banktivity has always managed your files in a known, fixed location — you never had the option to store them wherever you liked. Because of this, Banktivity 10 for iPhone and iPad can find your existing v8/v9 files automatically and will present them to you as files ready to migrate.
Simply follow the on-screen prompts. During the migration you may be asked to enter the document passcode (typically a 4-digit PIN) that you used to lock your Banktivity 8 or 9 file. Have that handy just in case.
Download the latest Banktivity app from the App Store to get started.
Upgrading from Banktivity 5, 6 or 7
Coming from an older version? You'll need to locate your files manually before starting the migration.
Find your files in Finder first
Unlike v8 and v9 files, Banktivity 10 won't automatically recognize files from Banktivity 5, 6, or 7. Before launching the app, take a moment to locate your files in the Finder so you know where they are.
Common locations to check include your Documents folder, your Desktop, or any external drives you may have used.
Add your file during onboarding
When you launch Banktivity 10 for the first time, the onboarding process will walk you through setting up the Organizer. When you reach the Documents to Import screen, click the button to add a file and navigate to the .bank8 file you located in Finder. Banktivity 10 will import it into the Organizer from there.
If you've already completed onboarding and need to bring in an older file, you can always go to File > Import Banktivity Document at any time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Got questions? We have answers.
Once I migrate my old v8/v9 files into the Organizer, where are they stored on my Mac?
Banktivity 10 stores all of your ledgers in a dedicated location on your Mac:
~/Library/Group Containers/group.com.iggsoftware.banktivity.library/IGGFinance/production/Documents
You don't need to go there directly — the Organizer gives you everything you need to manage your ledgers — but it's good to know where your data lives.
What should I do with my old .bank8 files after migrating to v10?
Once your files have been successfully imported into Banktivity 10, your original .bank8 files are no longer used by the app. Banktivity 10 will not see or touch them. We recommend archiving them somewhere safe — an external drive or cloud backup — rather than deleting them immediately, just in case you ever need to refer back to them.
Do I have to pay for Banktivity 10?
Banktivity 10 is a free upgrade for existing subscribers.
I use Banktivity on multiple Macs. How do I upgrade all of them?
Run the migration on each Mac individually by launching Banktivity 10 and following the on-screen prompts. Alternatively, once you've migrated on your primary Mac, you can set up your other Macs using Cloud Sync — simply sign in to your Banktivity User Account on the other machine and your ledgers will sync down automatically.
I use Banktivity on a Mac and on iPhone or iPad. What's the best way to upgrade?
Upgrade on your Mac first as described above. Then download the new Banktivity app from the App Store on your iPhone or iPad and follow the on-screen prompts to migrate your existing data.
When I try to open a ledger it says it isn't editable. Why?
This typically means you need to sign in to your Banktivity User Account. Select the ledger in the Organizer, then choose Ledger > Sign In Ledger from the menu bar and enter your credentials.
My Banktivity User Account icon is showing a badge error. What do I do?
Click the user account icon in the app. This prompts Banktivity to verify your credentials and should resolve the badge. If the error persists, try signing out and signing back in to your Banktivity User Account from the same menu.
How do I lock my ledgers?
On macOS, select the ledger in the Organizer and choose File > Lock...
On iOS and iPadOS tap the ellipsis next to the ledger you want to lock and choose Lock.
Locked ledgers cannot be opened without first authenticating with the device via password, passcode, Face ID or Touch ID, depending on device.