6/25/12 @ 3:14 pm MDT Update >> One item I failed to mention and that’s a big deal, is that the current iPhone app will not wi-fi sync with YNAB 4. That means we are really crossing our fingers that Apple will approve the app by tomorrow when we launch.
A weird thing happened the other day. I was sitting in front of my computer with YNAB 4 running and I had just purchased a book on Amazon. Instead of tabbing over to YNAB 4, I grabbed my iPhone from off the desk and recorded the transaction.
Why did I choose to use my phone instead of the desktop? I honestly don’t think I chose at all. It was just automatic.
My hope is that two to three months from now people start emailing me telling me that they’re recording their transactions at the point of sale, that it’s made them even more aware of what they’re spending, that money is easier to manage between two spouses, and that their finances have improved as a result.
So here’s the skinny on the mobile apps.
Both YNAB for iPhone and Android will receive free updates that will allow them to take advantage of our new Cloud Sync technology.
Both have seen other improvements (mainly behind the scenes).
The Android app still doesn’t have feature parity with the iPhone (it still needs split transactions and geo-aware payees, but we got category favorites in!). We’re excited to have the Android Cloud Sync-able, meaning we can begin focusing on that feature parity. We’ve actually done quite a bit of development along those lines, with lots of code already written for the geo-aware payees specifically; it just didn’t make it in time for launch.
YNAB Lite
We’ve created a YNAB Lite version for the iPhone (an Android Lite version will come eventually) that has a lot of features removed, and really focuses the user on the core functionality of the mobile app: checking category balances and adding transactions on the go.
YNAB Lite only uses Cloud Sync. There is no wi-fi option. It does not have geo-aware payees, category favorites, or even account views. It is truly a Lite version of YNAB for iPhone, and it will be free.
Waiting for Approval
We submitted our update apps to Apple for approval on Saturday, June 16th. Apple claims that 98% of apps are approved within five business days. At the time of this writing, we are still “Waiting for Review” in the app store.
We’ve requested an expedited review twice, and have been denied twice. At this point, all we can do is hope.
If, and this is likely, we are not approved by launch tomorrow, we will all be sad. However, I’ll send out an email as soon as we are approved to let you know that the upgrade is available.
The Android app isn’t subject to external review, so it will be ready for launch tomorrow.
Mobile Apps Going Forward
Our plans for the mobile apps going forward:
- Android to have feature parity with the iPhone
- Android to have a free Lite version.
- Both platforms to receive upgrades offering ever more functionality (editing budget amounts, viewing the budget historically, reports…basically trying have the apps eventually be standalone).
We hope you enjoy the free upgrades coming to you shortly!
I hope Apple gt off their ass and approve it!
We will all join you in our sadness!
Come on apple.
Doesn’t it always feel like you always fall into the 2%?
I have the mobile iPhone app (I use it on an iPad, actually), and it’s helped me get better at entering transactions at the time of purchase, but I’m still not fully there. I think the Cloud Sync will really spur me to make more of an effort, knowing that those changes will show up automatically in the desktop version instead of having to go through the wifi sync. Whenever Apple gets around to approving it, I’ll be there!
Oh, and what a terrific idea to offer a Lite version for free. I really think most people who try it will want to upgrade, but it gives them a chance to find out how great it is first.
I know this is probably beating on a very dead horse, but do we have any word on an iPad app? I work almost exclusively on mine now, and having that would be the ultimate.
I plan on being very open with our iPad progress, basically doing the opposite of what we tried with the YNAB 4 product. At the moment, our plans are to build the iPad app from the ground up, taking a hard look at every single feature of the desktop app and asking ourselves what should be doable on the iPad. We know we want the iPad to be standalone, and that we want a person who has never heard of YNAB before to be able to install it and understand the method, and how to implement that method, within a few minutes.
Edit: we have not started on the iPad app. Once the YNAB 4 dust settles, we’ll get cranking on it. It will be a very long process.
Thanks for the response. I think that is the right approach. I am hopeful development of the iPAD app progresses well and that YNAB 4 is extremely successful. Best Wishes. Robert
Very excited about the iPad app.
I released an update to a very simple iPhone app on Saturday and it’s of course still waiting for review. It’s super simple — no permissions at all. The first time I submitted it, it took ten days for them to get around to reviewing it, and ten minutes for them to approve it. I anticipate the update to be about the same but we’ll see.
Super excited about the iPad app. I’m moving life to the tablet from the laptop and ynab there would be AWESOME. Let me know if I can help!
Will there be an Android tablet app in the future as well as the iPad app (hopefully not far behind)?
If we already have the app, does that mean we will just need to upgrade tomorrow in order to get Cloud sync?
That’s right Dave. One of the reasons we charge a premium (in terms of App Store pricing) for the iPhone/Android versions is because we have lots of future plans for the platform and have the higher-than-average price to justify those continued efforts (where we’ll eventually end up with a standalone, no-desktop-even-required app). Cloud Sync is one of those future plans that’s now almost not in the future :)
Would you say the YNAB Lite version is faster/more streamlined than regular? I’ve got the current iPhone version since it was released and wonder if the free one might be better in this respect?
The Lite version is not any faster. It’s actually slightly slower because it doesn’t have the geo-aware Payee functionality. It’s still pretty darn fast though. Whenever you can get an app that does one thing really well, it can be pretty fast :)
Just curious when the Android version for the Amazon app store will be submitted or ready? I have YNAB on my Kindle Fire, which out of necessity, was purchased from the Amazon app store. I also have the iPhone version and love that. I’m looking forward to all three being updated to YNAB 4. Thank you!!
What if I keep using YNAB 3 for a while? (I just missed the 6 month mark, unfortunately, and will have to save for a new version.) How will that work with the mobile app, or will it? I am afraid things are going to become confusing for a while…
The iPhone and Android versions are backwards compatible with YNAB 3 (you just have to select the WiFi sync option when asked).
The new lite app however only works with YNAB 4 due to the cloud-sync ‘limitation’
“If you already own the iPhone or Android app, it will be a free upgrade to the mobile version that supports cloud sync. In addition, the new mobile apps are backwards compatible with YNAB 3, so you can continue to sync over Wi-Fi. Heck, you can even sync over Wi-Fi in YNAB 4 if you choose not to use Cloud Sync.”
See more here: http://www.youneedabudget.com/forum/ynab-f96/few-more-details-cloud-sync-t16293.html
So … I’m correct in understanding that if I buy YNAB 4 and upgrade my iPhone app (when available) I *can* continue to use WiFi sync? iCloud sounds great but I can’t use it yet … my MacBook is too old for Lion :( and my budget requires I hang onto it as long as it keeps kicking!
I do LOVE the iPhone app and use it all the time to record purchases, especially cash purchases, when I make them.
You can definitely keep using Wifi, but why is not having Lion a restriction for Cloud Sync? What OS version are you running on your Mac? YNAB 4 will support 10.6 and later.
I have OS 10.6. The instructions on Apple for iCloud say “install latest version of Lion … ” and show how to set it up in system prefs. iCloud isn’t an option in 10.6 system prefs so I’ve been operating on the assumption that no 10.7, no iCloud. I haven’t dug deep into this but a little googling around seems to confirm it.
Regardless, very glad to know that I can upgrade YNAB and still fall back on WiFi for sync!
YNAB 4 doesn’t use iCloud for sync — it uses Dropbox which works fine on 10.6 (one of my older MacBooks is still on 10.6 like yours). So you should be just fine.
Super, thanks for the tip!
The new mobile apps are backward compatible with YNAB 3. They’ll work just the same as they did before, using the wi-fi sync. Note that the Lite version does not have wi-fi sync capability.
Will you please consider a blackberry app? I have a dropbox app that works nicely. Maybe that app can give your gifted developers some good ideas for the blackberry?
For the smaller markets, we’re much more interested in providing a mobile web experience. We’d be able to cater to a lot more platforms without doing it completely native.
Have you considered PhoneGap for Blackberry/Windows Phone?
I think you’ll find once you start coding for Windows 8 that it ports directly into Windows Phone 8. They will be sharing the same kernel. Looking forward to that.
So glad I’m on Android so I can try it out tomorrow. :D
So, will we be using the Lite version for the iPhone permanently? Or is it a temporary fix until Apple approves the full version of the app? Or are we waiting for Apple to approve the Lite version, and that’s what we’ll be using? Sorry to be confused!
We’re waiting for Apple to approve both the Lite and full version. :( The Lite version’s there for people that want Cloud Sync, mobile transaction entry, and viewing budget balances, but not all of the other features that are in the full version (and those features that will still come to the full version).
Being able to enter/edit budget and view reports on Iphone will be so helpful! Can’t wait.
I know I have asked this n the past, but was wondering about an iPad version? If I can get rid of my PC/Mac altogether that would be cool and since my data is in the cloud (or will be), it would be great to have a bigger screen to work on.
One very small and (relatively) easy addition I would like to see in the apps is to be able to see notes you’ve made.
I mean category notes not just memos on transactions
I paid for the Android app and downloaded but have since purchased an iPhone and no longer used Android. Do I need to purchase the iPhone app once it comes out or can my previous purchase be changed?
We can refund your Android purchase whenever you request it. Just contact us with the gmail address you used for your Android purchase. Hope you like the iPhone :)
Any plans for a Windows Phone 7 YNAB app?
We’re taking a wait and see approach with Windows 7. At the moment, the market size doesn’t give us enough assurance to invest in it :(
Any ETA on the mobile web? I just bought a new Windows Phone and was disappointed that there was no YNAB app for it, but I understand its a small market compared to iPhone and Android.
No ETA on that yet. My ETA would be WAY wrong if I were to try and give one.
Cloud sync is great. But what is being done to ensure security of my financial data? I dont want to upload my entire financial info on a server without any encryption. Is the YNAB file on dropbox encrypted? Is my data safe?
Hi Satya, you can read all about Cloud Sync and security over here on the Cloud Sync post.
I will likely wait to upgrade until the iPhone app is compatible. If you don’t mind, please send out an email or Facebook message when the iPhone app is approved. Thanks!
Man, will we ever make that known. I’m holding out hope, but faith is beginning to wane..
All these apps for IPhone and Android sound cool but what about Windows Phone 7 – it seems like everyone forgets about it as the third most used mobile platform. I think that it is time to have part of your team start developing for it. I see different support for different Mac OSs but only for 2 mobile platforms – please find the time and resources to tap into the circle of customers who use Windows Phone 7 mobile platform too. Thank you.
It really is an economics decision at this point. The percentage of YNAB users that also use WP7 are so small, it’d be a losing proposition from the get-go. We’re hoping the platform takes off, and it can justify the investment!
Amen to that :)
I would help you developing that app, just let me know! I am a wp7 owner with apps published to the marketplace.
Can you please provide a way to get rid of the splash screen on Android version? It really eats up time when you want to quickly enter a transaction. Alternatively, please provide a shortcut to quickly add a new transaction. A shortcut that takes us directly to the New Entry screen
I look forward to Y4 and the new iPhone App. Both my wife and I use this regularly and very much enjoy the ease of adding transactions as they happen.
One gripe I have is with the import/ sync mechanism. With two phones, having to toggle both the IP address and Passcode for each sync is slowly becoming a pain. Please allude to there being a more streamlined process in the update…
A feature to update the workflow to “pair” a device with an installation to allow ongoing syncs would be wonderful — 1password, is a tool I have that nailed the process — very similar to YNAB’s workflow.
The little-one just woke, must attend…
Cloud Sync will solve all of the above issues. You never have to “sync” again, because it just happens all the time. It’s a dream.
I have tried searching for YNAB on the android Play Store and cannot find it. Has the app currently been taken down pending the upgrade?
Has the app moved out of ‘Waiting for review’ state yet or has it been sitting ‘In review’? I wonder if they’re just really backed up right now. Apple’s iOS review process drives me nuts!
It’s still “Waiting for Review” — I’m guessing it’s a huge backlog. Frustrating with all of the planning we’ve done, but at this point we just hope.
I already own the current (previous?) version of the YNAB android app, but we never purchased it for my wife’s phone because WiFi sync just didn’t seem clean enough to fit our needs. It appears Cloud Sync will solve this by allowing each of us to see the updated category balances without any manual steps – nice!
But will we need to purchase another copy of the YNAB app for her phone (at the premium pricing)? We use separate Google Play accounts on our devices, so I assume the answer to this will be “yes”.
Hey Joe, contact us at support. I think we might have something for this situation.
Jesse, I’m a very new user of YNAB, (only a few days into my trial). I’ve never been one for managing, or understanding financials for that matter, but this software really has me excited about it. I must admit my wife and I are in pretty dire need of a personal financial overhaul which lead me to your software in the first place.
I am in the midst of contemplating the purchase of an Android tablet and curious as to whether you have any plans to develop a fully functional app for Android, such that I can do away with my computer? I understand the market is there for iPad, what are your feelings about this level of functionality on Android tablets?
It would definitely be a wait and see approach for us. We haven’t even started iPad app development yet, so it’s a long ways off :)