Chat with Misto.

Once you're in, Mistos is built to feel calm and easy to move around — this module shows you how to get anywhere, tune a few personal settings, and make sense of everything on your dashboard.

How-To Guides

How to find your way around Mistos

The sidebar is your home base — every part of Mistos is one click away from it.

1. On a computer, look to the permanent menu down the left side.
2. Click any area to jump to it: Dashboard, Transactions, Accounts, Budgets, Goals, Analytics, Sheet, Tax Vault, Household, or Retirement. Wherever you are, that item stays highlighted so you never lose your place.
3. Need a hand? Click the Ask Misto help row.
4. At the very bottom, click your name (or the settings gear) to open your Profile, or click sign-out when you're done for the day.

✨ Good to know: If you're viewing finances someone has shared with you, a gold banner names whose data you're looking at, with a "back to my data" button to return to your own anytime.

How to open the menu on your phone

On a smaller screen the menu tucks away neatly, so it's always there without crowding you.

1. At the top of the screen, tap the hamburger icon (Open menu).
2. A drawer slides in with the same list of areas.
3. Tap wherever you'd like to go — the drawer closes on its own once you pick something. (Tapping the shaded area beside it closes it too.)

How to make the sidebar smaller

If you'd like a little more room for your numbers, you can shrink the sidebar down to icons.

1. On a computer, find the chevron arrow on the sidebar.
2. Click it to Collapse sidebar — it slims down to a tidy row of icons.
3. Click it again to Expand sidebar and bring the labels back.

How to change your language and currency

Mistos speaks your language and shows your money the way you expect.

1. Go to your Dashboard.
2. In the control bar near the top, open the language picker and choose your language.
3. Open the Currency picker and choose the currency you'd like your figures shown in.

✨ Good to know: Your choices are saved for you automatically. If currency options are still loading, you'll simply see USD for the moment.

How to turn on bill reminders

A gentle nudge before a bill is due can save a late fee — here's how to switch reminders on.

1. Go to your Dashboard.
2. In the control bar, flip the Push toggle on to get reminders right on your device. It glows gold when it's on, showing "Push notifications enabled".
3. Flip the Email toggle on to also get reminders by email ("Email reminders enabled").

⚠️ Heads up: While a toggle saves, it shows a spinner for a moment. If something doesn't stick, you may see "Could not toggle push" or "Failed to save email preference." — just tap it again. On a computer, turning on Push quietly sends a quick test notification so you know it's working.

How to read your dashboard at a glance

Your dashboard is designed to be read top to bottom, like a calm morning summary of where you stand.

1. Start at the top with your Safe-to-Spend number — the big figure showing what's genuinely free to spend right now, after bills, budgets, and savings are set aside.
2. Just beneath it, glance at the breakdown: your available "liquid" balance, minus upcoming "bills", minus "savings", plus a small ring showing how much of your budget you've used this month.
3. Read Misto's golden insight bubble below for a gentle daily thought on how things are going.
4. Scan the four snapshot cards — Net Worth, Income, Expense, and Savings — for this month's headline numbers.
5. Look over the cash-flow chart to see how your income and spending have moved over the last six months. Hover any point for the exact figures.
6. Finish with Recent Transactions at the bottom to see your six latest entries at a glance.

Frequently Asked Questions

"What does 'Safe-to-Spend' actually mean?"

It's the one number that answers "how much can I comfortably spend right now?" Mistos starts with your available "liquid" balance, then sets aside your upcoming "bills" and your "savings" — what's left is your Safe-to-Spend. The little ring beside it shows how much of your budget you've used this month, easing from gold to amber to a soft terracotta as it fills, so you get a gentle read on your budget health without any math.

✨ Good to know: That daily insight bubble refreshes every day for Misto's Premium members and weekly on the free plan. If you'd like a fresh thought each morning, you can see current pricing on the Upgrade screen.

"Why is my Safe-to-Spend number showing in orange?"

That's Mistos gently letting you know the number has dipped below zero, or that a budget has gone a little over. It shows in a warm terracotta tone — never an alarming red — because this is information, not a scolding. You might also see a small "over" note, and the budget ring simply stops at 100% rather than overflowing. Take it as a soft heads-up to ease off spending for a bit.

"I can't find the Push button for reminders — where is it?"

No need to worry — that button only appears when your device is able to show push notifications. If yours can't, Mistos simply leaves it out so nothing dead-ends. You can still switch on the Email toggle in the same control bar to get your bill reminders by email instead.

"Why is my cash-flow chart empty?"

That just means Mistos doesn't have enough activity to draw the lines yet. As you add accounts and transactions, income and spending will start to appear across the months. Give it a little history and the chart fills itself in.

"My dashboard says 'Loading…' — is something wrong?"

Not at all. Your numbers paint in almost instantly from what's saved on your device, and Mistos may briefly show "Loading…" or soft placeholder shapes while it tidies up the latest summary in the background. It settles on its own in a moment — nothing is broken, and nothing is lost.

Your ledger is the heart of Mistos — this is where every dollar in and out lives, and Misto is right beside you to keep it tidy.

How-To Guides

How to view your ledger

Everything you've recorded sits in one friendly list, so you can see your whole money picture at a glance.

1. Open the Transactions page from the menu.
2. Read across each row: Date, Merchant, Category, Account, Amount, plus the Autopay and Tax flags.
3. Glance at the Tax-deductible {year} chip in the top-right to see your running deductible total and count for the year.
4. On a phone, swipe the list sideways to reach the action buttons on each row.

✨ Good to know: If a transaction isn't linked to an account yet, you'll see a small "—" in the Account column. That's just a placeholder, not an error.

How to filter and sort your transactions

When your list gets long, a couple of quick dropdowns help you zero in on exactly what you're looking for.

1. On the Transactions page, open the All categories dropdown and pick a category to show only those entries.
2. Open the All accounts dropdown and pick an account to narrow it further.
3. Use the sort dropdown to switch between Newest First and Oldest First.
4. Watch the list re-arrange itself the moment you choose — there's nothing to click to apply.

✨ Good to know: The two filters work together, so choosing a category and an account shows only the rows that match both.

How to add a transaction by hand

Recording money in and out keeps your whole picture honest — and it only takes a moment.

1. On the Transactions page, click Add Transaction in the top-right.
2. Choose the Type — Expense or Income.
3. Enter the Amount and a Description (the merchant's name).
4. Pick a Category, set the Date, and choose the Account it belongs to.
5. Click Create. You'll see "Transaction added" and your ledger updates instantly.

💡 Tip: Flip on Tax-deductible while you're here and it'll count toward your year-to-date tax total automatically.

How to scan a receipt to fill in a transaction

No typing required — let Misto read the receipt and do the filling-in for you.

1. Click Add Transaction to open the New transaction form.
2. Click the Scan receipt chip.
3. Take a photo or choose a picture of your receipt from your device.
4. Wait a moment while it shows Scanning….
5. Watch the Merchant, Amount, Category, Date, and Tax-deductible fields fill themselves in, and read Misto's golden confirmation bubble naming the merchant.
6. Adjust anything that isn't quite right, then click Create.

⚠️ Heads up: Scanning reads picture files only, and it's available when adding a transaction — not when editing one. Any field it can't read simply keeps whatever was already there.

How to edit a transaction

Made a typo or need to tweak a detail? Fixing it is quick and painless.

1. Find the transaction in your ledger.
2. Click the pencil icon on its row to open Edit transaction.
3. Change any of the pre-filled details you like.
4. Click Update. You'll see "Transaction updated."

✨ Good to know: If you rename a merchant, Misto quietly remembers the friendlier name and uses it for your future imports.

How to change a category from the table

You can re-categorize an entry right where it sits — no form needed.

1. In your ledger, find the row you want to change.
2. Click the Category cell — it's a dropdown all on its own.
3. Pick the new category. It saves instantly, and you'll see "Category updated to {category}."

✨ Good to know: A gold star (✦) beside a category means Misto set it from a rule it learned. It's simply letting you know it made the choice — you can always change it.

How to let Misto update matching transactions for you

Fix one entry from a merchant, and Misto can offer to tidy up all the others too.

1. Change a transaction's Category (from the table or the edit form).
2. If other transactions from the same merchant have a different category, Misto will ask: "Would you like to retroactively update all {N} other transactions matching "{merchant}" to "{category}"?"
3. Click to confirm.
4. You'll see "Retroactively updated {N} transactions," and they'll all match.

💡 Tip: This prompt only pops up when there's actually a mismatch to fix, so if you don't see it, everything from that merchant already agrees.

How to flag a transaction as Tax-deductible or Autopay

Two little toggles help Misto understand each transaction and stop nudging you needlessly.

1. Find the transaction in your ledger.
2. Toggle Tax-deductible on to count it toward your year-to-date deductible total.
3. Toggle Autopay on for charges your bank pays automatically — you'll see a green On badge with a lightning icon.
4. That's it — both save on their own, no button to press.

✨ Good to know: You can also set both toggles right inside the Add Transaction and Edit transaction forms.

How to split a transaction with a household member (Premium)

Sharing a bill? Split an expense so part of it lands on a household member's tab.

1. Click the scissors icon on the transaction's row to open the Split Transaction panel.
2. Choose the household member you're splitting with.
3. Pick a ratio — 50/50, 30/70, or 70/30.
4. Review the Amount Owed it works out for you, and edit it if needed.
5. Click Post Split. You'll see "Transaction split recorded!" and a green Split {percent}% ({amount}) badge on the row.

✨ Good to know: Splitting is part of Misto's Premium plan. If you're not on Premium yet, you'll see "Expense splitting is part of Misto's Premium" — head to the Upgrade screen whenever you're ready to unlock it.

How to attach a receipt to a transaction

Keep proof of a purchase tucked right alongside the entry it belongs to.

1. Click the Attach receipt (paperclip) icon on the transaction's row.
2. Choose a picture or PDF from your device.
3. Wait for Uploading… to finish — you'll see "Receipt attached" and a small thumbnail.
4. Click the thumbnail any time to open a full-screen preview.
5. To remove it, click the X, then confirm "Remove receipt?" You'll see "Removed."

How to delete a transaction or clear them all

Sometimes an entry has to go — and Mistos always asks first, just to be safe.

1. To remove one, click the trash icon on its row.
2. Confirm "Delete transaction?" You'll see "Deleted."
3. To wipe the whole ledger, click the red Clear All button.
4. Read the warning carefully — this deletes all transactions and resets your account balances — then confirm. You'll see "All transactions cleared."

⚠️ Heads up: Clearing all can't be undone, so it's worth a second look before you confirm.

How to import a bank or card statement

Skip the typing entirely — hand Misto a statement and let it harvest your transactions, with a full review before anything is saved.

1. On the Transactions page, find the dashed drop zone and drag your file in, or click to choose one. Misto reads PDF, CSV, OFX, QFX, and QIF files.
2. Wait while it shows reading… and sorts everything into categories for you.
3. When you see "Successfully parsed {N} transactions!", the review panel opens.
4. Pick where they should land using the Target Account dropdown (it shows each account's balance to help you choose).
5. Go down the Verify Transactions list: untick any row you'd like to skip, and fix the Date, Description, or Category on anything that needs it.
6. When it looks right, click Import {N} items.
7. Enjoy the confetti — you'll see "Harvested {N} transactions to {account}!"

💡 Tip: Dates are editable on purpose. Statements sometimes write dates in confusing formats, so give them a quick glance before importing.

How to manage the category rules Misto has learned

Over time Misto learns which merchant belongs in which category. You're always in charge of that list.

1. On the Transactions page, find the Category rules card.
2. Read each learned rule, shown as "{merchant} → {category}".
3. To remove just one, click Forget this rule (the trash icon) and confirm.
4. To reset everything Misto has picked up, click Forget all learned. You'll see "Learned categories cleared — Misto will re-learn from your next corrections."

✨ Good to know: All of these rules live safely on your device, and "Forget all learned" keeps any rules you set on purpose — it only clears what Misto figured out on its own.

Frequently Asked Questions

"Why won't my statement import?"

A few gentle things to check. If you see "Only PDF, CSV, OFX, QFX, and QIF statement formats are supported," your file is a type Misto can't read — re-download it in one of those formats. If it's over 20MB, you'll get a too-large message, so try a shorter date range. And if Misto reads the file but finds "No transaction patterns detected," your PDF is likely a scanned image of a statement rather than a text one — download the text version from your bank and it should come right in.

"Why is the scissors icon greyed out?"

No worries — this just means there's no one to split with yet. On Premium, the scissors turn on once you've invited someone; until then you'll see "Invite members to split." If you're not on Premium, you'll see "Expense splitting is part of Misto's Premium," and you can unlock it any time from the Upgrade screen.

"Where's the search box on the Transactions page?"

There isn't a typing search box here, and that's by design. Instead, you filter with the All categories and All accounts dropdowns — pick one or both and the list narrows instantly. Pair them with the Newest First / Oldest First sort to find exactly what you need.

"What does the gold star (✦) next to a category mean?"

That's just Misto letting you know it chose that category from a rule it learned — "Misto categorized this from a learned rule." It's never locked in. Click the Category cell to change it, and Misto will happily learn from your correction.

"Only some of my statement came in — what happened?"

Occasionally a handful of rows can't be saved, and Misto is honest about it: you'll see "Imported {X} of {Y}… {Z} failed and are still listed below." The ones that didn't make it stay right there in the review list, so you can adjust a detail and click Import {N} items again to bring them in.

Your Accounts page is home base for every account you have — and, when you're ready, the place where Misto can gently pull in transactions straight from your bank.

How-To Guides

How to see your whole money picture

Your Accounts page brings every account together, so you can take it all in at a glance.

1. In the sidebar, click Accounts.
2. At the top, read your Total — every account added together and converted into your display currency.
3. Browse the cards below; each shows the account's name, type, balance, color, and a Private or Joint badge.
4. If an account is in another currency, look for the "≈" line showing its converted amount.

How to add an account

Adding an account is the first step to seeing your whole money picture in one place.

1. In the sidebar, click Accounts.
2. Click Add account in the top-right.
3. Type a Name, pick a Type (like Checking, Savings, Credit Card, or 401(k)), and enter your current Balance.
4. Choose Joint (Shared with Household) or Private (Only Visible to Me), pick a Currency, and choose a color.
5. Click Create — you'll see "Account created," and you're done.

✨ Good to know: Prefer not to link a bank? You can add and update accounts by hand, free, forever. And if you add a credit card, Misto stores its balance as a negative automatically — that's completely normal.

How to edit or delete an account

Life changes, and your accounts can change right along with it.

1. On the Accounts page, find the card you'd like to change.
2. To update it, click its pencil icon, adjust any detail, then click Update.
3. To remove an account instead, click its trash icon.
4. Confirm at Delete account and its transactions? to finish.

⚠️ Heads up: Deleting an account also removes that account's transactions, and there's no undo — so take a moment to double-check before you confirm.

How to reorder your account cards

Put the accounts you check most right up top — the order is yours to set.

1. On the Accounts page, find a card's grip handle.
2. Drag the card to where you'd like it.
3. As you drag, the card dims with a dashed gold outline so you can see it moving.
4. Drop it in place — you'll see "Accounts custom order updated," and Mistos remembers it on this device.

How to capture from your bank on your phone (Premium)

On the phone app, Misto can pull in recent transactions for you — you do the signing in, Misto does the tidying up.

1. On your phone, open the Accounts page.
2. Open the Select bank dropdown and pick your bank — Chase, Bank of America, Amex, Wells Fargo, Barclays (UK), or HSBC (Intl) — or choose the custom option to type in your bank's own web address.
3. Tap the gold button to open your bank.
4. Your bank's real website opens in the secure in-app browser. Log in there, on your bank's own page.
5. Once you're viewing your transactions, tap the capture button.
6. Misto reads the visible rows and confirms ("Captured N transactions from this page…").
7. Close the browser to open Review & Import.
8. For each batch of captured rows, choose a target account.
9. Untick any rows you'd rather skip, and fix any date, description, or category as needed.
10. Tap Import [N] items — cue the confetti, and "Imported N transactions into your account!"

💡 Tip: You sign in on your bank's own real page, on your own device. Mistos never sees, stores, or sends your bank login — Misto only reads the transactions you choose to capture.

✨ Good to know: Automatic bank sync is part of Misto's Premium — unlock it anytime on the Upgrade screen. Prefer not to? Importing a downloaded statement does the same job, free, forever.

How to capture from your bank on a computer (Premium)

The same capture, browser-style: your bank opens in its own tab, and a one-time bookmarklet does the reading — right in your browser, so nothing ever leaves your device.

1. On the Accounts page, pick your bank from the Select bank dropdown (or enter your bank's web address) and click Open my bank & capture.
2. Your bank's real website opens in a new tab, and Misto shows a short checklist.
3. One-time setup: drag the Misto Capture button to your browser's bookmarks bar (or click or copy the link and paste it into a new bookmark's address).
4. In the bank tab, log in on your bank's own page and go to your transactions view.
5. Click the Misto Capture bookmark. A small note confirms how many transactions were read and copied.
6. Come back to Misto and paste into the box — the rows land in Review & Import automatically.
7. Choose a target account for each batch, tidy anything you like, and click Import [N] items.

💡 Tip: No bookmarklet handy? Select and copy the transaction rows on your bank's page as plain text and paste them into the same box — Misto parses those too.

How to turn on AI Reading Assist (Premium, phone only)

Now and then you'll connect a bank Misto hasn't learned to read yet. On the phone, Misto can ask for a little help — and it's entirely your call.

1. The first time you connect an unfamiliar bank, Misto asks "Help Misto read [your bank]?"
2. Read what would be shared: a plain, anonymized outline of how the page is laid out — never your amounts, merchant names, or balances.
3. Tap Share structure only to help, or No thanks to skip. Either way, Misto remembers your choice for that bank.
4. Curious what's been shared? Tap View data shared with Misto AI to see every snippet, anytime.

How Misto gets better at reading your bank (Premium)

The first time Misto reads a bank cleanly, it quietly remembers the shape of that page — which part is the date, which is the description, which is the amount — right on your device. So the next capture from that bank is faster and more reliable, with nothing to set up. You can also choose to pass that shape along so other members at the same bank benefit.

1. Capture your transactions as usual.
2. On the Review & Import screen, if you'd like to help, tick Help Misto read this bank for everyone.
3. That shares only the page's layout — never your transactions, amounts, balances, or login. It's off unless you turn it on, and Misto remembers your choice.

✨ Good to know: The layout Misto learns lives on your device by default. Turning on that tick is the one time Misto sends anything — and it's only the map of where things sit on the page, checked by a person before it ever helps anyone else.

How to enter transactions by hand when capture comes up empty

Some bank portals are shy, and that's okay — you can always bring transactions in yourself.

1. In the bank-connect area, tap Enter transactions manually instead.
2. Type or paste your transactions into the box, one per line (for example: 07/08/2026 SAFEWAY GROCERS -54.20).
3. Make sure each line has a description and an amount with decimals.
4. Tap Parse & Review.
5. Your rows appear in the same Review & Import table, ready to check and import.

How to try Mistos with sample data (and switch to the real thing)

Curious how everything feels before you bring in anything real? The sample (demo) accounts are there so you can explore safely.

1. If your dashboard shows the Preview mode banner, you're looking at sample data — explore freely; nothing there is real.
2. When you're ready for your own numbers, click Connect a real bank on the banner — it clears the demo accounts so you can start fresh.
3. Then bring in the real thing: live capture on your phone or computer (Premium), or import a downloaded statement — free, on any device.

How to link Google sign-in to your account

Linking Google means you can get in with either your email and password or a single tap on Google — whichever is handy.

1. On the sign-in screen, choose Continue with Google using the same email as your existing account.
2. Misto shows a Link your Google account step.
3. Enter your password once, then click Link & sign in.
4. You'll see "Google linked — either sign-in works from now on." That's it.

✨ Good to know: You can manage this anytime from your Profile page under Linked accounts.

You'll also find the Portfolio Fee Analyzer on the Accounts page — a quick way to see what fund fees cost you over time. It's covered fully in the Retirement Planning module.

Frequently Asked Questions

"Why don't I see the bank-connect option?"

Automatic bank sync is part of Misto's Premium, so on a free plan you'll see a locked Premium card with a lock icon instead of the sync tool. Tap the Upgrade link there whenever you're ready. And right beside it, importing a downloaded statement stays completely free — same result, no plan required.

"Is my bank password safe?"

Yes — and this is one of the things we care about most. You always sign in on your bank's own real page — in the secure in-app browser on your phone, or in your bank's own browser tab on a computer. Mistos never sees, stores, or sends your bank login. Misto only reads the transactions you choose to capture, nothing else.

"Why is my credit card showing a negative balance?"

That's on purpose. Credit cards and other debts (the "Other Liability" type) show as a negative number in a soft terracotta, so your Total reflects what you actually owe. It isn't an error, and it's never a red alarm — just an honest picture. Mistos stores these balances as negative automatically when you add them.

"Does bank capture work on my computer, or only on my phone?"

Both. On your phone, your bank opens in a secure in-app browser with a capture button. On a computer, your bank opens in its own browser tab, and the one-time Misto Capture bookmarklet reads your transactions page for you — then you paste the result into Misto. Either way, you sign in on your bank's own page, and your login never touches Mistos.

"The capture didn't find any transactions — now what?"

No worries, this happens sometimes. First, make sure you're on your bank's transactions view rather than a summary page, then tap capture again. If it's still empty, tap Enter transactions manually instead and type or paste your rows — Misto will drop them straight into Review & Import. It's also worth trying importing a downloaded statement — that reads a file from your bank and works every time.

"What does 'Help Misto read this bank for everyone' actually share?"

Only the page's layout — a small map of which spot holds the date, which holds the description, and which holds the amount. It never includes your transactions, amounts, balances, merchant names, or login. It's off unless you turn it on, you can turn it back off anytime, and a Misto reviewer checks each layout before it helps another member. The point is simple: once one person's device figures out how to read a bank, nobody else at that bank has to.

Budgets in Mistos work like envelopes — you give every dollar a job, so you always know what's safe to spend.

How-To Guides

How to create a budget envelope

Envelopes turn a vague "I should spend less" into a clear, friendly limit for each part of your life.

1. On the Budgets page, click Allocate Envelope.
2. Choose a Category from the list, like Groceries, Rent, or Transport.
3. Enter your monthly Envelope Limit.
4. Click Create. Your new envelope appears with a progress bar ready to track spending.

💡 Tip: Not sure what to set? Check the A few budgets you might want card — Misto suggests limits based on your real spending over the last 60 days.

How to edit or delete an envelope

Life shifts, and your envelopes can shift right along with it.

1. On the envelope card, click the pencil icon to open Edit budget envelope.
2. Change the Category or Envelope Limit.
3. Click Update to save your changes.
4. To remove an envelope instead, click the trash icon, then confirm at Delete envelope?. It disappears right away.

How to shift cash between envelopes

When one envelope runs low, you can quietly borrow from another that has room to spare.

1. On the envelope you want to pull money from, click the double-arrow icon to open Shift Envelope Cash.
2. Pick where the money should go under To Envelope.
3. Enter the Amount to Transfer.
4. Click Shift Cash. A little confetti confirms the move, and both envelopes update instantly.

How to leave a sticky note on an envelope

Sticky notes are a warm little way to remind yourself (or your household) why an envelope looks the way it does.

1. On any envelope, click the sticky-note icon.
2. Type your reminder into Type a sticky note....
3. Pick one of the five colors.
4. Click Post. Your note appears with your name and initial for the current month.

How to accept one of Misto's suggested budgets

If setting limits from scratch feels like guesswork, let Misto offer a gentle starting point — for free.

1. On the Budgets page, find the A few budgets you might want card.
2. Look over each suggestion — you'll see how many transactions Misto noticed and your average spend per month.
3. Click Set [amount]/mo on any category you like.
4. That envelope is created instantly, and Misto confirms with "Set [category] budget to [amount]/month."

How to ask the Mistos Budget Companion for a hand (Premium)

When your budget feels tangled, the Budget Companion can talk it through in plain English and offer one-tap fixes.

1. On the Budgets page, find the Mistos Budget Companion panel.
2. Click Analyze my envelopes and wait a moment while Misto scans.
3. Read Misto's summary of where your money is drifting this month.
4. Under Smart Quick Fixes, click Apply Shift on any suggestion to move the cash for you.
5. Or type a plain instruction into the command box, like "shift 50 from dining to groceries."

✨ Good to know: The Budget Companion is part of Misto's Premium. On the free plan you'll see a calm locked panel — tap Unlock the Budget Companion to visit the Upgrade screen whenever you're ready. Misto's auto-suggested budgets, though, are always free.

Frequently Asked Questions

"What do the three cards at the top of the Budgets page mean?"

Those cards tell you the whole story of your month at a glance. Earned Income Pool is what's come in, Assigned to Envelopes is what you've already given a job, and Unassigned Income Pool is what's still waiting to be placed. When that last card reaches exactly zero, its icon turns a happy green — that's every dollar accounted for. Misto's golden bubble sums it up in a sentence too, whether you have money still waiting for a job or you've reached "Every dollar has a job. The month rests at zero."

"What happens if I overspend an envelope?"

Nothing breaks, and nothing shouts at you. The envelope's footer simply switches from "Cash remaining +[amount]" to "Overflowed -[amount]," and the bar and envelope flap turn a soft terracotta — never an alarming red. It's just Misto letting you know gently. If you'd like to smooth it over, click the double-arrow icon and use Shift Cash to top the envelope up from one with room to spare.

"Why can't I use the Budget Companion?"

The Budget Companion coach is part of Misto's Premium, so on the free plan you'll see a locked "AI Assistant · Premium" panel instead of the working controls. Whenever you're ready, tap Unlock the Budget Companion to head to the Upgrade screen. In the meantime, Misto's auto-suggested budgets on this same page are completely free — so you're never left without help.

"Can my household see the sticky notes I leave?"

Yes — sticky notes are shared with your household members, so they're a friendly way to stay on the same page. Only the current month's notes show, and the note keeps your name and initial. If you'd like to remove one, hover over it and use the delete option (the note's author or the budget owner can clear it).

Savings Goals give the things you're dreaming about a place to grow, with gentle encouragement the whole way.

How-To Guides

How to plant a new savings goal

Naming a goal is the first, most hopeful step toward reaching it.

1. On the Goals page, click Add Goal.
2. Enter a Name, like "New laptop" or "Emergency fund."
3. Enter your Target amount.
4. If you've already saved something, add a starting amount under Current (it starts at 0 otherwise).
5. Optionally set a Deadline and pick a color.
6. Click Plant. Your goal appears with its own progress ring, ready to grow.

How to add money to a goal

Watching a goal climb is one of the best feelings — and it only takes a moment.

1. On the Goals page, find your goal card and click the pencil icon to open Edit goal.
2. Change the Current amount to your new saved total.
3. Click Update. The progress ring fills to match right away.

✨ Good to know: There's no separate "add contribution" button. You add money to a goal by editing it and raising its Current value — that's the one and only way, and it keeps things simple.

How to edit a goal

Plans grow and change, and your goals can keep up.

1. On the goal card, click the pencil icon to open Edit goal.
2. Update the Name, Target, Deadline, or color.
3. Click Update to save.

How to delete a goal

If a goal no longer fits your life, you can let it go.

1. On the goal card, click the trash icon.
2. Confirm at Delete goal?. The goal is removed. (Changed your mind? Just cancel and nothing happens.)

Frequently Asked Questions

"How do I add money to a goal?"

This one surprises people, so it's worth saying clearly: there's no separate "add contribution" button. Instead, click the pencil icon on your goal to open Edit goal, raise the Current amount to your new saved total, and click Update. The ring and progress fill in to match. The same trick works in reverse — if you ever need to lower the amount, just edit Current down.

"What do the milestones on my goal mean?"

Milestones are Misto's way of cheering you on. As you cross 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100% funded, a badge appears along with a warm little line — "A quarter of the way. Small steps count.", "Halfway there…", "Three quarters…", and finally "Reached. Hold this for a moment." The ring and bar politely stop at 100%, even if you save past your target, so a goal always looks beautifully complete.

"What happens when I finish a goal?"

You get a proper celebration. At 100%, the card earns a gold ring and a "Harvested" ribbon, and shortly after, gold-and-sage confetti drifts across the screen with a toast ("🌾 [goal] — harvested. you crossed the finish line…"). The confetti and toast play just once per goal, so if you reopen the page later you'll still see the lovely ribbon without the fanfare repeating.

"Do I have to set a deadline for a goal?"

Not at all. Only a Name and a Target are required — the Deadline and starting Current amount are both optional. Save at whatever pace feels right, with or without a date on the calendar.

Your expenses sheet is one calm, honest place to see every bill for the month — and Misto quietly handles the busywork so you don't have to.

How-To Guides

How to add a bill to your sheet

Your expenses sheet is a simple, honest list of everything you owe this month — and it saves itself as you go.

1. On the Sheet page, click Add row.
2. Type the bill's Name — this is the important one; a row won't save until it has a name.
3. The Category often fills itself in; adjust it if you like.
4. Set the Due Date and Amount, and add a Note if it helps.
5. When you pay it, tick the Paid? box. That's it — no Save button needed.

✨ Good to know: Your work saves itself about half a second after you stop typing, and again when you click away — as long as the row has a Name.

How to let Misto fill in the category for you

No one enjoys sorting every bill by hand, so Misto takes a first pass for you.

1. Type the bill's Name and click away from the cell.
2. Misto compares it to your other bills, your past transactions, and common names it recognizes.
3. If it spots a match, it fills the Category for you and shows a gold Misto · filled in note.
4. Don't agree? Just change the Category yourself — your choice always wins.

✨ Good to know: Misto only fills in a category you haven't already set, and it never overwrites a category you picked yourself.

How to reuse a payee you've entered before

If you pay the same places each month, you can bring back their details in one tap.

1. Click into a Name cell.
2. A Suggested Payees list appears — up to five from your history, like "Netflix · $15.99."
3. Start typing to narrow the list, or pick from the five most recent.
4. Choose one, and Misto fills in the Name, Category, and Amount all at once.

How to mark a bill as paid

Keeping your sheet honest is as easy as a single tick.

1. Find the bill's row.
2. Tick the Paid? box. It turns gold, and the row gently dims to show it's settled.
3. Changed your mind? Untick it to mark it unpaid again.

✨ Good to know: Tick Paid? on a recurring bill and Misto also records a matching payment in your account. Untick it and that payment is removed. One-time bills just flip between paid and unpaid.

How to turn a one-time bill into a recurring one (or back)

When an expense becomes a monthly habit, let it repeat itself.

1. Find the row you want to change.
2. Click the repeat icon in the Recurring column.
3. A one-time bill becomes a monthly bill and you'll see Converted to monthly recurring bill.
4. To go the other way, click it again and confirm Convert this recurring bill to a one-time expense? You'll see Converted to one-time expense.

💡 Tip: If a paid one-time bill becomes recurring, it keeps its paid status and its payment in your account — nothing gets lost.

How to delete a bill

Removing something you no longer need takes just a moment.

1. Click the trash icon at the end of the row.
2. For a brand-new row you haven't named yet, it disappears right away.
3. For a one-time bill, confirm Delete this row?
4. For a recurring bill, confirm Delete this recurring bill template? — future months will simply stop showing it.

How to read your summary tiles

The four tiles at the top give you the whole month at a glance.

1. Look at Total to see everything you owe this month.
2. Check Paid for how much you've already settled.
3. Watch Remaining for what's still owed.
4. Read Checking Cushion — your checking total minus your unpaid bills — to see what's really left to work with.

✨ Good to know: Checking Cushion shows green when you're comfortably ahead and turns a warm orange if your unpaid bills would dip you below zero. It's a heads-up, not an alarm. Below the tiles, a By category list shows where your money is going, largest first.

How to look at another month

Past or future, every month has its own sheet.

1. Find the month pill near the top (for example, "July 2026").
2. Click the back or forward arrow to move a month at a time.
3. Click Today anytime to jump straight back to the current month.

✨ Good to know: Recurring bills show up in every month automatically; one-time bills only appear in the month they belong to.

How to see your bills on a calendar

Sometimes it's easier to see bills laid out by date.

1. Switch the view toggle from Table to Calendar.
2. Each day shows its bills and a day total; today is highlighted in gold.
3. Click a bill chip to toggle it paid or unpaid right there.
4. Hover over an empty day and click the + to add a bill on that date — Misto pops you back to Table view with the row ready to fill in.

✨ Good to know: Misto remembers whether you prefer Table or Calendar and opens that way next time.

How to paste in a whole list of bills at once

Already keep your bills in a spreadsheet? Bring them all over in one go.

1. Click Paste rows.
2. Copy your bills from Excel, Google Sheets, or Numbers and paste them into the box.
3. Check the live preview — it shows what will come in and counts the rows for you.
4. Click Import {N} rows. You'll see Imported {N} rows.

💡 Tip: Misto handles tab- or comma-separated text, skips a header row, and cleans up dollar signs and commas for you. A row without a name is skipped, a missing due date becomes the first of the month you're viewing, and a missing category becomes "Other."

How to export your bills

Your bills are yours — take them with you anytime.

1. Click Export PDF.
2. Wait a moment while it prepares your document.
3. A tidy, branded tab opens with your bills for the month, and your print dialog appears.
4. Print it, or choose Save as PDF to keep a copy.

✨ Good to know: The Export PDF tab lists every bill for the month you're viewing, with your Total, Paid, and Remaining — ready to print or save as a document. Exporting is free on every plan. If Export PDF seems to do nothing, your browser likely blocked the new tab — allow pop-ups for Mistos and try again.

How to fly through the sheet with your keyboard

Once you get going, you may never reach for the mouse.

1. Click the keyboard icon (or press ? or Ctrl+/) to open Sheet shortcuts.
2. Press Enter to save and move down, or add a new row at the end.
3. Use Tab and Shift+Tab to move between cells, and the ↑ / ↓ arrows to move up and down a column.
4. Press Esc to click out of a cell.

✨ Good to know: Typing a "?" inside a cell just types the character — the shortcut only opens help when you're not editing.

How to track a repeating charge Misto spots for you

When something quietly repeats, Misto gives you a gentle nudge.

1. Watch for the gold Smart Budget Assistant banner and its New Repeating Pattern card.
2. Read what Misto found, like "We detected a monthly repeating expense for 'Netflix' of $15.99."
3. Click Track as Recurring Bill to add it to your sheet. You'll see Started tracking…
4. Not interested? Click the X to dismiss the tip, and it stays hidden.

How to match a payment to an unpaid bill

Misto can connect a real transaction to the bill it belongs to and check it off in one step.

1. Look for a Payment Match Found tip, such as "Found a transaction for $92.10 from 'PG&E'… Reconcile with unpaid 'PG&E'?"
2. Click Match & Mark Paid to settle that one, or Match All Payments to clear several at once.
3. Prefer to review first? Click the pulsing ✨ Match pill in a row's Amount cell to open the Reconcile Payment popover.
4. Check the merchant, date, and amount, then click Confirm Match — or Ignore Match if it's not the right one.

How to get ahead of bills Misto sees coming

Irregular bills — quarterly, twice-yearly, once-a-year — are easy to forget, so Misto looks ahead for you.

1. Find the Misto · looking ahead / Bills I see coming. card.
2. Read each prediction: the merchant, how often it lands ("every ~3 months," "once a year"), the likely next date, and the likely amount.
3. Click Add to recurring to start tracking it. You'll see Added. I'll watch for it.

⚠️ Heads up: You'll need at least one account added first — if you don't have one yet, Misto will let you know with "Add an account first."

How to flag a merchant that's on autopay

Let Misto point out charges that are clearly on autopilot so it can stop nudging you about them.

1. Look for the Misto · Spotted on autopay card, like "Looks like Spotify runs on autopay… Want me to flag it?"
2. Click a merchant's pill to flag just that one.
3. Or click Mark all as recurring to flag them together. You'll see a note that Misto will stay quiet about these from now on.
4. Not now? Click the X to hide the card for this session.

Frequently Asked Questions

"Why didn't my new row save?"

The most common reason is a missing name. A row only saves itself once it has a Name — until then, it just sits there, unsaved. Type a name into the row and it will save on its own a moment later. If you added a row you don't want, no need to tidy up; an unnamed row won't stick around.

"Why is a bill's date showing in orange?"

That warm orange, bold date is Misto's gentle way of saying the bill is past its Due Date and still unpaid. Nothing's broken — it's just there to catch your eye. Tick the Paid? box once you've paid it, and the date settles back to normal. (Past-due days show the same warm color in Calendar view too.)

"I clicked Export PDF but nothing happened — what's wrong?"

Almost always, your browser blocked the new tab Misto opens to build your printable copy. Allow pop-ups for Mistos and click Export PDF again — a tidy, branded tab and your print dialog will appear, and you can print it or choose Save as PDF. Exporting is free on every plan.

"Why did marking a bill paid add a transaction to my account?"

Because that bill is a recurring one. When you tick Paid? on a recurring bill, Misto also records a matching payment in your account so your balances stay accurate — you'll see "Paid · transaction added to your account." Untick it and that payment is removed. One-time bills don't do this; they simply switch between paid and unpaid.

"I pasted a big list but some rows didn't come in — what happened?"

Misto quietly skips any row that doesn't have a name, since a nameless bill can't be saved. It also tidies up your text — trimming dollar signs and commas, and skipping a header row if it finds one. If none of your rows had names, you'll see "No valid rows found." Add names to those rows in your spreadsheet and paste again.

Your Analytics page turns a month of transactions into a few friendly pictures, so you can see your money at a glance instead of squinting at a ledger.

How-To Guides

How to compare your income and spending over six months

Seeing money in right next to money out is the fastest way to feel where you stand.

1. Open the Analytics page.
2. Find the Income vs Expense chart.
3. Read the gold bars as your income and the brown bars as your spending.
4. Hover over any month to see the exact amounts.

How to see where this month's money went

When you want to know what ate your budget, your categories tell the story.

1. Open the Analytics page.
2. Look at the This month by category donut to see each category's share at a glance.
3. Hover over any slice to see its amount.
4. Scroll down to the Top Categories list for the same spending ranked, each with a percentage and dollar amount.

How to understand what changed since last month

This is one of Misto's kindest features: plain-language notes on what moved, with no math homework.

1. Open the Analytics page.
2. Find the What shifted trends.
3. Read Misto's sentence for each category, next to this month's amount and last month's total.
4. Notice the color: amber means a category went up, green means it came down.

💡 Tip: The What shifted notes also appear on your Dashboard, so you can catch changes without opening Analytics.

Frequently Asked Questions

"Why do my charts look empty?"

They simply haven't been fed yet. With no transactions recorded, the Income vs Expense and This month by category charts show empty, and the Top Categories list reads "No data this month." Add or import a few transactions and everything fills in on its own.

"Why don't I see the 'What shifted' trends yet?"

Misto needs two months of spending before it can compare them. Until then you'll see the note "Once you have two months of spending, I'll spot what shifted." Give it another month and the trends appear automatically.

"A category is highlighted in amber — is that a warning?"

Not at all. Amber just means you spent more there than last month, and green means less. Misto deliberately never uses alarm red here — it's simply information, not a scolding.

"What does the tax filing history on this page show?"

It's a year-over-year look at your deductions — last year versus this year, with a category comparison. It's the very same view you'll find on your Tax Vault page, so you can glance at it from either place.

Your Tax Vault is the calm, tidy home for every expense you've marked deductible — collected as you go, so tax season feels a lot less like a scavenger hunt.

How-To Guides

How to see everything you've marked deductible this year

Everything you've flagged lands here, sorted and totaled for you.

1. Open the Tax Vault page.
2. Read the three cards at the top: your Total Deductible, your number of Transactions, and the Tax Year.
3. Check the Monthly trend chart to see when your deductions landed.
4. Open any row under By Category to see the individual expenses behind it.

⚠️ Heads up: Reports are for personal recordkeeping. Misto helps you organize, but it isn't a tax advisor — always confirm what's actually deductible with a licensed tax professional before filing.

How to add an expense to your Tax Vault

Flagging deductible expenses as you go means no frantic hunting come tax season.

1. Open the Transactions page and find the expense.
2. Flip on its Tax toggle.
3. That's it — it instantly appears in your Tax Vault and counts toward your year's total.

How to export your deductibles as a spreadsheet or printable document

When you or your accountant need a copy, you can take one out in two formats.

1. Open the Tax Vault page.
2. For a spreadsheet, click Export CSV to download a file with the date, description, category, and amount of every deductible.
3. For a printable copy, click Export PDF to open a tidy, branded tab and your print dialog.
4. Either button shows "Preparing…" for a moment while it works.

✨ Good to know: The Export CSV file opens in any spreadsheet app, and the Export PDF tab is ready to print or save as a document.

How to walk through whether an expense is deductible

Not sure if something counts? The Interactive Tax Coach talks you through it in plain language.

1. Open the Tax Vault page and go to the Interactive Tax Coach.
2. Pick one of your recent expenses, or choose Or enter a custom expense and type a description, amount, and category.
3. Answer whether the expense was ordinary and necessary for your work.
4. Choose how much of it was for business — 100%, 75%, 50%, 25%, or your own number.
5. Tell Misto whether you have a receipt or proof.
6. Read Misto's Verdict, and edit the Audit Justification Note if you'd like.
7. Click Save to Tax Vault.

How to calibrate your Tax Coach to your profession

A quick note about what you do helps Misto tailor every bit of its guidance.

1. Open the Interactive Tax Coach.
2. On the Calibrate Your Tax Coach screen, pick a preset like Designer, Developer, Writer, Real Estate, or W-2 + Side.
3. Or type your own line of work in the box (up to 500 characters).
4. Click Save & Calibrate.
5. You'll see a Calibrated for chip — click Recalibrate anytime to change it.

How to let Misto suggest deductions for you

Let Misto do a first pass and point out expenses that might qualify.

1. Open the Tax Vault page.
2. Click Ask Misto.
3. Optionally click Add context, tell Misto a sentence about your work, and click Save context so its suggestions fit you better.
4. Look through the suggestion cards, each with a merchant, a confidence badge, and a reason.
5. Click Mark on any you agree with, or Mark all to accept the rest.

How to compare your deductions year over year

Curious how this year stacks up? Your filing history keeps score.

1. Open the Tax Vault page.
2. Find the Filing History section.
3. Compare last year's and this year's totals, with the change badge showing which way things moved.
4. Scroll the By category comparison to see where each year's write-offs came from.

Frequently Asked Questions

"Why is my Tax Vault empty?"

If you haven't marked anything deductible yet, you'll see "Nothing in the vault yet." Head to your Transactions, flip the Tax toggle on any qualifying expense, and it'll appear here right away.

"Why can't I export?"

The Export CSV and Export PDF buttons stay switched off when there's nothing to export yet, and while an export is already running. If Export PDF seems to do nothing, your browser likely blocked the new tab — allow pop-ups for Mistos and try again.

"Are Misto's deduction suggestions tax advice?"

No. Misto's verdicts and suggestions are helpful pointers to organize your records — they aren't tax, legal, or financial advice. Always confirm what's genuinely deductible with a licensed tax professional before you file.

"How does Misto decide what to suggest?"

Misto recognizes well-known business names and keywords — think Adobe, Figma, GitHub, AWS, Uber, FedEx, flights, and hotels — and blends in the words you shared about your work. They're smart pointers based on what it can spot, not a guarantee, so give each one a look before you mark it.

"Why does Misto keep asking what I do?"

The little setup pop-up returns until you actually save your answer — closing it with the X or tapping outside doesn't count. Fill in what you do once, click Save & personalise, and it'll settle down.

The Retirement page gives you two gentle tools: one to imagine where steady saving could take you, and one to reveal the quiet cost of investment fees.

How-To Guides

How to project your savings into the future

The Time-Travel Projection Sandbox lets you daydream responsibly — see where consistent saving could lead.

1. Open the Retirement page.
2. Drag the Timeline Target slider to the number of years you want to look ahead.
3. Drag the Monthly Envelope Savings slider to set how much you'd put away each month.
4. Read the three outcome tiles — Conservative (4%), Standard (6%), and Growth (8%) — for the range of where you might land.
5. Hover over the line chart to see your projected balance at any year.
6. Scroll to Sanctuary Advisor Recommendations for tailored ideas.

✨ Good to know: The Sandbox is a what-if playground — moving the sliders never touches your real accounts or budget.

How to see what a fund's fees really cost you

The Portfolio Fee Analyzer brings the slow drip of expense ratios out into the open.

1. Open the Retirement page and find the Portfolio Fee Analyzer.
2. Pick one of your investment accounts from the Analyze Account dropdown, or choose Custom to enter your own.
3. Check the Fund Name / Ticker, Balance, and Expense Ratio (%) fields, adjusting them to match your holding.
4. Compare the two result tiles — Estimated Value in 30 Years and If Invested in Low-Cost ETF.
5. When the gap is meaningful, an Expense Drag note spells out how much you'd lose to fees.
6. Read the Sanctuary Optimization Advice panel for the plain takeaway.

Frequently Asked Questions

"Which growth scenario should I believe?"

None of them is a promise — they're three illustrations. Conservative (4%), Standard (6%), and Growth (8%) simply show how different rates of return could play out. Real markets wander, so treat these as a helpful range to think with, not financial advice.

"Why does my savings amount say 'Tied to active budget'?"

Misto starts the Monthly Envelope Savings slider at what your current budget suggests you can save (or $500 a month if it can't tell yet). The moment you drag it, the label switches to "Simulating Sandbox…" and the projections follow your number.

"Can I change the 7% return or the 30-year window in the Fee Analyzer?"

Those are fixed on purpose, so every fund is measured on the same footing — a 7% return, a 0.03% low-cost ETF fee, and a 30-year horizon. You're free to change the Fund Name / Ticker, Balance, and Expense Ratio (%) to match your own holding.

"What does the 'Migrate Portfolio to Webull' button do?"

Think of the Fee Analyzer as an eye-opener rather than a mover — its real value is showing you the fee drag on your investments. The Migrate Portfolio to Webull button is a placeholder and doesn't lead anywhere just yet, so nothing happens if you click it. Any actual account changes always happen with your brokerage, never inside Mistos.

Mistos lets you open a calm, read-only window into your finances for the people you trust — a partner, a parent, or the whole family — while every number stays yours to change.

How-To Guides

How to invite someone to your household

Sharing gives a partner or family member a clear, read-only window into your finances — without them being able to change a thing.

1. Open the Household page.
2. Find the Invite a member card. It shows how many slots you have left.
3. Type their email address in the box.
4. Choose a role from the dropdown (Viewer is perfect for most people).
5. Click Invite. You'll see "Invite created — share the link below."
6. Your invitation now appears under Pending invites.
7. Click Copy link — the button flashes "Copied" — and send it to them however you like.

✨ Good to know: Anyone you invite can only look, never touch. Your data stays yours.

How to cancel a pending invite

Changed your mind before someone accepts? You can pull an invitation back at any time.

1. Open the Household page.
2. Go to your Pending invites list.
3. Find the invitation you'd like to withdraw.
4. Click the X on that row. You'll see "Invite canceled."

💡 Tip: The link stops working the moment you cancel, so there's no rush and no risk.

How to change a member's role

Every person you share with starts as a viewer. Bump them to Contributor when you'd like their help keeping transactions organized.

1. Open the Household page.
2. Find the person in your Members list.
3. Open the role dropdown next to their name.
4. Choose Viewer or Contributor · Premium. You'll see "Role updated."

✨ Good to know: A Viewer sees everything and changes nothing. A Contributor (Premium) can also add collaborative tags and notes to your transactions — labels that sit alongside your data and never overwrite your own categories, amounts, or anything else.

How a contributor tags and annotates transactions

If someone makes you a Contributor in their household, you can help keep their transactions tidy without changing their numbers.

1. On the Household page, click View on their household.
2. Open Transactions — you'll see their ledger, and the top banner reads · contributor.
3. Click the tag icon at the end of any transaction row.
4. Add one or more tags, write a note, then click Save.

✨ Good to know: Your tags and notes are additive — they show for the whole household and land in the owner's activity feed, but they never change the owner's categories, amounts, or anything else. Viewers can see tags and notes but can't add them.

How to accept an invite someone sent you

Someone shared their household with you? Joining takes just a moment.

1. Open the link they sent you. It brings up a You're invited page.
2. Read the What you'll see panel so you know exactly what's being shared.
3. If you're already signed in, click Accept invite. You'll see "Joined the household."
4. If you're signed out, click Sign in to accept (or create an account first). You'll land right back here to finish.

✨ Good to know: The invite page reminds you plainly: "Read-only — you can't edit anything." You're a guest, not an editor.

How to view a household that's been shared with you

Once you've joined, you can switch into someone else's household to take a look around.

1. Open the Household page.
2. Find their household under Shared with you.
3. Click the gold View button.
4. Your app now shows their numbers. The row updates to "Active" with an eye icon.

⚠️ Heads up: You can view one shared household at a time. Switching to another simply swaps which one you're looking at.

How to remove a member from your household

If someone no longer needs access, you can revoke it in a couple of clicks.

1. Open the Household page.
2. Find the person in your Members list.
3. Click the trash icon on their row.
4. Confirm when you're asked "Remove this member from your household?" You'll see "Member removed."

How to leave a household you've been sharing

If you no longer need to see someone else's finances, you can step away whenever you like.

1. Open the Household page.
2. Find their household under Shared with you.
3. Click the X on that row.
4. Confirm when you're asked "Leave this household? You will lose read access to their data." You'll see "Left household."

✨ Good to know: If you were actively viewing that household, leaving stops the view for you automatically.

How to see who owes whom

When you split bills with your household, Mistos keeps a running tally so nobody has to do the math.

1. Open the Household page.
2. Scroll to the Household Bill Splitting card and its Standing Balances list.
3. Read each person's line: "All settled up!", "You owe [Name]", or "[Name] owes you."
4. For the details behind those totals, look at the Unsettled Splits list — each entry shows the description, date, the total, and your share.

✨ Good to know: A green "+" means someone owes you; a soft terracotta "−" means you owe them. If no one's linked yet, you'll simply see "No household members linked yet…"

How to record a settlement (Premium)

When a balance has been paid or received in real life, this clears it out in one step.

1. Open the Household page and go to Standing Balances.
2. Find the person with an open balance.
3. Click Record Settlement on their row.
4. Read the confirmation, which shows the amount you paid or received.
5. Click Clear Balance. You'll see "Settlement recorded! Standing balance with [Name] cleared."

✨ Good to know: Recording settlements is a Premium feature. If it's not available yet, you'll see "Settling up is part of Misto's Premium" — head to the Upgrade screen whenever you're ready.

How to review your household's recent activity

Mistos keeps a gentle, plain-language log of what's happened, so nothing feels like a surprise.

1. Open the Household page.
2. Scroll to the recent activity list.
3. Read through the events — invites sent, people joining, role changes, and removals — each with a friendly timestamp like "2 hours ago."

💡 Tip: This list only appears once there's something to show, so a blank space simply means all's quiet.

Frequently Asked Questions

"Can the people I invite change my data?"

Mostly no. Everyone you share with gets read-only access to your accounts, budgets, goals, and tax vault — they can't edit, add, or delete your transactions. The one exception is a Contributor (Premium): they can attach collaborative tags and notes to your transactions, which are additive labels that never change your own categories, amounts, or balances. Viewers can't even do that. Your data stays yours.

"Why can't I invite more people?"

On a free account, you can share with one partner for read-only access. Once that seat is taken, you'll see a gold banner and the message "Free households hold one partner. Upgrade to invite up to six." Premium raises your household to six members and unlocks contributor roles and settle-up. You can make the switch anytime from the Upgrade screen.

"Why is Contributor greyed out when I try to choose it?"

The Contributor · Premium role is reserved for Premium households, so it's disabled until you upgrade. A contributor can tag your transactions and add notes — collaborative labels that never change your own categories — while a viewer simply looks. To grant that, visit the Upgrade screen.

"My invite link expired — now what?"

No worries — links don't last forever, and that's a safety feature. If a link has expired or been canceled, opening it shows "Invite unavailable" with "Invite not found or expired." Just ask the person who invited you to send a fresh link from their Household page, and you'll be able to join.

"I tried to record a settlement and it wouldn't go through — why?"

The most common reason is that settling up is a Premium feature; if so, you'll see "Settling up is part of Misto's Premium," and the Upgrade screen has you covered. If you're already on Premium and see "Failed to record settlement," don't worry — nothing was changed. Give it another try in a moment.

Your Settings are where you make Mistos feel like yours — how your money looks, how it's protected, and how you hear from Misto — all in one calm place.

How-To Guides

How to change how your money is shown

Mistos always keeps your amounts in US dollars behind the scenes, but you get to choose how they appear to you.

1. Open Settings and go to the Identity tab.
2. Find Display currency.
3. Pick the currency you'd like from the list.
4. Watch the live preview update, and you'll see a friendly "Display currency set" confirmation.

How to switch the app's language

Reading Mistos in your own language takes just a moment.

1. Open Settings and go to the Identity tab.
2. Find Interface language.
3. Choose your language from the dropdown. The text changes right away — no reload needed.

How to upgrade to Misto's Premium

Ready for the extra touches? Upgrading is quick and secure.

1. Open Settings.
2. Find the gold Upgrade card.
3. Choose the plan that fits you — Monthly, Annual, or Lifetime.
4. The price updates for the plan you picked.
5. Click the button to continue to secure checkout.

✨ Good to know: Prices always load live on the Upgrade screen, so what you see there is exactly what you'll pay.

How to change your theme, font, and text size

Everyone can make Mistos feel cozier — this one's free for every plan.

1. Open Settings and go to the Appearance tab.
2. Tap any theme tile to apply it instantly.
3. Pick a Font family you enjoy reading.
4. Choose a Font size — Compact, Default, or Comfortable.
5. To return to the original look, click Revert to Brand.

How to fine-tune your colors or build a custom theme

When you want Mistos to look truly one-of-a-kind, you can hand-pick every shade.

1. Open Settings and go to the Appearance tab.
2. To adjust the current look, use the six color pickers (Background, Surface, Accent, Accent hover, Primary text, Secondary text) and watch the Live Preview.
3. To make your own from scratch, name it, choose your six colors, set a font and size, then click Create theme.
4. Your saved looks appear under Your themes, where you can edit or delete them.

✨ Good to know: Fine-tuning colors and custom themes are part of Misto's Premium. If you're on the free plan, tapping them gently points you to the Upgrade screen.

How to change your password

Keeping a fresh password is one of the simplest ways to stay secure.

1. Open Settings and go to the Security tab.
2. In Account Security, type your Current password.
3. Enter your New password (at least 6 characters), then type it again in Confirm new password.
4. Click Update password. You'll get a friendly confirmation, including how many other devices were signed out.

✨ Good to know: Your password never leaves your device — not even Misto can read it.

How to review your sign-in activity and get alerts for new devices

It feels good to know who's been signing in — here's how to keep an eye on it.

1. Open Settings and go to the Security tab.
2. Look at Recent sign-in activity to see your last handful of sign-ins, each with the device, method, time, and rough location.
3. Turn on Email me about unusual sign-ins so Misto lets you know whenever a new device signs in.

How to sign out of every other device

If a sign-in ever looks unfamiliar, you can clear every other device in one move.

1. Open Settings and go to the Security tab.
2. Click Wasn't me.
3. Confirm when asked to sign out of every other device. You'll see how many were cleared, and a security note heads to your inbox.

💡 Tip: Because your password stays private to you, Misto can't reset it on your behalf — so change your password afterward too, using the steps above.

How to set up your Sanctuary Lock passcode

A little passcode adds a gentle extra layer between the world and your finances.

1. Open Settings and go to the Security tab.
2. Turn on Sanctuary Lock (it's on by default) — it locks the screen after 5 minutes of quiet.
3. Set your 4-digit passcode on the Plant your passcode screen.
4. Type it once more on the Water the seed screen to confirm.
5. To lock right away anytime, click Lock Sanctuary Now.

✨ Good to know: Your passcode lives only on this device. If you ever forget it, tap Use Pass on the lock screen to unlock with your account password, then set a fresh passcode.

How to delete your account

If it's time to move on, you're always free to go — here's the honest, careful path.

1. Open Settings and go to the Security tab.
2. Scroll to the Danger Zone and click Delete my account.
3. Type DELETE exactly (the button stays locked until you do).
4. Click Delete forever. You'll be signed out and returned to the landing page.

⚠️ Heads up: Deleting your account is permanent and can't be undone — that's why we ask you to type DELETE to be sure.

How to turn on bill reminders

A quiet heads-up before a bill is due can save the day.

1. Open Settings and go to the Reminders tab.
2. Turn on the Email reminders toggle to get a note a couple of days before each recurring bill.
3. Turn on Push for a soft nudge three days ahead (if your device supports it).
4. Click Send preview to send yourself a test.

How to turn on your weekly Sunday summary

Start each week with a calm look back at where your money went.

1. Open Settings and go to the Reminders tab.
2. Turn on the Weekly summary toggle.
3. Click Send preview to try it out.

✨ Good to know: The Sunday summary is part of Misto's Premium. On the free plan the toggle is locked, with a friendly nudge toward the Upgrade screen.

How to back up your data to the cloud

A backup means peace of mind — and it's locked up tight before it ever leaves you.

1. Open Settings and go to the Backup & Data tab.
2. Click Backup Sanctuary.
3. Wait for the "successfully encrypted and synced to cloud" confirmation. You can always see your Last Synced date here.

✨ Good to know: Your backup is scrambled with strong encryption on your device first, so Misto stores it without ever being able to read it.

How to add Mistos to a new device

Moving to a new phone or laptop? You can link it in under a minute.

1. On the new device, open the sign-in screen and choose Link via another device.
2. A QR code, four little emojis, and an 8-character code (like ABCD-EFGH) appear.
3. On the device you're already signed in on, scan that QR code.
4. Check that the four emojis match on both screens, then click Approve this device.
5. Back on the new device, click Yes, that's me — continue to finish.

💡 Tip: No camera on the new device? Choose to type the 8-character code instead, then click Find to verify with the same emojis.

How to send feedback to the team

Misto genuinely wants to hear from you — a real person reads every note.

1. Open Settings (the feedback card sits at the bottom of every tab).
2. In Send a note to the team, pick a type — Suggestion, Comment, or Concern.
3. Type your message (at least a few characters).
4. Click Send.

Frequently Asked Questions

"How do I cancel my subscription?"

There's no cancel button in the app, and that's by design — cancellations and refunds are handled personally by a real member of the team. Just email hello@mistosfinancial.com and they'll take care of it for you. Inside Settings, the manage-subscription area gives you that same contact so help is always one message away.

"I forgot my Sanctuary Lock passcode — am I locked out?"

Not at all, you're safe. On the lock screen, tap Use Pass and sign in with your account password to get straight back in. Then set a brand-new passcode. Your passcode only ever lives on that one device, so forgetting it never touches your account.

"If I delete my account, can I get it back?"

Deletion is permanent, with no undo — once it's done, your data is truly gone. That's exactly why Mistos asks you to type DELETE before the final step, so it can never happen by accident. If you're only unsure for now, it's completely fine to simply step away and come back later.

"Can Mistos read my password or my financial data?"

No — and this is a promise we take seriously. Your password never leaves your device in a form anyone could read, and your backup is locked with strong encryption before it's ever uploaded. In plain terms: we cannot unlock your backups. Your data stays yours.

"Why can't I change my name or email in Settings?"

The Identity card is view-only for now, so your name and email are shown but not editable in the app. If either needs updating, send a note through Send a note to the team or email hello@mistosfinancial.com, and a real person will help sort it out.

Whenever you have a question, Misto is right there — ready to chat, guide, or point you to a real human — so you're never stuck on your own.

How-To Guides

How to ask Misto for help

Misto is a genuine AI companion, so you can ask in your own words — no menus to hunt through.

1. Open the Help Center — click the Ask Misto row in the sidebar, or press ?.
2. Find Misto's chat card at the top.
3. Type your question into Ask Misto a question....
4. Press Enter or click send.
5. You'll see a brief "Thinking..." bubble, then Misto's answer arrives in a golden bubble.

✨ Good to know: This is real AI conversation, not canned replies — Misto reads your actual question and crafts a fresh answer just for you.

How to tell Misto whether an answer helped

Your quick thumbs-up or thumbs-down helps Misto get better for everyone.

1. Read Misto's reply.
2. Underneath it, find Was this helpful?
3. Click the thumbs up or thumbs down. You'll get a warm little acknowledgment back.

How to browse the Help Guides and FAQs

Sometimes you just want to read at your own pace — these are always here for that.

1. Open the Help Center.
2. Scroll to Help Guides and tap any topic to expand it.
3. Scroll to Frequently Asked Questions and tap a question to reveal its answer.

💡 Tip: In a hurry? Use the search bar at the top of the Help Center — start typing and it suggests the exact guide section or FAQ as you go, then jumps you straight to it.

How to search the Help Center

The search bar knows every guide section and FAQ, and it suggests matches while you type.

1. Open the Help Center and click the search bar near the top.
2. Start typing what you're after — a word or two is plenty, like "import", "dark mode", or "settle up".
3. Suggestions appear as you type; use the arrow keys or your mouse to pick one.
4. Press Enter or click a result — the right section opens and scrolls into view, briefly glowing gold so you can't miss it.

✨ Good to know: Search understands more than exact titles — common phrasings like "csv", "forgot password", or "split bill" find the right section even when those words aren't in the heading.

How to contact support by email

When you'd rather reach a real person, email is a click away.

1. Open the Help Center.
2. Find the contact card.
3. Click the hello@mistosfinancial.com button — it opens your email app, ready to write.

How to chat with Misto without leaving your screen

No need to stop what you're doing — Misto can pop up right where you are.

1. While signed in and inside the app, look for the round gold Misto button in the bottom-right corner.
2. Click it to open the Talk to Misto drawer.
3. Type your question — it's the very same real Misto as the Help Center.
4. Click the X to close whenever you're done.

How to open the Help Center with your keyboard

For the fastest route to help, let your keyboard do the work.

1. Press ? anywhere in Mistos to jump straight to the Help Center.

✨ Good to know: The ? shortcut politely stays out of the way while you're typing in a field, so it never interrupts your writing.

Frequently Asked Questions

"Is my chat with Misto really answered by AI?"

Yes — the Help Center chat and the floating in-app chat are both genuine AI conversation. Misto reads your question (along with your recent chat and your chosen language) and writes a fresh, thoughtful reply each time, rather than pulling from a fixed script. That's different from your private ledger, which always stays encrypted and yours alone.

"Misto said it's 'having trouble thinking right now' — what should I do?"

No worries — that just means Misto briefly couldn't connect. Give it a moment and ask your question again. It almost always sorts itself out on the next try.

"Is there a way to search the Help Center?"

Yes — there's a search bar near the top of the Help page. Start typing and it suggests matching guide sections and FAQs as you go; pick one and it opens and scrolls right to the answer. And for anything conversational, asking Misto in the chat works beautifully too.

"Why can't I see the floating Misto button?"

The round gold Misto button only appears when you're signed in and inside the app, so it's hidden on the public pages and when you're logged out. On the public pages you'll instead find an Ask Misto pill in the bottom-left corner that takes you to the Help Center.

When you bring transactions in from your bank, Misto's does it differently from most apps — you sign in on your bank's own page, and the reading happens on your device. Here's what that means, why we chose it, and the honest trade-off that comes with it.

The short version

Why you sign in on your bank's own page

With Misto's, you log in directly on your bank's real website or app — in your own browser tab, or the in-app browser on your phone. Misto's is never in the middle of that: it never sees, stores, or sends your bank username or password. It simply reads the transactions already on the screen, once you're looking at them, and brings them back for you to review. Nothing about your login leaves your device, because Misto's never has it in the first place.

✨ Good to know: "Zero-knowledge" means Misto's is built so that no one — not even us — can read your private information. Your bank login is the clearest example: we designed the reading so we'd never need it.

What stays on your device

The reading runs on your device and looks only at what's visible on the page — no background access, no standing connection to your bank. The transactions come straight to your Review & Import table, where you decide what to keep before anything is saved. And like everything in Misto's, your ledger is yours alone — readable only by you, including us.

How this compares to other apps

How most budgeting apps connect

Most budgeting apps connect through a bank aggregator — the company behind the "Connect your bank" button. You grant access once, and from then on that company holds a key to your account and pulls your transactions through its own servers, often refreshing on a schedule. It's smooth, and it's why those apps feel effortless — connect once and forget. We understand the appeal, and we won't pretend otherwise.

The trade is that a third party — and usually the app itself — can then see your full financial history, continuously, for as long as the connection lives. For a lot of people, that's a fair deal. For a lot of others, it's exactly the part that never sat right.

How Misto's does it instead

Misto's keeps that middle layer out entirely. There's no aggregator holding a key, no server quietly syncing your history, no standing permission you'd have to remember to revoke later. You reach your transactions yourself, Misto's reads what's on the page, and that's the whole relationship. Not everyone wants to hand a budgeting app their bank login — and that's completely reasonable. This is our answer to that.

The honest trade-off

Doing it this way asks a little more of you. Because there's no always-on connection, you bring transactions in when you want them rather than having them appear on their own — and because every bank lays its pages out differently, a capture occasionally needs a second try or a quick paste. We think that's a fair price for keeping your bank access in your own hands, but it is a real trade, and we'd rather name it than hide it. When you want the most dependable route, the Statement Importer reads a file you download from your bank and works every time, entirely on your device.

Frequently asked questions

"Why don't you just connect to my bank like everyone else?"

We could — the plumbing to do it exists, and it's genuinely convenient. We chose not to, because it would mean a third party holding a key to your account and your history flowing through someone else's servers. That's the one thing Misto's is built to avoid. The manual capture and the Statement Importer are how we give you your transactions without ever needing that key.

"Is bringing transactions in myself less safe?"

If anything, it's the reverse. You sign in on your bank's own page, so your login stays strictly between you and your bank — Misto's can't leak, lose, or be compelled to hand over something it never holds. And the reading is read-only: Misto's can look at the transactions on the page, but it has no way to move money or change anything at your bank.

"Why do I sometimes capture a page more than once?"

Banks usually show only a screen or two of recent activity at a time. To bring in more, scroll to older transactions and capture again — Misto's adds the new ones and quietly skips any it already has. Capture as many pages as you like; they all gather in the same review table.

"Doesn't the AI reading assist send my data somewhere?"

Only if you turn it on, and even then only the shape of the page — the table's structure and column headings, never your amounts, merchants, or balances. It's there to help Misto's read an unfamiliar layout, it asks before it ever shares anything, and everything it does share is listed for you to inspect. If you'd rather it stayed off, it stays off.

"Does Misto's get better at reading my bank over time?"

Yes — and it does that without touching your data. When a capture reads cleanly, Misto's remembers the shape of that bank's page — where the date, description, and amount sit — right on your device, so the next capture is quicker and steadier. If you choose to, you can pass that shape along so other members at the same bank benefit too. What's shared is only the layout — never your transactions, amounts, balances, or login — it's off unless you turn it on, and a real person reviews each one before it helps anyone else. So Misto's keeps improving for everyone while your money stays yours alone.