PocketMoney

Very disappointing! I’ve been using this app for so many years and now for few days with the last version, all pages of the app have been flooded by Google ads, despite I have a silver account! Very bad!

With the release of a new app comes the release of new problems. The primary of these is the cry of bewilderment - “How on earth do I use this??”. With the changes from the previous baseline being so absolute and so far reaching, there’s a huge metaphorical mountain to climb for anyone trying to adopt the new methodology. The embedded help is a pretty good superficial overview that hints at a vast amount of capability but it massively underestimates the learning curve for those of us used to the old system. Scratching beneath the surface, there appears to be a wealth of functionality here if only one could work out how to drive it correctly. It doesn’t seem to cover all of the functions provided by the previous version, however, and appears to prioritise function over form so that even reading some of the small numbers can be a challenge. If all of the previous operations are available, it’s not obvious how to find them. Some of those historic functions have become critical to users who have built up a method of working over many years. The inclusion of adverts is, I’m afraid, just crass and intrusive. There are ways to display ads in apps and this is not it. The fact that this was previously a paid-for version of the app that historically was guaranteed ad-free has furthered the impact of this decision. I’m not going to address the subscription element of this release. I don’t use subscription based apps for a reason. While the historic ownership chain is understood, releasing this new version ‘over the top of the old’ feels like a mistake of large proportions for the latest owners. A separate release, alongside the existing App, may have been a more considerate and honest way to do this. This would have allowed users to migrate their data at their own pace and in their own way had they wished to. It would also have given the new app space to breathe and earn users on its own merits rather than trying to cannibalise the user base of the old. Of course, the existing app had a number of critical bugs that had been ignored for a year or two so I can understand why this wasn’t the chosen approach. In all, I’m glad I took the opportunity to move my data to another App earlier this year. I’m sure this new version has many capabilities but I’m happy where I am and can’t afford the time to try and decipher them. The legacy implementation was brilliant and a credit to its creator. I hope that this new implementation can be too, one day, but it will have to do so w

Having read the reviews I was very reluctant to update from the original PocketMoney app which I’ve been using for many years. However, following a forced iPhone reset, I had no option. Having spent a few days using the new app it has really grown on me. The data transfer process worked pretty seamlessly, apart from my Budget and account sort codes, but many years of transactions pleasingly did. I can understand why some people find the user interface less friendly to use, but under the hood the functionality works very well for my purposes and has enhancements over the original app. I think with a bit more refinement to the UI this could bring the fans back. UPDATE 3 years on -Unfortunately I can no longer recommend the PocketMoney app. Over time bugs have crept in and it’s proved impossible to raise support tickets via the designated Help page. The automated Scheduled DD / Standing Order function stopped working throughout February 24 so had to add repeating transactions manually each month. Also only able to sync between devices manually which has been an issue for the past 18 months. It is a shame as this App did have great potential.

Almost my most-used app. After feeling somewhat highjacked into adopting this app after the former PocketMoney app disabled without warning, I have lived with it for a few years now and, importantly, I am still able to access the historical data accumulated previously. My greatest niggle is that there is no way to assign a default category to regular payees (eg Sainsbury’s is nearly always Groceries). It is also dangerously easy to inadvertently delete data when accessing existing records. I would also like to be able to backup my data to a cvv file that would, in extremis, be accessible on a platform such as Microsoft Excel. Otherwise, users remain vulnerable if/when this iteration of the app is abandoned by the developer. Finally, I pay an annual subscription to remove adverts and presumably support development. But there appears to be little ongoing development of this app. Whilst it is stable, I would argue it has yet to reach the pinnacle of perfection.

I, like many others, loved this app.. New management / owners forced this terrible “upgrade” on us, with no way of reverting to the lovely, usable previous version… PocketMoney is now awful, clumsy & difficult to use (when it used to be simple & intuitive)… really a case of how not to create an app & how to destroy your user base in one quick move… The current owner is arrogant & doesn’t listen to any of its users comments & reviews… just look at the occasional comments from him, on reviews.. they speak for themselves.. Loyal users have rightly walked away, in droves, & quite rightly so. There are many other, nicer, personal finance apps out there.. I suggest you look at them & their reviews - then choose one instead of this awful company’s “upgraded” product. I (like many others) switched to Account Tracker Pro. It’s lovely, intuitive & friendly to use & its creator, Graham, is easily available (responding, in person very quickly to queries & suggestion). Why put up with PocketMoney’s now inferior app & owners?

With the release of a new app comes the release of new problems. The primary of these is the cry of bewilderment - “How on earth do I use this??”. With the changes from the previous baseline being so absolute and so far reaching, there’s a huge metaphorical mountain to climb for anyone trying to adopt the new methodology. The embedded help is a pretty good superficial overview that hints at a vast amount of capability but it massively underestimates the learning curve for those of us used to the old system. Scratching beneath the surface, there appears to be a wealth of functionality here if only one could work out how to drive it correctly. It doesn’t seem to cover all of the functions provided by the previous version, however, and appears to prioritise function over form so that even reading some of the small numbers can be a challenge. If all of the previous operations are available, it’s not obvious how to find them. Some of those historic functions have become critical to users who have built up a method of working over many years. The inclusion of adverts is, I’m afraid, just crass and intrusive. There are ways to display ads in apps and this is not it. The fact that this was previously a paid-for version of the app that historically was guaranteed ad-free has furthered the impact of this decision. I’m not going to address the subscription element of this release. I don’t use subscription based apps for a reason. While the historic ownership chain is understood, releasing this new version ‘over the top of the old’ feels like a mistake of large proportions for the latest owners. A separate release, alongside the existing App, may have been a more considerate and honest way to do this. This would have allowed users to migrate their data at their own pace and in their own way had they wished to. It would also have given the new app space to breathe and earn users on its own merits rather than trying to cannibalise the user base of the old. Of course, the existing app had a number of critical bugs that had been ignored for a year or two so I can understand why this wasn’t the chosen approach. In all, I’m glad I took the opportunity to move my data to another App earlier this year. I’m sure this new version has many capabilities but I’m happy where I am and can’t afford the time to try and decipher them. The legacy implementation was brilliant and a credit to its creator. I hope that this new implementation can be too, one day, but it will have to d

I loved the old version of PM and stuck with this new version despite it not being anywhere near as straightforward as the old one. However, my silver subscription has just renewed and I’m now stuck with a load of ad banners. I’ve tried to access support but it tells me I have an invalid username/password and there’s not actually any way to check I’m logged in or to log out and then log back in. And you can’t access support unless you are. So it’s completely useless! I’ve made a claim to get my subscription fee back and think I’ll go elsewhere from now on

I’ve been using Pocket Money in its various guises since the outset. This version isn’t as user friendly as the original but I’ve got used to it. Better the Devil you know etc… Today (3 May 22) I’d performed the new App update. It’s now so glitchy it’s almost impossible to reconcile a bank statement against my Pocket Money? Freezing, sticking, not synching. And absolute pain… Plus, make ticking off or reconciliation of a transaction better! Ge5bit sorted!

Very, very pleased with this app, easy to use. Never had a problem.

I have used PocketMoney for many, many years and pay to have Ads removed as they are very distracting but a month on from renewing my subscription the Ads are still there?