Notifications
Notifications are configured at Settings → Notifications, under Preferences. The screen has two groups: Delivery controls how you're reached, and Topics controls what about.
For a push notification to arrive, both the Push switch and the relevant topic have to be on. Everything starts switched on.
Delivery
Push — alerts on this device.
Email — product news and updates.
Turning Push off silences every topic on your device.
Topics
Budget — about the budget you're tracking:
- ›Bills due today
- ›Payday coming up in three days, and the paycheck being ready to plan on the day itself
- ›Bills that came due but are still unticked, including a last-chance reminder before a paycheck closes
- ›A weekly recap on Sunday evening, when there's something to recap
- ›Milestones — a share of your debt paid off, becoming debt free, and reaching your emergency fund goal
General — about your habit:
- ›A nudge or two if you signed up but haven't built a budget yet
- ›A note if you've been away for a while
- ›Check-in streaks
Notifications are timed to your local time of day.
Saving
Changes take effect when you tap Save Changes. Leaving the screen without saving discards them — a common reason settings appear not to have applied.
What to actually turn on
Budget is the one that matters. Payday alerts arrive exactly when you need to open the app, and the entire routine depends on that habit. If you keep one topic, keep this one.
General is motivational. Streaks, plus a nudge if you've been away. Some people find these genuinely helpful for keeping the habit; others find them irritating. Try them for a month.
If you're finding notifications intrusive, turn off topics rather than Push as a whole. Losing payday alerts entirely tends to be the point where tracking quietly stops.
The in-app feed
Separately from push notifications, the app has a notification feed, opened from the bell on the home screen. Notifications land there whether or not you have push enabled. They're marked read as you open them, and you can filter to Unread or tap Mark all read.
This is a useful middle ground: turn push off if you don't want to be interrupted, and check the feed when you open the app anyway.
If push notifications aren't arriving
Work through these in order:
- ›Save Changes was tapped after enabling them
- ›The Push switch is on
- ›The relevant topic is on
- ›Notifications are permitted for BetterBudgets in your device settings — an app can't override a system-level block
- ›iOS — Settings → BetterBudgets → Notifications
- ›Android — Settings → Apps → BetterBudgets → Notifications
- ›Do Not Disturb or a focus mode isn't suppressing them
Most budget notifications need an active budget with paychecks and due dates to work from. If you haven't built one yet, the only ones you'll get are the reminders to start.
If emails aren't arriving, check your spam folder and confirm the address on your account is current.
Frequency
BetterBudgets is deliberately restrained about notifications. Each one is sent once, and the weekly recap stays quiet in a week with nothing in it. The intent is a useful nudge on payday, not a stream of alerts — a budgeting app that pesters you is one you delete.
If it still feels like too much, turn off General and keep Budget.