Help & FAQ

Sentii is a money tracker that keeps everything on your phone. You can record spending and income, set a monthly budget and category budgets, track savings goals, and get reminders for bills and subscriptions.

There is no Sentii account and no Sentii server holding your money data. You can back it up, encrypted, to your own iCloud or Google Drive. See How backup works on iPhone or How backup works on Android.

Last reviewed 2026-10-19

No. Sentii has no sign-up, no email and no password. Your data lives in the app on your phone.

If you choose Google Drive for backups, Sentii asks Google for access to its own hidden backup folder. That is not a Sentii account, and we never see your Google details. See Why Sentii asks for Google Drive access.

Because there is no account, the only way to get your data onto a new phone is a backup. See Moving to a new phone.

Last reviewed 2026-10-19

Sentii uses one currency for everything. When you first set up the app, it suggests the currency of your phone’s region. It works this out on the phone, without your location or the internet. You can pick another one before you continue.

To change it later, go to Settings > Budget > Currency.

Amounts are never converted. If you change currency, your existing records keep their numbers and are shown in the new currency. For example, 1,000 stays 1,000.

If a message, receipt or statement shows a different currency, Sentii tells you and lets you import it as your currency or skip it.

Last reviewed 2026-10-19

Sentii is available in English, Kiswahili, French and Spanish. It starts in your phone’s language if it is one of these, and in English otherwise.

To change it, go to Settings > Budget > Language. Sentii remembers your choice.

Some help answers may still be in English while we finish translating them.

Last reviewed 2026-10-19

On your phone, in an encrypted database inside the Sentii app. Sentii has no server that stores your transactions, budgets or goals.

Your data only leaves the phone when you choose to:

• Backups go to your own iCloud or Google Drive, encrypted on the phone first.
• Exports (CSV, JSON or PDF) go wherever you share them.

If you delete the app without a backup, your data is gone. See How backup works on iPhone or How backup works on Android.

Last reviewed 2026-10-19

No. Your transactions, amounts, merchants, notes and balances stay on your phone. Backups are encrypted on your phone before they are uploaded, with a key we never have.

Usage analytics, if you allow them, never include amounts, merchants, notes, category names or account details. See What do analytics, crash reports and ads collect?

This also means our support team cannot look up your data, restore it for you, or reset your recovery code.

Last reviewed 2026-10-19

• On the phone: the database is encrypted with a random key kept in your phone’s secure storage (the iOS Keychain or the Android Keystore).
• Backups: each backup is encrypted on the phone with a separate backup key before it leaves. iCloud or Google Drive only ever holds the encrypted file.
• Recovery code: your 24-character recovery code can unlock the backup key, so you can restore on any phone. We never see it. See What is the recovery code?

You can also turn on Settings > Privacy and data > App lock to require Face ID, fingerprint or your phone’s passcode to open Sentii.

Last reviewed 2026-10-19

Go to Settings > Privacy and data > App lock and turn it on. Sentii then asks for Face ID, Touch ID, fingerprint or your phone’s passcode when you open it, and again after it has been in the background for 2 minutes.

The Security section only appears if your phone has biometrics set up.

To hide amounts on your lock screen, turn on Settings > Privacy and data > Hide amounts in notifications.

Last reviewed 2026-10-19

Usage analytics (only if you agree). After setup, Sentii asks whether you want to share anonymous usage data. If you agree, it records things like which screens you open and which features you use, with rough ranges instead of exact numbers. It never sends amounts, merchants, notes, category names, account numbers or your recovery code, and there is no user ID. If you say no, nothing is sent, and anything recorded during setup is deleted.

Crash reports (always on). If the app crashes, a technical report is sent so we can fix it. It includes the app version, phone model, the screen you were on and a random support ID. It contains none of your financial data.

Ads (free version only). Ads are shown by Google AdMob. Google may use your phone’s advertising ID, depending on your consent choices. Sentii never shares your financial data with advertisers.

To change your choices, see How do I manage analytics, ad and tracking consent?

Last reviewed 2026-10-19

• Usage analytics: turn Settings > Privacy and data > Usage analytics on or off at any time.
• Ad preferences: tap Settings > Privacy and data > Manage ad preferences. Where privacy law requires it (for example in the EEA and UK), this reopens Google’s consent form; elsewhere it opens our privacy page.
• Tracking on iPhone: Sentii asks whether it may track for ads. To change your answer, open the iPhone Settings > Privacy & Security > Tracking and turn Sentii on or off. If tracking is off, any ads you see are not personalised.
• Advertising ID on Android: open the Android Settings > Privacy > Ads (the name varies by phone) to reset or delete it.

Crash reports cannot be switched off. They contain no financial data. See What do analytics, crash reports and ads collect?

Last reviewed 2026-10-19

Set it up in Settings > Privacy and data > Backup & restore. It is free.

1. Sentii creates a backup key and shows you a 24-character recovery code. Save it somewhere safe, such as a password manager.
2. Choose where backups go: iCloud (the default), Google Drive, or Only on this phone.
3. Sentii makes your first backup.

After that, with Automatic backup on, Sentii backs up at most once a day when something has changed, when you open or leave the app. You can also tap Back up now. Sentii keeps your 3 newest backups.

Backups are encrypted on your phone first. iCloud backups go to a hidden Sentii folder that you won’t see in the Files app.

Your backup key is also saved in iCloud Keychain, so a new iPhone signed in to the same Apple ID can restore without the code. Keep the code anyway: you need it if Keychain is off, or if you move to Android.

Last reviewed 2026-10-19

Set it up in Settings > Privacy and data > Backup & restore. It is free.

1. Sentii creates a backup key and shows you a 24-character recovery code. Save it somewhere safe, such as a password manager.
2. Choose Google Drive (the default) or Only on this phone. Google asks you to allow Sentii to use its own hidden app folder.
3. Sentii makes your first backup.

After that, with Automatic backup on, Sentii backs up at most once a day when something has changed, when you open or leave the app. You can also tap Back up now. Sentii keeps your 3 newest backups.

Backups are encrypted on your phone first. They are stored in a hidden folder in your Google Drive that you won’t see in the Drive app, but they count towards your Google storage.

Your backup key is also saved with your Google account, so a new Android phone signed in to the same account can restore without the code. This only works if your phone has a screen lock (PIN, pattern or password). Keep the code anyway.

Last reviewed 2026-10-19

The recovery code is 24 letters and numbers, shown in 6 groups of 4 (for example ABCD-EFGH-…). It unlocks your backups on any phone, including after switching between iPhone and Android.

Sentii shows it once during backup setup and asks you to type a few of its characters to check you saved it. To see it again on the same phone, go to Settings > Privacy and data > Backup & restore > View recovery code and unlock with Face ID, fingerprint or your passcode.

We cannot reset or recover it. Your backups are encrypted on your phone and we never receive the code or the key. That is what keeps your data private, but it also means nobody, including Sentii, can open a backup without it.

When typing it, capital letters, spaces and dashes don’t matter.

Last reviewed 2026-10-19

If you still have your phone with Sentii on it:

• Go to Settings > Privacy and data > Backup & restore > View recovery code and save it again, or
• Tap Create a new recovery code, save the new one, then tap Back up now. Backups made before that still need the old code.

If you are on a new phone: you may not need the code. If the new phone is signed in to the same Apple ID (with iCloud Keychain on) or the same Google account (with a screen lock), Sentii finds the key automatically when you restore. See Moving to a new phone.

If neither works, the backup cannot be opened by anyone, including us. You will need to start fresh.

Last reviewed 2026-10-19

1. On your old phone, open Settings > Privacy and data > Backup & restore and tap Back up now. Check the status shows a recent backup.
2. Install Sentii on the new phone and, on the first screen, tap Restore my data.
3. Pick where the backup is (iCloud, Google Drive or a file).
4. If asked, type your recovery code.

On the same platform and account (iPhone to iPhone with the same Apple ID, or Android to Android with the same Google account), you usually won’t be asked for the code.

Moving between iPhone and Android? See Switching between iPhone and Android.

Last reviewed 2026-10-19

Yes. Backups work on both, but the backup key does not travel between Apple and Google, so you will need your recovery code.

iPhone to Android

1. On the iPhone, go to Settings > Privacy and data > Backup & restore > Backup location and choose Google Drive, then tap Back up now. Or tap Save backup file and move the file to the new phone.
2. On Android, tap Restore my data, then Find my Google Drive backup or Restore from a file.
3. Enter your recovery code.

Android to iPhone

1. Make sure your latest backup is on Google Drive, or save a backup file.
2. On the iPhone, tap Restore my data, then Find my Google Drive backup or Restore from a file.
3. Enter your recovery code.

Last reviewed 2026-10-19

If Sentii says “The backup location isn’t available” or “Something went wrong reading or writing the backup”, check:

1. Signed in: open the iPhone Settings and check your name appears at the top.
2. iCloud Drive is on: Settings > [your name] > iCloud > iCloud Drive, and Sentii is allowed to use it.
3. Storage: Settings > [your name] > iCloud shows how much space is left. Sentii backups are small and only the newest 3 are kept, but a full iCloud blocks them.
4. Connection: you are online.

Then open Settings > Privacy and data > Backup & restore and tap Back up now.

Can’t fix it right now? Choose Google Drive as the location, or tap Save backup file to keep a copy elsewhere.

Last reviewed 2026-10-19

Sentii asks only when you choose Google Drive for backups. It asks for the narrowest permission Google offers: a hidden folder that only Sentii can use (the “app data” folder).

• Sentii cannot see, open or change any of your other Drive files.
• The folder doesn’t appear in the Drive app, but it counts towards your Google storage.
• This is not a Sentii account. We don’t receive your Google details.

To stop it, tap Disconnect Google Drive in Settings > Privacy and data > Backup & restore. You can also remove access at myaccount.google.com/permissions.

Last reviewed 2026-10-19

A backup file ends in .sentii. You can save one with Settings > Privacy and data > Backup & restore > Save backup file and keep it in Files, email or anywhere you like. It is encrypted.

To restore it:

• On a new phone: tap Restore my data on the first screen, then Restore from a file.
• In the app: go to Settings > Privacy and data > Backup & restore > Restore from a file.

Choose the file, then enter your recovery code if asked. Restoring replaces all data on this phone with the backup.

Last reviewed 2026-10-19

• “That recovery code doesn’t open this backup”: check for typos. Each backup needs the code that was active when it was made. After 5 wrong tries, wait 30 seconds.
• “This phone doesn’t have the key for this backup”: enter your recovery code.
• “This backup is from a newer version of Sentii”: update the app from the App Store or Google Play, then try again.
• “This file isn’t a Sentii backup” or “This backup is damaged”: pick another file, or another backup.
• “The backup location isn’t available”: check you are signed in to iCloud or Google and online.
• “Google Drive needs you to connect again”: tap Find my Google Drive backup and sign in again.
• “The download took too long”: move to a stronger connection and retry.
• “No backup found”: check you are signed in with the same Apple ID or Google account you used for backups.

If restoring fails part-way, your previous data is unchanged. Still stuck? Contact support.

Last reviewed 2026-10-19

Go to Settings > Privacy and data > Backup & restore > Delete cloud backups. This deletes every Sentii backup in your iCloud or Google Drive. The data on your phone stays.

Delete all my data also deletes your cloud backups. See How do I delete all my data?

You can also remove them yourself:

• iCloud: iPhone Settings > [your name] > iCloud > Manage Storage > Sentii.
• Google Drive: in Drive on the web, open Settings > Manage apps > Sentii > Options > Delete hidden app data.

Backup files you saved yourself must be deleted where you saved them.

Last reviewed 2026-10-19

Free, for everyone:

• Unlimited transactions, a monthly budget and basic reports
• Encrypted backup and restore
• SMS paste, and statement import from CSV, Excel, OFX and QIF
• CSV and JSON export, and notifications

Free limits:

• Savings goals: 1
• Category budgets: 2
• Bills and subscriptions: 3

Sentii Pro adds:

• Unlimited goals, category budgets, bills and subscriptions
• Spending insights and the cash flow calendar
• Receipt scanning and split transactions
• PDF reports and PDF statement import
• No ads

The price is shown on the Sentii Pro screen in your local currency.

Last reviewed 2026-10-19

Sentii Pro has a 7-day free trial on the yearly plan. Setup never asks you to pay or start a trial. The Sentii Pro screen offers it the first time you reach a free limit or open a Pro feature, and once after your first week if you've been using Sentii. You can also open it any time from Settings.

• You are not charged until the trial ends, and the paywall shows the date.
• Sentii reminds you before the trial ends.
• Cancel at least 24 hours before it ends to avoid being charged. See How do I cancel my subscription?

If you've had a free trial before, the Sentii Pro screen shows the price without a trial.

Last reviewed 2026-10-19

Open the Sentii Pro screen (for example, tap Sentii Pro on the Settings tab) and tap Restore purchase.

Make sure your phone is signed in to the same Apple ID or Google account you used to subscribe. Subscriptions belong to that store account, not to Sentii, so they also work on a new phone with the same account.

Still not working? Contact support and include your store receipt (without card details).

Last reviewed 2026-10-19

Subscriptions are managed by Apple or Google, so you cancel there. Deleting the app does not cancel it.

• iPhone: Settings > [your name] > Subscriptions > Sentii > Cancel Subscription.
• Android: open Google Play > profile icon > Payments & subscriptions > Subscriptions > Sentii > Cancel subscription.

You keep Sentii Pro until the end of the period you paid for. Your data is not deleted. See What happens to my data if I downgrade?

Last reviewed 2026-10-19

Payments go through Apple or Google, so refunds are decided by them. We can’t issue refunds ourselves.

• iPhone: request one at reportaproblem.apple.com.
• Android: see Google Play’s refund help.

Last reviewed 2026-10-19

Nothing is deleted. If your Sentii Pro subscription ends:

• All your transactions, goals, budgets and bills stay, including ones over the free limits.
• You can’t add new ones beyond the free limits (savings goals: 1, category budgets: 2, bills and subscriptions: 3).
• Pro features lock again, and ads may appear.

Subscribe again at any time to unlock everything.

Last reviewed 2026-10-19

Sentii schedules reminders on your phone, so Android must let it run in the background.

1. Notifications allowed: Settings > Apps > Sentii > Notifications is on.
2. Battery: Settings > Apps > Sentii > Battery is set to Unrestricted (or “Don’t optimise”).
3. Do Not Disturb: check it isn’t on, or allow Sentii as an exception.
4. Sentii’s own settings: in Settings > Reminders > Notifications, check the reminder type is on and quiet hours aren’t hiding it.

Many phone makers add their own battery savers:

• Samsung: Settings > Battery > Background usage limits: remove Sentii from Sleeping and Deep sleeping apps, or add it to Never sleeping apps.
• Xiaomi, Redmi, POCO: turn on Autostart for Sentii, and set Battery saver to No restrictions.
• Huawei, Honor: Battery > App launch: set Sentii to Manage manually and allow all three options.
• OPPO, Realme, OnePlus: allow background activity and turn off battery optimisation for Sentii.
• Vivo: allow High background power consumption for Sentii.

The Notifications screen in Sentii has step-by-step instructions for your phone and an Open settings button.

Last reviewed 2026-10-19

1. Notifications allowed: Settings > Notifications > Sentii: turn on Allow Notifications and choose where they appear.
2. Focus: if a Focus (such as Do Not Disturb or Sleep) is on, add Sentii to its allowed apps in Settings > Focus.
3. Scheduled Summary: if Sentii is in your summary, its alerts arrive later in a batch. Remove it in Settings > Notifications > Scheduled Summary.
4. Sentii’s own settings: in Settings > Reminders > Notifications, check the reminder type is on and quiet hours aren’t hiding it.

iPhone limits how many reminders an app can schedule ahead. Sentii schedules the soonest ones and tops them up each time you open it, so open Sentii every now and then.

Last reviewed 2026-10-19

Go to Settings > Reminders > Notifications.

Notification Level:

• Minimal: only critical alerts, such as overdue bills and an exceeded budget
• Balanced (default): bills, budgets, a weekly summary and celebrations
• Everything: also insights

Tap Customize individual settings to turn each type on or off, for example bill reminders, budget alerts, savings goals, the weekly summary and spending insights.

Quiet hours pause non-urgent notifications during the hours you choose (off by default; 22:00 to 07:00 when turned on).

Last reviewed 2026-10-19

Go to Settings > Transactions > Import statement and choose a file from your bank or mobile money provider.

• Formats: CSV, Excel (XLS, XLSX), OFX or QFX, and QIF are free. PDF needs Sentii Pro.
• Size: up to 5 MB for CSV, OFX and QIF, and 10 MB for PDF and Excel.
• Password-protected PDFs are supported. The password is often printed in the email from your bank.

Sentii recognises some statement layouts automatically. For others, you match the columns (date, description, amount) once. The file is read on your phone and nothing is uploaded.

To undo an import, open Settings > Transactions > Import history and delete it.

Last reviewed 2026-10-19

1. Copy a payment message from your bank or mobile money provider.
2. In Sentii, tap + to add a transaction, then open the SMS/Paste tab.
3. Tap Paste, then Parse SMS, and check the details before saving.

The message is read on your phone and never uploaded. This works on iPhone and Android.

Last reviewed 2026-10-19

On Android, yes. Go to Settings > Transactions and turn on Auto-detect transactions. Sentii asks for access to read notifications, and only looks at those from the financial senders you manage in Managed senders.

Detected transactions wait in Pending transactions for you to confirm. Everything is processed on your phone.

If detection stops, set Sentii’s battery use to unrestricted. See I’m not getting reminders on Android.

iPhone doesn’t allow apps to read other apps’ notifications, so on iPhone use SMS paste instead.

Last reviewed 2026-10-19

Sentii works with any bank or mobile money service through manual entry, SMS paste and statement import.

It recognises messages from many providers out of the box, such as M-Pesa, MTN MoMo, Airtel Money, OPay and many banks, in several countries. If yours isn’t recognised, add it in Settings > Transactions > Managed senders on Android, or enter the transaction manually.

Sentii never connects to your bank or mobile money account, and never asks for your PIN or online banking password.

Last reviewed 2026-10-19

Ads help keep Sentii free. You won’t see any for your first 10 days. After that, the free version shows a banner on the Activity tab and an ad card on the Insights screen.

There are never ads on the Home screen or while you add a transaction. Advertisers never get your financial data.

Last reviewed 2026-10-19

Sentii Pro removes all ads. On the Settings tab, tap Remove ads or Get Sentii Pro.

To change how ads use your data instead, see How do I manage analytics, ad and tracking consent?

Last reviewed 2026-10-19

• CSV or JSON: go to Settings > Privacy and data > Export data, choose a date range, then Transactions (CSV) or Full backup (JSON), which includes goals, budgets and bills. Both are free. In the free version, All time includes your most recent transactions; to export older ones, choose a date range.
• PDF report: on the Reports tab, tap Export > PDF report (Sentii Pro). You can add a password.
• Backup file: Settings > Privacy and data > Backup & restore > Save backup file saves an encrypted copy that only Sentii can open with your recovery code.

Exports are not encrypted (apart from password-protected PDFs and backup files), so store them carefully.

Last reviewed 2026-10-19

Go to Settings > Privacy and data > Delete all my data. You can export first.

This deletes:

• Everything Sentii stored on this phone
• Your Sentii backups in iCloud or Google Drive, and Sentii’s Google Drive access
• Your backup key and recovery code
• Sentii’s analytics and advertising identifiers on this phone

Sentii then starts again from the beginning and shows what was deleted. If a cloud backup couldn’t be deleted (for example, you were offline), it tells you how to remove it yourself.

This can’t be undone. Deleting the app also removes the data on the phone, but not your cloud backups. See How do I delete my backups?

Your subscription is not cancelled. See How do I cancel my subscription?

Last reviewed 2026-10-19

Go to Settings > Help and legal > Help & FAQ and tap Email support, or write to thayulabs@gmail.com.

The email includes your support ID, app version, phone platform and language so we can help faster. Please never send amounts, account numbers or your recovery code.

We can’t see your data or backups, so we can’t restore them or reset your recovery code. We can help with everything else.

Last reviewed 2026-10-19

Your support ID is a random code created when you installed Sentii. It is attached to crash reports so we can find the right one when you write to us. It isn’t linked to your name, email or usage analytics.

Find it in Settings > Help and legal > Support ID or at the bottom of Help & FAQ, and tap to copy it. Deleting all your data gives you a new one.

Last reviewed 2026-10-19