Categories

Rename, nest, add, delete and restore the categories your transactions and budgets use.

Overview

Categories are the labels your transactions and budgets are built on. Forbidden Finance starts you with a set of built-in categories, and you can shape them to fit how you think about money. Open Settings > Categories to rename them, give them a new icon, nest them one level deep, add your own and delete the ones you don't use.

Every category can be changed, including the built-in ones. If you delete a built-in category or change it and regret it, you can bring it back with Restore defaults or Reset to default. Categories you created yourself are always kept when you restore the defaults.

Categories work the same on every plan. There's no tier limit on how many you can create.

How to add a category

Open Categories

Go to Settings > Categories. Each top-level category shows as a card. Tap a card to expand it and see its subcategories.

The Categories screen with top-level categories as cards

Tap New category

Tap New category at the bottom of the screen.

Name it and pick an icon

Type a name, up to 60 characters. Tap the icon tile next to the name to open Choose an icon, where you can pick from Icons or Emoji. If you skip the icon, one is assigned for you.

Create it

Tap Create. The new category appears in the list right away.

How to add a subcategory

Open the parent's menu

Tap the three dots on the right of a top-level category.

Tap Add subcategory

Tap Add subcategory. The form shows which category it will sit under.

Name it and create it

Enter a name, pick an icon if you like, and tap Create.

Categories nest one level deep. A subcategory can't have subcategories of its own, so Add subcategory only shows on top-level categories. A new subcategory takes on its parent's budgeting behavior.

Renaming and changing icons

Tap the three dots next to any category, then tap Rename or Change icon. Renaming keeps every transaction linked, so your history, budgets and reports follow the new name with no extra work.

Two categories under the same parent can't share a name. If you try, you'll see "A category with that name already exists." Pick a different name, or put it under a different parent.

Some categories carry a badge that says counts as income or counts as transfer. That behavior is fixed. Renaming the category changes its name only, and it keeps counting as income or as a transfer in your budgets.

Deleting a category

Open the category's menu

Tap the three dots next to the category and tap Delete.

Choose what happens to its transactions

Pick Leave them uncategorized, or pick Move them to another category and tap Choose category to select where they go.

Confirm

Tap Delete.

A few things to know before you delete:

Subcategories first: a top-level category that still has subcategories can't be deleted. You'll see Move its subcategories first. Delete those subcategories, then delete the parent.
Budget lines go too: any budget amount set for the deleted category is removed from your budgets.
Built-in categories come back: a deleted built-in category can be restored later. A category you created yourself is gone for good once deleted.
Transactions don't come back with it: restoring a deleted built-in category brings the category back, but transactions you moved or left uncategorized stay where they went.

Restoring the defaults

There are two ways to undo changes to built-in categories.

Option	Where	What it does
Reset to default	The three dots menu on a built-in category	Restores that one category's original name, icon and grouping. If you deleted it, it comes back.
Restore defaults	The three dots menu at the top of the Categories screen	Does the same for every built-in category at once. Categories you created are kept.

When the restore finishes, a message tells you how many categories were restored or brought back. If nothing needed changing, you'll see "Categories already match the defaults."

Tips

Merge instead of deleting outright. Choosing Move them to another category keeps your spending history in one place, so your reports still add up.

Use subcategories for detail you want to track without cluttering the top level, such as splitting Food into groceries and eating out.

Renaming a category is different from renaming a merchant. To change how a store's name shows on your transactions, use merchant name rules instead.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will renaming a category change my past transactions?

Only the name you see. Every transaction stays linked to the same category, so past months show the new name too.

Can I put a subcategory inside another subcategory?

No. Categories go one level deep: a top-level category and its subcategories.

I deleted a category by mistake. Can I get it back?

If it was a built-in category, yes. Use Reset to default on it, or Restore defaults for all of them. A category you created yourself can't be restored, so create it again. Either way, transactions that were moved or left uncategorized need to be recategorized by hand.

Does Restore defaults delete the categories I made?

No. Your own categories are always kept. Only the built-in ones are put back to their original state.

Can I change whether a category counts as income?

No. Categories marked counts as income or counts as transfer keep that behavior even if you rename them.

Review & Categorize

Sort new transactions into your categories.

Rename a Merchant

Change how a merchant's name shows.

Split a Transaction

Spread one purchase across several categories.

Budgeting Overview

See how categories feed your budget.

Need more help? Email us at [email protected] and we will get back to you.

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