Transactions
How do I change a transaction category?
Assign or correct a transaction category from the transaction list or detail screen.
Quick answer
On Free, tap the category pill directly beneath a transaction, then choose from recently used categories or search your full category list. You can also open the transaction and tap its Category row.
Steps
- 1Open My Little Accountant on your iPhone.
- 2Find the transaction on the Finances screen.
- 3On Free, tap Recent Transactions and choose Uncategorized to see every transaction that still needs a category, ordered newest first.
- 4On Free, tap its category pill, such as Uncategorized. You can still tap the transaction itself to open the full detail screen.
- 5Tap Add category at the top if you need a new custom category. After you create it, you return to the category picker.
- 6To have Pro organize new transactions automatically every night, tap Turn on nightly categorization in the category picker.
- 7Choose from your alphabetized Recently Used categories, search your categories, or browse the complete list.
- 8The category saves immediately. Tap Undo if you chose the wrong one.
- 9To close the category picker without making a change, drag down from its handle or header, or tap the X.
How My Little Accountant uses your correction
A manual category correction updates only the selected transaction. Free users can repeat this quickly from the transaction list, or use their included AI chat when they want help with a coherent batch or categorization rule. Pro additionally organizes new transactions every night.
Changing the visible category does not remove the bank-derived safety checks underneath it. Transfers and credit-card payments remain separated from spending, refunds continue to reduce spending, and income remains separate across cash flow, goals, widgets, insights, chats, and dashboards.
If the AI originally categorized the transaction, the detail screen shows that it was categorized by AI and you can tap to override it.
When to create a new category
Create a category when the transaction represents a type of spending or income that does not fit your existing list. Reuse an existing category when the difference is only a one-off merchant name.
- Good new categories are broad enough to reuse.
- Avoid creating categories for a single store unless you truly want to track it separately.
- You can edit category names, icons, and colors later from settings.
Frequently asked questions
How do I change a transaction category?
On Free, tap the category pill directly beneath a transaction, then choose from recently used categories or search your full category list. You can also open the transaction and tap its Category row.
How My Little Accountant uses your correction?
A manual category correction updates only the selected transaction. Free users can repeat this quickly from the transaction list, or use their included AI chat when they want help with a coherent batch or categorization rule. Pro additionally organizes new transactions every night. Changing the visible category does not remove the bank-derived safety checks underneath it. Transfers and credit-card payments remain separated from spending, refunds continue to reduce spending, and income remains separate across cash flow, goals, widgets, insights, chats, and dashboards.
When to create a new category?
Create a category when the transaction represents a type of spending or income that does not fit your existing list. Reuse an existing category when the difference is only a one-off merchant name. Good new categories are broad enough to reuse. Avoid creating categories for a single store unless you truly want to track it separately. You can edit category names, icons, and colors later from settings.