Frequently Asked Questions

Everything Pocket Tools can do.

A quick answer for every feature in the app, grouped by tab. Can't find what you need? Visit Support or contact us.

Getting started

How do I sign in?

Pocket Tools supports email/password, Google Sign-In and Sign in with Apple. Pick whichever you like on the welcome screen — your data stays tied to that account either way.

Where is my data stored?

Your plans, bills, shifts, notes and everything else you add are stored in your own private iCloud account via Apple's CloudKit. That means it syncs automatically across your own devices and stays private to you — Pocket Tools itself never sees it.

Will my data survive if I delete and reinstall the app?

Yes — because it lives in your private iCloud, not just on your phone. After reinstalling, give it a few seconds after signing in for iCloud's initial sync to finish pulling everything back down.

Can I use Pocket Tools on more than one device?

Yes. Sign in with the same account on each device and your data syncs automatically through iCloud.

Productivity

What's in the Productivity tab?

Your day-to-day planning tools: Daily Planner, Smart To-Do List, Quick Notes, Grocery List, Birthday Reminder, Meeting Notes, and a few lightweight fun/social tools (Dice Roller, Random Picker, Secret Santa, Team Generator).

What does the Daily Planner do?

Shows your tasks and events for the day in a timeline, and can sync in events from your Apple Calendar and reminders from Apple Reminders if you turn that on.

What's the difference between Quick Notes and Meeting Notes?

Quick Notes is freeform — jot something down fast, no structure required. Meeting Notes is more structured, built for tracking attendees and action items from a specific meeting.

How does the Grocery List work?

Add an item by name and Pocket Tools automatically picks a matching emoji for it. Tap an item to check it off as you shop, and use "Clear checked" once you're done. Grocery items are stored locally on your device rather than synced to iCloud.

How does Birthday Reminder work?

Add a name and date, and Pocket Tools can schedule a yearly reminder ahead of the date so you never miss it — choose how many days before and what time you'd like to be notified.

Can I add a Grocery item or note without opening the app fully?

Yes — see the Widgets & Quick Actions section below for how the Action Button, Siri and Shortcuts can jump straight into adding one.

Finance

What's in the Finance tab?

Bill Reminder, Budget Planner, Expense Tracker, Debt Payoff Planner, Subscription Tracker and Split Bills — everything for keeping on top of money.

How does Bill Reminder work?

Add a bill with its amount and due date, mark it as one-off, a subscription, direct debit or standing order, and Pocket Tools reminds you before it's due. Mark bills paid as you go to keep your spending totals accurate.

Why does a bill only count in "Spent today" once I mark it paid?

So the numbers you see always reflect what's actually happened, not what's merely scheduled — a bill due today isn't "spent" until you've actually paid it and ticked it off.

How does Budget Planner work?

Set spending categories with a budget amount each, and Pocket Tools tracks what you've spent against them as bills and expenses come in, with alerts if you're getting close to a limit.

What does Split Bills do?

Share an expense with friends you've linked in Pocket Tools, and keep track of who owes what. You'll need to invite/link with a friend first via the shared directory.

What's Debt Payoff Planner for?

Track debts you're paying down — balance, rate and payments — so you can see progress and plan payoff timing.

Work

What's in the Work tab?

Shift logging and a rolling work calendar, Pay Settings (including a UK take-home pay estimate), and Share My Shifts for letting someone else see your schedule.

How do I log a shift?

Add a shift with its date and times from the Work tab. You can mark it as a normal Shift, Holiday or Sick leave, set a custom colour or emoji, flag overtime, and set it to repeat on a pattern (weekly, fortnightly, or a custom "X on / Y off" rota).

What does Pay Settings do?

Set your hourly rate (or contracted salary) so Pocket Tools can calculate what you've earned from your logged shifts. Turn on tax estimation to see an approximate UK take-home figure alongside your gross pay, using current UK tax bands, National Insurance and pension contribution settings.

Is the tax estimate accurate?

It's a close estimate based on standard UK tax bands and National Insurance thresholds, useful for a quick sense of take-home pay — not a substitute for official payslip or HMRC figures.

What is Share My Shifts?

Lets someone you've linked as a friend in Pocket Tools see your upcoming shifts, useful for coordinating with family or a partner.

Travel

What travel tools does Pocket Tools have?

Trip Planner, Flight Alerts, Hotel options, a Road Trip Planner for multi-stop journeys, and a Packing Checklist.

Can I plan a trip without internet access?

Yes — trip details you've added are stored on your device so you can view your plan offline once it's saved.

UK Tools

What's in UK Tools?

Practical reminders and calculators for everyday UK life: Council Tax payment reminders, MOT reminders, TV Licence reminders, Rail Journey tracking, a UK Salary/Tax Calculator, and a Universal Credit budget planner.

How do the Council Tax / MOT / TV Licence reminders work?

Each one lets you set the relevant date (payment due, MOT expiry, licence renewal) and Pocket Tools schedules a reminder ahead of it, so you're not caught out.

What does the UK Salary Calculator do?

Estimates take-home pay from a gross salary using current UK Income Tax bands, National Insurance and (optionally) pension contributions — the same tax engine used by the Pay Settings take-home estimate in the Work tab.

Widgets & quick actions

What Home Screen widgets are available?

Next Shift, Tasks, Bills, Reminders, Pay, Work Calendar, Work Weeks (a 4-week rota grid) and Spent Today. Long-press your Home Screen, tap the + button, and search "Pocket Tools" to add any of them.

A widget isn't showing my latest data — why?

Widgets refresh automatically after you add or change relevant data in the app, and periodically in the background. If one looks out of date, opening the app briefly will trigger a refresh.

What can I do with the iPhone Action Button?

Assign Pocket Tools to your Action Button (or set up the same shortcut via Siri, Spotlight, the Shortcuts app, or Back Tap) to jump straight into Quick Add Bill, Add Expense, Add Subscription, or Add Grocery Item — no need to open the app and navigate first. Set it up from Profile → Action Button.

Profile & account

What is Pocket Tools Premium?

An optional upgrade unlocking extra features, purchased through Apple's StoreKit — your Premium status syncs automatically across your own signed-in devices.

What is ID Wallet / Document Vault?

A private place to store scanned documents like a passport, driving licence or receipts, protected by Face ID on your device. Everything you scan is stored in your own private iCloud.

Can I customise how the app looks?

Yes — Profile lets you change the accent colour, background style and light/dark appearance, plus set a custom profile background photo.

How do I turn on notifications?

Open Profile → Notifications in Pocket Tools to allow reminders, then double-check iPhone Settings if alerts still aren't appearing.

How do I delete my account?

Open Profile and choose Delete account. You may be asked to sign in again first, to confirm it's really you before anything is removed.

Still have a question?

Email Pocket Tools Support at saithotakura2353@icloud.com, or visit the Support page.