DueDock FAQ

Answers to common questions about DueDock. Can't find what you're looking for? Email us at support@duedock.app.

Getting Started

What is DueDock?

DueDock is a privacy-first bill management app for iPhone, iPad, and Mac. It helps you track upcoming bills, plan ahead so you never miss a payment, and optionally share a household bill plan with a partner.

Unlike traditional budget apps that focus on past spending, DueDock focuses on what's coming next — so you can always see what's coming next.

How do I get started?

The onboarding walkthrough will guide you through this on first launch.

Do I need to create an account?

No. DueDock works completely without an account. Your data is stored privately on your device. No signup, no login, no email required.

If you enable iCloud Sync (Premium), your Apple ID is used to sync data between your own devices — but you never create a DueDock account.

Can I try DueDock before adding my real data?

Yes — use Demo Mode. Tap the DueDock logo on the dashboard, then select "Try Demo Mode". It loads realistic sample bills, income sources, and goals so you can explore every feature risk-free.

Note: Starting Demo Mode replaces your existing data with sample data. Exit Demo Mode to start fresh.

Bills & Income

What is "docking" a bill?

Docking a bill means recording that you've paid it. Swipe right on any bill to dock it. You can dock the full amount, a partial amount, or a custom amount.

DueDock doesn't connect to your bank — docking is simply your record that the payment has been made.

Can I see bills I've already docked this period?

Yes. Once you dock a bill, it disappears from the active list — but you can bring it back as a read-only reference. When at least one bill has been docked in the current period, an eye icon toggle appears in the Bills section header.

What are variable bills?

Variable bills are bills whose amount changes each period — like a credit card statement or a utility bill. Mark a bill as "Variable" when adding it, and enter the actual amount each month when you receive it.

What is the Coverage Check?

The Coverage Check is DueDock's core feature. It compares:

This helps you plan ahead by showing when your bills are due relative to your next payday. Tap the Coverage Check to select different pay periods.

What are "same-day conflicts"?

A same-day conflict occurs when a bill is due on the same day as your income. Pre-authorized payments often require funds to be available the day before — so DueDock flags these and lets you decide whether to include them in the coverage total.

Can I set up recurring bills?

Yes. When adding a bill, set a frequency (weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, quarterly, annually, etc.). DueDock automatically calculates the next due date after each payment.

How does the due date advance after I dock a recurring bill?

When you dock a recurring bill, its due date automatically advances to the next occurrence. For example, a monthly bill due on August 15th will automatically change to September 15th once docked. No manual update needed.

Why can't I delete an account?

An account cannot be deleted if it has bills assigned to it — this prevents accidental data loss. To delete an account, first re-assign its bills to a different account, or delete those bills, then try again.

Premium Features

What features are free vs. premium?

Free tier includes:

Premium unlocks:

How do I upgrade to Premium? Premium

Tap any feature with a lock icon, or go to Settings → About → Upgrade to Premium. Choose from:

Prices are shown in your local currency in the App Store before purchase.

How do I restore a previous purchase? Premium

Open the paywall screen (tap any premium feature or Settings → About → Upgrade) and tap Restore Purchases. Make sure you're signed in to the same Apple ID you used when you originally purchased.

What is iCloud Sync? Premium

iCloud Sync keeps your bills, income, and settings up to date across all your Apple devices (iPhone, iPad, Mac). It uses Apple's CloudKit — your data stays in your private iCloud account and is never accessible to us.

Enable it in Settings → Connectivity → iCloud Sync. A restart is required to activate.

What is Partner Collaboration? Premium

Partner Collaboration lets you share a joint bill plan with other users (spouse, roommate, family member). You each see your own private data plus the shared plan.

What is Debt Mode? Premium

Debt Mode is designed for credit cards and loans. It lets you set a minimum payment amount and a statement close date, so the Coverage Check uses the minimum payment instead of the full outstanding balance for planning purposes.

What are Scheduled Installments? Premium

Installments let you split a large bill into smaller scheduled payments aligned with your income frequency. The progress bar on the dashboard tracks how much you've paid towards the current installment target.

Connectivity & Privacy

Does DueDock require an internet connection?

No. DueDock is designed to work 100% offline. Your financial data never leaves your device. The only optional network activity is:

How does website logo fetching work?

When you add a website URL to a bill and tap Fetch Logo, DueDock uses Apple's LinkPresentation framework to retrieve that website's icon. This process:

The logo is stored locally on your device. You can clear the logo cache at any time in Settings. DueDock never sends your financial data to any external server.

Privacy & Data

Where is my data stored?

By default, all your data is stored locally on your device only. DueDock does not transmit any financial or personal data to external servers.

If you enable iCloud Sync (Premium), your data is additionally stored in your private iCloud account using Apple's CloudKit. We (the developers) have no access to your iCloud data.

Does DueDock connect to my bank?

No. DueDock never connects to your bank or any financial institution. You manually enter your bills. This is intentional — it keeps your financial credentials completely private.

What permissions does DueDock request?
How do I delete all my data?

Go to Settings → Danger Zone → Clear All Data. This permanently deletes all bills, income, payment history, and settings from your device.

If iCloud Sync is enabled, you should also disable it before clearing data to avoid the data re-syncing from iCloud.

Backup & Sync

How do I back up my data? Premium

Go to Settings → Backup & Data → Backup Now. This creates a complete backup file (bills, income, payment history, logos, tags, settings) that you can save to Files, iCloud Drive, or share anywhere.

Autosave runs automatically in the background. Browse autosaves from the Autosave Manager in Settings.

What's the difference between Autosave and Export?

Autosave (optional) — When enabled in Settings, DueDock automatically saves a backup to a dedicated DueDockAutosave folder in your Files app. Convenient, but this folder is deleted if you uninstall DueDock.

Export creates a permanent backup file you control — save it to iCloud Drive, another app, email it to yourself, etc. Use Export for any backup you want to keep long-term or transfer to a new device.

How do I restore a backup?

Go to Settings → Backup & Data → Import Backup and select your backup file. Your data will be fully restored.

Warning: Importing a backup replaces all current data. Back up first if you want to keep your current data.

How do I move DueDock to a new device?

Two options:

Troubleshooting

My bills aren't showing in the Coverage Check

The Coverage Check only shows bills due within the selected planning period (before your next income date). Try these:

iCloud Sync isn't working Premium
I lost my premium purchase after reinstalling

Tap any premium feature to open the paywall, then tap Restore Purchases. Make sure you're signed in to the same Apple ID used when you originally purchased. Your purchase is tied to your Apple ID, not your device.

Notifications aren't working

Still Need Help?

We're happy to help. Reach us at:

Also check the User Guide for detailed feature documentation.