The vast majority of you reading this blog may be thinking, “YNAB 4!?!?!” In which case, move along, nothing to see here. (But, really, YNAB 4 is a seven year old desktop version which users downloaded to their computers. If you log in to your budget online, you’re not using YNAB 4. Whew!). If you still use YNAB 4—keep reading—this is need-to-know information!

First off, we want to say thank you for being part of the YNAB family. We released YNAB 4 seven years ago, and we’ve loved hearing all of your success stories over the years. YNAB 4 is still a great product, and it’s been an honor to be able to support it far longer than we anticipated.

However, Apple announced that its newest Operating System, called Catalina, will not support 32-bit apps. YNAB 4 is most definitely a 32-bit app, meaning if you upgrade your Mac to Catalina, YNAB 4 will not open.

Ouch.

Because our support team uses primarily Macs, the Catalina upgrade means they will no longer be equipped to open, access, or troubleshoot for YNAB 4, even if you are using a device other than a Mac. This news forced us to make some hard decisions.

As of October 31, 2019, we will no longer be able to support YNAB 4.

Don’t worry, your budget data is safe and there are several ways you can access or use it moving forward.

Here’s what you need to know

Why are you no longer supporting YNAB 4?

When Apple announced that Catalina would not support 32-bit applications, we knew we’d have to make some tough decisions. Our support team runs primarily on Mac computers and since they can no longer access YNAB 4 once we upgrade to Catalina, we don’t have a good way to offer quality support for users on any device.

However, we will support YNAB 4 through October 31, 2019 to give you some time to decide what you would like to do and/or help you transition.

Will I lose all my budget history if I upgrade to the new YNAB?

No way—we’ve got you covered! You can migrate your whole budget to the web-based YNAB and not lose a single decimal point! However, there are some different features and workflows in the newer product, and your budget may look a little different.

We highly recommend reading through the transition guide, and considering making a fresh start. For instance, depending on your overspending settings in YNAB 4 and if you used future-dated transactions, your account balances, To be Budgeted, and Available amounts may not look the same. We assure you, all the money in your accounts is in your budget—you may just need to move some money around and make a few adjustments.

What if I have trouble migrating? Will I lose my data?

We’ve seen it all when it comes to migration! If you run into a snag, just write into [email protected] and we can get you squared away.

What are the main differences between YNAB 4 and the new YNAB?

The new YNAB is a web-based product, with fully-featured mobile apps, so you have total access to your budget all the time from anywhere! No need to sync with Dropbox (YAY!), and with the option of direct import functionality from your bank or financial institution, it makes it easy to stay up-to-date on transactions! There are all-new features like goals (you’ll love them!), all-new credit card handling (so much easier!), more flexible quick budgeting options and easier reconciliation just to name a few!

We push new features, updates, and fixes on a weekly basis, so the new YNAB is our best product ever and keeps getting better and better! Budgeting nirvana!

Do I get a discount on the new YNAB?

Yes! We give a 10 percent lifetime discount off an annual subscription to all existing customers. If you’ve changed email addresses or you bought YNAB 4 through Steam or another program, once you’ve started your free trial email [email protected] with proof of your YNAB 4 purchase (your original email receipt or copy of your activation key works great!) and we’ll set you up!

Can I still have a free trial of YNAB if I tried it awhile back?

Absolutely! If you’re having any trouble starting a new free trial, just email us at [email protected] and we’ll set you up with a new trial! And we update YNAB weekly, so you’re in for some fun surprises—it just keeps getting better!

What if I don’t want to upgrade to the new YNAB?

No pressure at all—upgrading to the new YNAB is just one option.

You can avoid upgrading your OS and keep running YNAB 4 as long as possible. If you’re on Windows, YNAB 4 will still work for now, same as always. But in both scenarios, if something goes wrong we just won’t be able to troubleshoot issues with you. We highly recommend you don’t try to use YNAB 4 on just a mobile device, as it can cause syncing issues that we won’t be able to help you solve.

You also have the option of exporting your budget into a CSV or QIF file. Just note, that if you want to export your budget, you must do it before you upgrade to Catalina.

Once you upgrade to Catalina, you won’t be able to open YNAB 4 at all. Your budget file will still exist on your computer and/or Dropbox, but you will only be able to access it if you migrate your budget into the new YNAB.

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