Work happens everywhere these days. Smartphones and mobile apps have made it possible to conduct business wherever you have a Wi-fi or cellular connection. That business includes your accounting tasks. QuickBooks Online’s app stores your company file remotely and supports much of the functionality found in the browser-based version. Anything you enter or alter on the mobile app will, of course, appear in your company file when you log in using a browser and vice versa.

Available for both iOS and Android, the mobile version doesn’t look like the desktop version. But it’s just as easy to understand and use. The opening screen is divided into four tabbed sections at the bottom, Today, My Business, Cash Flow, and Menu. Menu displays eight shortcuts that take you to the most commonly accessed data and tools, including transactions, expenses, and customers, or you can click on all and have access to almost everything that is available in the browser version.

Clicking on any of the shortcuts will open a list of transactions associated with that shortcut as well as a plus in the bottom left corner to enter a new transaction of that type. There are also links to functions like reports, category list, and “Receipt snap,” which allows you to take a photo of a receipt and automatically record it in QuickBooks Online.

There’s another navigation link at the bottom labeled Today that opens your Dashboard. This displays shortcuts, a to-do list (like, “Review x transactions”), charts showing your cash flow and profitability, and a link to interactive help. You’ll also see a breakdown of your current invoice status (unpaid and overdue, undeposited funds, etc.), overdue and upcoming bills, and account balances. Clicking on any of these opens the underlying data.

Click on the Activity link, and you’ll see your recent activity.

Lacking Some Depth

If you’ve ever used—or even looked at—QuickBooks Online, you know how detailed many of the screens are. Is the mobile app able to reproduce that depth on such a small device?

While the app’s functions are missing some of the fields found on the browser-based version, there’s enough to work with that you can, for example, complete a transaction or create a customer record remotely and fill in the missing information when you get back to your PC. Takes expenses, for example. The mobile app allows you to enter the date and amount and to select a payee, category, and class. You can also split the transaction and do matches and transfers. The browser version has more detail, including tags, billable status, and customer/project assignment.

The same is true for customer records. You can record and view contact information and related transactions, see open balances and any overdue totals, and click links to call or email customers or see a map of their locations. Some fields are missing, but probably nothing you’d need while you were away from your computer.

Questions about the mobile app or QuickBooks desktop or online? We’re available to help you understand these applications so that you can maximize your daily use and understand your finances better. Contact us for a consultation.