If you have access to more than one household - your own plus any you've been invited to join - you can easily switch between them using the household switcher.
The Household Switcher
When you have access to multiple households, a household switcher appears in the header. It shows the name of the household you're currently viewing.
Click the switcher to see all households you can access, then select the one you want to view.
What Each Entry Shows
The household switcher displays:
- My Finances - Your own household (where you're the Owner)
- Other households - Shown with the owner's name, a role badge (Owner, Full Access, or View Only), and the number of members
Quick Identification
The role badge next to each household helps you quickly identify what level of access you have before switching.
Switching Households
- Click the household switcher in the header
- Select the household you want to view from the dropdown
- Financio reloads and returns you to the Home page, now showing the selected household
On iPhone, switching lives in Settings rather than the header:
- Open Settings from the gear icon on the Home tab
- Tap the Household row. It shows the household you're currently in
- Pick the household you want from the menu; the app reloads its data for the new household
You can also switch from Settings → Household Members → Your Households. Each household is listed as "<Owner>'s Household", including your own, with a role badge (Owner, Full Access, or Read Only) and the member count. The one you're in is marked Active; tap Switch on any other.
All navigation and data now reflects the selected household. When you view accounts, transactions, reports, or any other data, you're seeing that household's information.
Remembering Your Selection
Financio remembers which household you last accessed. When you log in:
- You'll automatically land on the household you were viewing in your previous session
- If that household is no longer accessible (you were removed), you'll land on your own household
Visual Indicators
Current Household
The header always shows which household you're viewing. Look for:
- The household name in the switcher
- Your role if you're not the Owner
Open Settings to see which household you're in, the Household row shows its name and your role.
Read Only Mode
If you're viewing a household where you have Read Only access:
- A View Only badge appears in the header
- Add and edit buttons are hidden throughout the interface
- You can browse and view but not make changes
- A View Only badge appears just above the tab bar on every screen
- Add, edit, and delete buttons (and swipe actions) are hidden
- You can browse and view but not make changes
Common Scenarios
Managing Your Own and Shared Finances
Many users have their own household for personal finances plus access to a shared household with a partner:
- Use your own household for personal accounts and spending only you need to track
- Switch to the shared household for joint accounts and household expenses
- Each household has separate accounts, categories, and transactions
Helping Family Members
If you have Read Only access to help a parent or family member:
- Switch to their household when they need assistance
- Review their accounts and transactions
- Discuss findings with them - they can make any needed changes
- Switch back to your own finances when done
Multiple Shared Households
There's no limit to how many households you can access. You might have:
- Your own personal finances
- A shared household with your spouse
- Read Only access to help an elderly parent
- Full Access to a household you manage for a family member
Keeping Data Separate
Each household is completely independent:
- Transactions in one household don't appear in another
- Categories and tags are household-specific
- Rules only apply within their household
- Reports show data from the current household only
There's no way to view combined data across multiple households - you always view one at a time.
Troubleshooting
I don't see the household switcher
The switcher only appears when you have access to multiple households. If you only have your own household, there's nothing to switch to.
A household disappeared from the list
You may have been removed from that household. Contact the Owner if you believe this was a mistake.
I switched but see my old data
On the web, try refreshing the page. In the iPhone app, pull to refresh or reopen the app. If the issue persists, sign out and sign back in.