Volkron Checkbook: Getting Started

Volkron Checkbook is a ledger for keeping track of your bank accounts. Its Play Store link is
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.volkron.checkbook.andr...

The app is free and completely accessible. I haven't found any unlabeled buttons or other wonkiness. Well, there is one thing, but it's pretty minor. I'll mention it below.

The app's tag line is that it's simple and elegant, and this is true. In fact, the app is so simple and elegant that it's confusing when you're new to it.

When you open the app for the first time, you find Open Navigation Drawer in the top left corner, More Options in the top right corner, Default Account near the top of the screen, and New in the bottom right corner. Tapping Open Navigation Drawer lists your accounts at the top and some preferences farther down. Tapping More Options lists various search/display filters. Tapping New brings up a new transaction form.

To create an account, tap Open Navigation Drawer, then Settings, then Accounts. This brings up a screen with your existing accounts (i.e., Default Account) near the top. There's also an Add button in the top right corner. For your first account, tap Default Account, edit the name, and fill out the rest of the form. For additional accounts, tap Add and fill out the form. If you want to delete an account, tap the name of the account, then tap Delete in the top right corner. The new account screen is pretty basic, really just the account name (e.g., Checking, Savings) and the starting balance. When you're done, tap Save in the top right corner.

The next time you open the app, you find yourself on the last screen you worked on. Most likely, this is the account you moved money into or out of most recently. the name of the account is at the top, and your transactions appear as a list, with the oldest at the bottom.

To create a new transaction, tap New in the bottom right corner and fill out the transaction form. Information appears as a list: amount at the top, name of the party giving you the money or taking it from you (e.g., AT&T), Category (e.g., phone bill), number or code (e.g., check number or invoice number), date, and Notes. To the left of the amount is a minus sign, which TalkBack announces as "Switch." Tapping this symbol changes it to a plus sign, which TalkBack correctly announces. the edit boxes for Name and Category each have a button to the left for bringing up a list of names and categories you use often so you can just tap the one you want. Btw, when you install the app, it doesn't have any suggested names or categories, but each time you type a new one, it is saved for you automatically. When you finish filling out the transaction form, tap Save in the top right corner.

To work with a different account, tap Open Navigation Drawer to move to the screen with all your accounts and with a few preferences. Then tap the account you want.

This is enough to get started. The rest is easy enough to figure out.

Volkron Checkbook has a modern interface and is 99% accessible. I also like the way it displays and filters transactions on the Account and Statement screens. Unlike a similar app by Digital Life Style Solutions, Volkron doesn't have options for recurring transactions, like payday and auto bill pay, and it doesn't really let you export your files. You can back your information up as a DB file, but if you don't have a database app, you can't really do anything with that. The Play Store description for Volkron says these two features are forthcoming as premium features. When they come, the app will definitely be worth paying for.

Category: 

Audience: