Getting started

Margaret has just installed VIVA. She isn’t sure where to begin, and she doesn’t want to make a mistake. This chapter walks her through the first few minutes.

Quick start: three things to do first

If you read nothing else, do these three things. Each one is explained later in this chapter or the next.

1. Set your starting balance. This is the total in all your accounts today. VIVA asks for it the first time you add something.
2. Record one thing you spent. Use Quick Entry, or the Add Expense button. One entry is enough to see how it works.
3. Look at Home. Check that Money available changed by the amount you entered.

You can go slowly

Nothing here is timed. You can stop after any step and carry on another day.

Sign in

What you’ll do: sign in to the VIVA account you already have.

1. Open VIVA. On Android, the first screen is a short welcome. Choose Skip to go to the sign-in screen.

2. Type your email and password.

3. Tap Sign in to continue.

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   1. 1 Email box
   2. 2 Password box
   3. 3 Sign in button

   123

   1. 1 Email box
   2. 2 Password box
   3. 3 Sign in button

   123

   1. 1 Email box
   2. 2 Password box
   3. 3 Sign in button

You'll know it worked

You land on the Home screen with your name at the top.

If something goes wrong

If you’ve forgotten your password, tap Forgot password? and follow the steps. VIVA sends a message to your email address.

Create an account

What you’ll do: make a new VIVA account. Nothing is saved until you press the Sign Up button, so you can look around first.

1. On the sign-in screen, choose Sign Up. On Android this is a tab at the top. On a computer it is the link Sign up at the top right, beside “Don’t have an account?”

2. Fill in the form. It asks for your first name, last name, email, a password (at least 8 characters) and the password again. Phone number and date of birth are optional.

3. Tick the box that says you agree to the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. You can tap either name to read it first.

4. Tap Sign Up.

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   1. 1 Name boxes

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   1. 1 Name boxes

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   1. 1 Name boxes
   2. 2 Sign Up button

You'll know it worked

A message says Check your email to confirm your account. Tap Got it. Open the email and follow its link. You can keep using VIVA while you do.

Choosing a password

Pick one you don’t use anywhere else. A few short words you can remember are easier than random letters.

The quick tour

What you’ll do: decide whether to take the short tour of the app.

1. Sign in. VIVA offers a quick tour. On a phone or tablet it asks Quick tour? On a computer it asks Want a quick tour?

2. Choose how to answer. Tap Show me (computer: Start tour) to begin, or Not now (computer: Maybe later) to skip it.

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   1. 1 Start tour
   2. 2 Maybe later

   12

   1. 1 Start tour
   2. 2 Maybe later

   12

   1. 1 Start tour
   2. 2 Maybe later

3. During the tour, tap Next to move on. Tap Skip (computer: Skip tour) to stop at any time. The tour has 10 short steps.

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   1. 1 Next
   2. 2 Skip tour

   12

   1. 1 Next
   2. 2 Skip tour

   12

   1. 1 Next
   2. 2 Skip tour

It may come back

VIVA offers the tour each time you sign in, until you answer it once. After that it stays out of your way.

Seeing the tour again

You can replay the tour whenever you like.

1. On a phone or tablet, tap More, then App Tour.

2. On a computer, choose App tour at the bottom of the left-hand menu. In a narrow window, open More first.

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   1. 1 App tour

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   1. 1 App tour

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   1. 1 App tour

Set your starting balance

What you’ll do: tell VIVA how much money you have today, so it has a place to count from.

VIVA asks for this the first time you add something, for example an expense. It does not ask when you first sign in.

Take your time with this one

You can’t change your starting balance yourself afterwards. If it needs correcting, you would have to contact customer service. See Staying safe, and getting help for how.

1. Add your first expense or income. VIVA stops you with a screen asking for your starting balance.

2. Type the total of all your accounts right now. Include chequing, savings and cash if you wish to track it. Use today’s real figure, as exactly as you can.

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   1. 1 Starting balance box
   2. 2 Review & Confirm

   12

   1. 1 Starting balance box
   2. 2 Review & Confirm

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   1. 1 Starting balance box
   2. 2 Review & Confirm

3. Tap Next (computer: Review & Confirm).

4. Read the amount back. VIVA repeats it and reminds you it can’t be changed later. If it is right, tap Confirm & save (computer: Confirm & Save). If not, tap Back.

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   1. 1 Confirm & Save

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   1. 1 Confirm & Save

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   1. 1 Confirm & Save

You'll know it worked

The screen closes and you carry on with what you were doing. Your starting balance now shows under Settings, in the Account tab, but you can only read it there.

On a computer

On a computer the starting balance appears in a pop-up window. The same two steps apply: type the amount, then confirm it.