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Installing the App

Big Picture Money is a desktop application that runs on your computer. Your financial data stays on your machine — no cloud account is required to get started.

System requirements​

Before installing, confirm your computer meets these requirements:

  • Windows: Windows 10 or later (64-bit)
  • macOS: macOS 12 Monterey or later
  • Linux: A recent 64-bit distribution with standard desktop libraries

Download and install​

There is no public download page. You get installers after you purchase Big Picture Money.

  1. Get the installer from either:
    • The payment success page (it highlights your operating system and lets you download for Windows, macOS, or Linux), or
    • The Windows / macOS / Linux links in your purchase email. Those email links are the complete installer that was current when the message was sent — they stay on that version if you return to the email later.
  2. Save the installer file to your computer.
  3. Run the installer:
    • Windows: Open the setup program (*-setup.exe) and follow the on-screen prompts. If Windows SmartScreen warns that the publisher is unknown (common before public code signing), choose More info, then Run anyway.
    • macOS: Open the disk image (.dmg), drag Big Picture Money to Applications, then open it from Applications.
    • Linux: Prefer the AppImage (portable across distributions). Ubuntu/Debian users can use the .deb package instead.
  4. When installation finishes, open Big Picture Money from your applications menu (Windows Start menu, macOS Applications, or your Linux app launcher).

The purchase download is always the complete app: it includes the offline merchant catalog and on-device matching assets so categorization works without an extra download. Use the same success-page or email links when you reinstall or repair the app — that path always installs the complete package again (not a thinner update-only package). Day-to-day version updates usually come from inside the app; see Check for updates.

First launch​

  1. Open Big Picture Money.
  2. A window opens with Big Picture Money in the title bar.
  3. Complete data file setup if this is a fresh install.
  4. When prompted, activate your license for that data file (Import license file or Buy Big Picture Money on the pricing page). Without a valid license you remain on the licensing screen.
  5. The Home section appears in the main area by default. With no accounts yet, Home shows Getting started.

Expected result​

  • The Big Picture Money application window opens without errors.
  • You see the application shell: a title bar, left navigation, main content area, and (when expanded) a right panel — after the data file is unlocked and licensed.
  • The main area shows the Home section by default once you are past the license step.
  • On a new empty data file, Home shows Getting started instead of dashboard widgets.
  • Until you add an account, most finance navigation stays unavailable (see Onboarding).
  • Your data file is encrypted at rest (see Security and encryption).
  • A fresh install from the purchase success page or email includes the merchant catalog and matching assets so offline merchant recognition can work right away (see Merchant recognition).