The short answer

Export your data from the old app first, ideally as a CSV, before you delete anything. Take a snapshot of each debt's current balance, rate, minimum, and due date so you have a clear starting point. Re-enter that snapshot into the new app, then reconcile: check that the new app's numbers match your most recent real statement before you rely on it.

Export before you touch anything else

The first move, before uninstalling the old app or clearing its data, is exporting whatever history it has, usually as a CSV file. This is your record of past payments and progress, and it's much easier to keep it now than to try to reconstruct it later from memory or old statements.

Taking a clean snapshot of where things stand today

Payment history is nice to have, but what actually matters for the new app is an accurate current snapshot: each debt's balance, APR, minimum payment, and due date as of today. Pull this from your most recent statements rather than trusting the old app's numbers blindly, in case they'd already drifted from reality.

Re-entering without carrying over an old mistake

Switching apps is a natural moment to catch an error that had been sitting unnoticed, like a rate that changed months ago but never got updated. Treat re-entry as a chance to verify each number against a current source, not just a copy-paste exercise from the old app.

Reconciling the new app against reality

The switch isn't done until you've checked the new numbers hold up.

  1. Export a CSV or summary from the old app before deleting it.
  2. Pull your most recent statement for every debt to build a current snapshot.
  3. Enter each debt into the new app using the statement numbers, not the old app's numbers, where they differ.
  4. Compare the new app's total debt figure against the sum of your statements.
  5. Wait one billing cycle and check that the new app's projected balance matches your next real statement.

Worked example · illustrative numbers

Example: reconciling a total after switching apps

Say your old app showed three debts totaling $8,900, but your actual current statements show $2,100, $3,400, and $3,550, which add up to $9,050.

That's a $150 gap, likely from a payment or a rate change that never made it into the old app. Entering the new app with the correct $9,050 total, sourced from the statements rather than the old app's $8,900, means the new app starts from an accurate number instead of carrying the old error forward.

Put this into practice with Debtless

Debtless supports CSV export from Settings, so if you ever move to a different tool, your balances and history come with you. Since there's no account or cloud sync, the export is also the only copy that leaves the device, so save it somewhere secure.

Download Debtless on the App Store

Common questions

What if the old app doesn't offer CSV export?

Take screenshots or write down every debt's current numbers and payment history manually before you delete anything. It's slower, but it's the only option without an export feature.

Should I trust the old app's numbers or my statements when they differ?

Your statements, since they come directly from the lender. An app's numbers are only as accurate as what was entered and kept updated.

Do I need to re-enter my full payment history in the new app?

Not necessarily. What matters most going forward is an accurate current balance. Past payment history is useful for your own records but isn't required for the new app's projections to work correctly.

How long should I keep the export from the old app?

Keep it as long as you'd keep any financial record, especially until you've confirmed the new app's numbers are stable and matching your statements for at least one full cycle. After that, a long-term copy in a secure backup folder is still a reasonable habit.

Sources & further reading

General education for U.S. readers, not individualized financial, legal or tax advice. Examples are hypothetical; lender terms and actual interest calculations can differ. Check your current statements and agreements.

Published by Debtless with AI-assisted drafting. How this journal is made · Suggest a correction