Settings & Notifications

Meridian's Settings page lets you customize your experience, manage notifications, and control how the app behaves. Access Settings by clicking the gear icon in the navigation bar.

Installing Meridian on Your Device

Meridian is a Progressive Web App (PWA), which means you can install it on your phone or computer for a native app-like experience.

On Mobile (iPhone/Android)

When you visit Meridian on your mobile device, you may see a prompt at the bottom of the screen:

  1. Tap Install when prompted
  2. Meridian will be added to your home screen
  3. Open it like any other app for full-screen experience

If you do not see the prompt:

  • iPhone/iPad: Tap the Share button, then "Add to Home Screen"
  • Android: Tap the browser menu (three dots), then "Add to Home Screen" or "Install App"

On Desktop (Chrome/Edge)

  1. Look for the install icon in your browser's address bar
  2. Click it and confirm installation
  3. Meridian opens in its own window, separate from your browser

Benefits of Installing

  • Faster loading - The app caches locally for instant startup
  • Works offline - View your budget even without internet (changes sync when you reconnect)
  • Push notifications - Receive alerts about new transactions (see below)
  • Full-screen experience - No browser chrome, feels like a native app

Push Notifications

Push notifications keep you informed about your finances without having to open the app.

Enabling Notifications

  1. Go to Settings
  2. Find the Notifications section
  3. Click Enable to turn on push notifications
  4. Your browser will ask permission - click Allow

If you installed Meridian as an app, you will be prompted to enable notifications after installation.

Notification Types

Once enabled, you can choose which alerts to receive:

NotificationDescriptionDefault
New transactionsWhen bank sync imports transactions needing reviewOn
Large transactionsTransactions over your chosen amountOff
Budget overspentWhen a category goes over budgetOff
Low balanceWhen an account drops below your thresholdOff

Configuring Thresholds

For Large transactions and Low balance alerts, you can set custom thresholds:

  • Large transaction threshold: Default is $500. Transactions over this amount trigger an alert.
  • Low balance threshold: Default is $100. Alerts when an account balance drops below this.

Click the amount field to change the threshold.

Testing Notifications

Click the Test button to send a test notification to your device. This verifies everything is working correctly.

Disabling Notifications

To turn off notifications entirely:

  1. Go to Settings
  2. Click Disable in the Notifications section

Your notification preferences are saved and will be restored if you re-enable later.

Notifications Blocked?

If you see "Notifications blocked" in Settings, your browser has denied permission. To fix this:

  1. Click the lock/info icon in your browser's address bar
  2. Find "Notifications" in the permissions
  3. Change it from "Block" to "Allow"
  4. Refresh the page

Display Settings

Theme

Choose how Meridian looks:

  • System (auto) - Follows your device's light/dark mode setting
  • Light - Always use light mode
  • Dark - Always use dark mode

Layout Density

Adjust how compact the interface appears:

  • Comfortable - More spacing, easier to read
  • Compact - Denser layout, see more information at once

Date Separators

Enable Show date separators to add visual dividers between transactions on different dates in the Ledger. This helps you quickly see transaction groupings by date.

Scheduled Section

Enable Collapse scheduled by default to start with the scheduled transactions section collapsed when you open the Ledger. Useful if you prefer to focus on current transactions.

Telescope Mode

Telescope mode extends how far into the future Meridian projects your recurring transactions.

When enabled:

  • See up to 90 days of scheduled and recurring transactions
  • Or up to 12 instances of each recurring transaction (whichever is more)
  • Future category balances reflect projected transactions

When disabled:

  • Only the next instance of each recurring transaction is shown
  • Similar to how YNAB handles recurring transactions

Enable Telescope mode when you want to plan further ahead. Disable it for a simpler, less cluttered view.

Currency & Numbers

These settings control how money is displayed:

  • Currency Symbol - Currently supports USD ($). More currencies coming soon.
  • Number Format - How numbers are formatted (e.g., 1,234.56 vs 1.234,56)

Timezone

Meridian uses your timezone to determine when scheduled transactions should become active. The timezone is auto-detected from your browser but can be changed manually.

This matters for:

  • When "today" starts for scheduled transaction entry
  • Date calculations for recurring transactions

Account Settings

Changing Your Password

  1. Go to Settings
  2. Click Change Password in the Account section
  3. Enter your current password
  4. Enter and confirm your new password
  5. Click Update Password

Password requirements:

  • At least 8 characters
  • At least one uppercase letter
  • At least one lowercase letter
  • At least one number
  • At least one special character

Linking Your Google Account

If you signed up with email, you can link your Google account for easier login:

  1. Go to Settings
  2. Click Link Google Account
  3. Follow the authentication prompts
  4. Once linked, you can sign in with either method

Note: Sign in with Apple is coming soon.

Deleting Your Account

To permanently delete your account and all data:

  1. Go to Settings
  2. Scroll to Delete Account
  3. Type your budget name to confirm
  4. Click Delete Account

This action is irreversible. All your budgets, transactions, and settings will be permanently deleted.

API Keys

If you want to connect an external AI assistant (Claude, ChatGPT, etc.) to your Meridian data, you can create API keys.

Creating an API Key

  1. Go to Settings
  2. Find the API Keys section
  3. Click Create API Key
  4. Enter a name (e.g., "Claude Desktop")
  5. Choose permissions: Read only or Read & Write
  6. Optionally set an expiration date
  7. Click Create

Important: The API key is shown only once. Copy it immediately and store it securely. If you lose it, revoke the key and create a new one.

Managing Keys

You can have up to 5 API keys at a time. Each key shows:

  • Name and creation date
  • Permission level (read/write)
  • Last used date
  • Expiration status

Click Revoke to immediately disable a key. Revocation is instant — any AI client using that key will lose access.

Using API Keys

See the AI & Automation guide for detailed setup instructions for Claude Desktop, ChatGPT, and other MCP-compatible clients.

Subscription

View and manage your Meridian subscription:

  • Current plan - Your subscription tier (Monthly or Annual)
  • Billing cycle - Monthly ($5/mo) or annual ($50/yr)
  • Next payment - When your next charge will occur
  • Manage subscription - Update payment method or cancel

Plutus AI Add-On

Plutus is Meridian's in-app AI budget manager. Add it to your subscription for $10/month. Once subscribed, click the sparkles icon in the sidebar to open the Plutus panel. See the AI & Automation guide for details.

Troubleshooting

Notifications Not Working

  1. Check that notifications are enabled in Settings
  2. Verify browser permissions (see "Notifications Blocked?" above)
  3. Make sure you have installed Meridian as an app
  4. Try sending a test notification
  5. Check your device's notification settings for Meridian

App Not Updating

If you are using an installed version and it seems outdated:

  1. Close the app completely
  2. Reopen it - it should check for updates
  3. If still outdated, uninstall and reinstall from the website

Data Not Syncing

If changes are not appearing across devices:

  1. Check your internet connection
  2. Pull to refresh (on mobile) or reload the page
  3. Sign out and sign back in