ReceiptIQ AI on iPhone, iPad and Mac: how they work together

October 12, 2026 · 5 min read · ReceiptIQ AI 2.5.2

I'm Xinzhou Liu, the developer of ReceiptIQ AI. With version 2.5.2, the app that has always lived on the iPhone also runs on iPad and, as soon as Apple finishes its review, on the Mac. People keep asking me the same practical questions, so here is how the three fit together.

It is one app, and one purchase

There is no separate iPad app and no separate Mac app. It is the same ReceiptIQ AI, and a Premium subscription bought with your Apple ID works on all three. On a second device, open Settings and tap Restore Subscription. The free plan lets you try the app before you pay for anything.

It needs iOS or iPadOS 17.6 or later, or macOS 14.6 or later on the Mac.

What each device is good for

• iPhone is the one in your pocket, so it is where receipts get captured: camera scanning, including live capture, plus voice.
• iPad scans receipts with its camera too, and can scan the QR code when it joins a family. Full-width, it uses a sidebar layout like the Mac; in Split View it falls back to the phone layout.
• Mac is for the sitting-down part: looking over the month. It has a big sidebar with Overview, a Receipts table, Insights and more. It has no camera, so you add receipts from Photos, from PDF files (pick one, or drag it onto the window), by voice, or from email receipts, which have their own Inbox page.

My own routine: scan on the iPhone through the week, review and fix categories on the Mac at the end of the month.

Your own devices: iCloud sync

If all your devices use the same Apple ID, you can keep them in step with iCloud. It is optional and off by default. To turn it on, go to Settings → Your Data → iCloud & Privacy and switch on real-time sync, then restart the app. Do this on each device.

The data goes through your own private iCloud (Apple's CloudKit), never through a ReceiptIQ server. The background is in the iCloud sync write-up.

Other people: Family Sharing

Family members with their own Apple IDs use a different feature, also optional: Family Sharing, with no server and no account. On the owner's device, open Settings → Family Sharing → Add Device.

• An iPhone or iPad joins by scanning the QR code on the owner's screen.
• A Mac has no camera, so it joins with Join a Family: it lists the owners around it, both screens show the same 4-digit number, and the owner taps Allow.

After that, receipts sync device to device over the local network or nearby connection, encrypted, with no cloud copy. The owner, the device that pays, sets the categories, budgets, month start day, home currency and recurring bills. Members add receipts freely and share the owner's subscription. More on how it works: Family Sync Architecture.

Privacy stays the same

Nothing about this puts your receipts on a ReceiptIQ server. To read a receipt, its photo is sent for reading and not kept; the receipt itself is saved only on your devices. iCloud sync uses your own iCloud, and Family Sharing runs between your devices. Details are in the privacy policy.

A small change in 2.5.2

An entry you type in yourself no longer counts toward the free 30 receipts.

Questions

Do I have to buy ReceiptIQ AI again for iPad or Mac?

No. It is one app with one purchase. A subscription bought with your Apple ID works on iPhone, iPad and Mac. On the other device, open Settings and tap Restore Subscription.

Do my receipts move between my devices on their own?

Only if you turn on iCloud sync. It is off by default. Switch it on in Settings, Your Data, iCloud & Privacy, then restart the app. Your receipts travel through your own private iCloud, not through our server.

Can my family use it on their own Apple IDs?

Yes, with Family Sharing. The owner's device adds the others: an iPhone or iPad joins by scanning a QR code, and a Mac joins through the nearby list with a 4-digit confirmation. No account is needed and there is no server.

Can a Mac scan a receipt?

A Mac has no camera, so it adds receipts from Photos, from PDF files, by voice, and from email receipts. Paper receipts are easiest to scan on an iPhone or iPad.

Do entries I type in count toward the free 30 receipts?

Not any more. Since version 2.5.2, entries you type in yourself no longer count toward the free 30.

For the rest of the app, see the first-week guide and the Features page. This post is also available in 日本語.