Help · Import

Move from Money Lover to Cova

Export a CSV from Money Lover, preview it in Cova, and your spending history comes across — with its categories — no bank login required.

Step 1
Export a CSV from Money Lover

  1. Open Money Lover and open the Menu (left navigation bar).
  2. Swipe down and tap Tools.
  3. Tap Export CSV.
  4. Choose the wallet you want to export, then tap Export.
  5. Save or share the file somewhere you can reach from this phone.
Use CSV, not the .mlx backup. Money Lover's .mlx backup only restores back into Money Lover — Cova can't read it. The Export CSV option is the one you want. (Excel export is Premium-only in Money Lover; CSV works on the free plan.)

Step 2
Bring it into Cova

  1. In Cova, go to More → Advanced → Import data.
  2. Tap Choose File and pick the Money Lover CSV.
  3. Tap Preview import — nothing is saved yet.
  4. Check the preview, then tap Import.

What Cova does with your file

Cova reads the header row and works out which column is the date, amount, note, category, wallet and so on — including Money Lover's own column names. The preview shows the mapping; you rarely need to touch it.

Your categories stay yours

Each Money Lover category is created as your own in Cova. Anything whose name exactly matches a category you already have is merged so there are no duplicates; income categories are recognised from the transaction type and created as income.

Wallets

Export one wallet at a time. Each imported wallet can be created new or mapped onto an existing Cova wallet in the preview — so importing several exports doesn't scatter your balances. If you have multiple wallets in Money Lover, export and import them one at a time. One caveat: if you moved money between your own wallets, each transfer exists as two rows in two different exports — an amount leaving one and arriving in the other. Import them all, then check for transfers and mark them so they are not counted as real spending or income.

No duplicates

Re-importing a file, or importing overlapping exports, won't double anything — Cova recognises rows it already has and only adds what's new, telling you how many it skipped.

Foreign transactions use today's rate. Cova keeps the original currency and converts to SGD at today's rate, so older foreign rows are approximate. The preview tells you how many rows are affected.

Frequently asked

Do I need Money Lover Premium?

No — Export CSV works on the free plan. (Only Excel export and the Google Sheets sync are Premium.)

Will I lose my Money Lover data?

No. You're exporting a copy; your Money Lover data is untouched.

Does this need my bank login?

No. Import is a file upload — Cova never asks for a bank login or your email password.

← Back to Import your data

Stuck? Send us the file

If your Money Lover export is not working, email [email protected] and attach the export (or just the first few rows). We will tell you what needs changing — or fix it and send it back ready to import. You do not have to work it out alone.

Last checked: July 2026. Money Lover moves its menus from time to time — if yours looks different, email [email protected] and we will update this page (and help you get the file out).