Simplify Debts is a Splitwise feature that restructures who owes whom within a group to minimize the total number of payments needed for everyone to settle up. It never changes anyone's total balance — it only optimizes the payment paths. With this feature enabled, you might go from owing several different people to owing just one.
For example: say Anna, Bob, and Charlie share an apartment. Anna owes Bob $20, and Bob owes Charlie $20. Rather than making two separate payments, Splitwise would tell Anna to pay $20 directly to Charlie. Bob owes nothing. Everyone ends up at the same place, with one fewer payment.
With Simplify Debts enabled, balances are re-simplified automatically whenever a new expense or payment is added to the group. We recommend focusing on your total balance rather than individual balances between specific group members, as those may have been reshuffled by the algorithm.
Note: If your group uses more than one currency, Simplify Debts works within each currency separately. It does not combine or convert balances across currencies.
For example: say Anna, Bob, and Charlie share an apartment. Anna owes Bob $20, and Bob owes Charlie $20. Rather than making two separate payments, Splitwise would tell Anna to pay $20 directly to Charlie. Bob owes nothing. Everyone ends up at the same place, with one fewer payment.
With Simplify Debts enabled, balances are re-simplified automatically whenever a new expense or payment is added to the group. We recommend focusing on your total balance rather than individual balances between specific group members, as those may have been reshuffled by the algorithm.
Note: If your group uses more than one currency, Simplify Debts works within each currency separately. It does not combine or convert balances across currencies.
How to enable or disable Simplify Debts
You can toggle this feature on or off from your group's settings. Any group member can do this.
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On the mobile app: Tap the gear icon in the top right corner of the group page, then scroll down to toggle the feature on or off.
- On the web app (www.splitwise.com): Click the gear icon in the top right corner of the group page, click "Edit group settings," click "Advanced settings," then toggle the feature on or off.
When Simplify Debts is turned on or off by you or another group member, you'll see a record of this in your Recent Activity.
If payments have already been made in your group, we highly recommend leaving Simplify Debts on. Turning it off unravels the simplified payment paths. Payments that were made under the simplified paths may no longer line up with the restored individual debts, which can mean people need to resend funds to the right person. No one will overpay as a result of this, but it can get confusing.
If payments have already been made in your group, we highly recommend leaving Simplify Debts on. Turning it off unravels the simplified payment paths. Payments that were made under the simplified paths may no longer line up with the restored individual debts, which can mean people need to resend funds to the right person. No one will overpay as a result of this, but it can get confusing.
