Whistl Customization & Personalization: Make It Yours

Everyone's financial journey is different. Whistl offers extensive customization options so you can tailor the app to your preferences, triggers, and goals. From coaching styles to notification settings, this guide covers all the ways to make Whistl work best for you.

AI Coaching Styles

Choose how Whistl communicates with you during interventions:

Coach Style (Default)

Tone: Supportive, encouraging, educational

Example Messages:

• "I understand this is frustrating. Let's work through this together."
• "You've got this. Remember your progress over the last month."
• "What's driving this feeling? I'm here to listen."

Best For: Users who respond to positive reinforcement

Tough Love Style

Tone: Direct, honest, accountability-focused

Example Messages:

• "You want through. I get it. Why?"
• "Last time you felt this way, you spent $180 and regretted it."
• "This isn't you. You're better than this moment."

Best For: Users who need direct confrontation (Premium)

Hype Style

Tone: Energetic, celebratory, motivational

Example Messages:

• "Hey, I see you! What's going on?"
• "You've crushed it for 14 days straight! Don't stop now!"
• "Let's channel this energy somewhere amazing!"

Best For: Users motivated by enthusiasm (Premium)

Safe Space Style

Tone: Gentle, non-judgmental, trauma-informed

Example Messages:

• "It's okay. I'm here. What's happening?"
• "No judgment. Let's just breathe together."
• "You're safe. Take your time."

Best For: Users with anxiety or trauma history (Premium)

Switching Coaching Styles

1. Go to Settings → Coaching
2. Tap on your current style
3. Select new style from list
4. Preview sample messages
5. Confirm selection

You can change styles anytime—no waiting period or limitations.

Notification Settings

Control when and how Whistl notifies you:

Risk Alert Notifications

• Elevated risk alerts: Notify when risk score exceeds threshold
• Threshold customization: Set your own risk level (0.40-0.80)
• Quiet hours: Suppress notifications during specified times
• Notification style: Banner, alert, or none

Spending Notifications

• Transaction alerts: Notify on every transaction or threshold amounts
• Category alerts: Specific notifications for gambling, shopping, etc.
• Budget warnings: Alert when approaching category limits
• Protected floor alerts: Notify when balance approaches protected amount

Partner Notifications

• Partner check-ins: Notify when partner sends message
• Crisis alerts: Immediate notification for crisis situations
• Milestone celebrations: Notify partner of your achievements
• Digest mode: Daily summary instead of individual notifications

Goal Notifications

• Progress updates: Weekly or monthly goal progress
• Milestone achieved: Celebrate when reaching goal milestones
• Goal reminders: Periodic reminders to stay focused

SpendingShield Customization

Protected Floor Settings

• Fixed amount: Set specific dollar amount (e.g., $2,000)
• Percentage-based: Protect percentage of income (e.g., 70%)
• Dynamic calculation: AI calculates based on bills and expenses
• Separate floors: Different amounts for different pay periods

Shield State Thresholds

Customize when SpendingShield changes states:

Category-Specific Rules

• Gambling: Always block (cannot be disabled)
• Shopping: Set custom limits per merchant or category
• Dining: Weekly or monthly limits
• Entertainment: Budget-based restrictions

Alternative Action Library

Customize which alternative actions Whistl suggests during interventions:

Available Alternatives

• Call a friend or family member
• Go for a walk
• Do 10 push-ups or exercise
• Journal for 5 minutes
• Scroll Pinterest or Instagram
• Watch a YouTube video
• Play a mobile game
• Listen to music or podcast
• Take a shower
• Cook a meal
• Read a book
• Meditate or breathe
• Clean or organize something
• Work on a hobby
• Text your accountability partner
• Review your Dream Board
• Watch intervention success stories
• Custom actions (add your own)

Priority Ordering

Whistl learns which alternatives work best for you and prioritizes them. You can also manually reorder:

1. Go to Settings → Alternative Actions
2. Drag and drop to reorder
3. Toggle actions on/off
4. Add custom actions with your own text

Dream Board Customization

Goal Types

• Savings goals: Specific dollar amounts (house deposit, holiday)
• Debt payoff: Credit card, personal loan, HECS
• Behaviour goals: Days without gambling, spending limits
• Life goals: Career changes, education, relationships

Visual Customization

• Upload images: Photos from your library
• Search Unsplash: Built-in stock photo library
• Video goals: Upload short video clips (Premium)
• Custom colours: Match goal cards to your preferences
• Layout options: Grid, list, or carousel view

Goal Display Settings

• Show progress percentage
• Show dollar amount remaining
• Show projected completion date
• Show days on track

Partner Settings

Partner Roles

• Primary partner: Receives all notifications (default)
• Crisis-only: Only notified during crisis situations
• Cheerleader: Only notified of milestones and wins
• Backup: Notified if primary doesn't respond

Sharing Preferences

• Spending visibility: Show/hide specific categories
• Intervention details: Share intervention outcomes or just alerts
• Goal progress: Share all goals or selected only
• Journal entries: Share specific entries with partner

Appearance Settings

Theme Options

• Light mode: Classic bright interface
• Dark mode: Easy on the eyes, saves battery
• Auto: Follows system settings
• Scheduled: Dark mode at specific times

Accent Colour

• Indigo (default)
• Blue
• Purple
• Teal
• Orange
• Red

Text Size

• Small
• Medium (default)
• Large
• Extra Large
• Follows system accessibility settings

Privacy Customization

App Lock

• Face ID / Touch ID: Biometric authentication
• Passcode: 4 or 6-digit PIN
• Lock timing: Immediately, after 1 minute, or never

Data Visibility

• Hide balances: Blur account balances on main screen
• Private mode: Hide all financial data when app opens
• Notification privacy: Hide details in lock screen notifications

Analytics Opt-Out

• Usage analytics: Opt out of anonymous usage tracking
• Crash reports: Opt out of crash reporting
• Feature improvement: Opt out of feature usage analysis

Reset and Defaults

Reset Options

• Reset all settings: Return everything to defaults
• Reset notifications: Restore default notification settings
• Reset coaching: Return to Coach style default
• Reset SpendingShield: Clear custom thresholds

Conclusion

Whistl is designed to adapt to you, not the other way around. From coaching styles that match your personality to notification settings that fit your lifestyle, every aspect can be customized. Take time to explore the settings and make Whistl truly yours.

Related: Premium Features | AI Financial Coach | All Whistl Features