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BMSBusiness Management

Help & guides

Answers, without the hold music.

Set up your shop, install on a new phone, understand backups, or find the right screen for the job. If the answer is not here, the issue tracker is open.

Install on Android

Download the signed APK, allow installation from your browser or file manager, then open BMS to create the business profile.

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First run

Enter the business name, administrator username and password. Add items or receive a purchase order before the first sale.

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Backups and transfer

Use an encrypted .bmsbackup file to move all data to another BMS installation. Keep a copy somewhere safe.

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Get help

Search the FAQ, open an issue on GitHub, or read the technical documentation for the mobile and desktop apps.

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First run

From a new install to a working counter.

BMS has no account, email verification or activation code. First launch only needs the business profile and one administrator login.

  1. 01

    Open BMS and create the business

    Enter the business name exactly as you want it on invoices, then choose an administrator username and password. This login stays on the device.

  2. 02

    Add what you sell

    Create items with their units and opening stock, or receive a purchase order. If your items have barcodes, keep them handy — scanning is optional.

  3. 03

    Make the first sale

    Use the sale counter for a walk-in or credit sale. Confirm it, then print or share the invoice. Stock moves automatically.

  4. 04

    Lock the app and take a backup

    Enable App Lock in Settings, then open Settings → Data & Backup → Encrypted backup. Keep the .bmsbackup file somewhere you can find it.

What you need

  • Your business name, as it should appear on invoices
  • An administrator username and password you will remember
  • A few opening stock items, or a supplier purchase order
  • Optional: a barcode scanner or the phone camera
  • Optional: a supported printer for paper invoices

Your login stays on the device

There is no company server and no online account. If you forget the administrator password, recovery depends on the device and the backup you kept.

Turn on App Lock early

App Lock can use the phone’s fingerprint, face or screen lock. The app locks when it opens and after 30 seconds in the background.

Install help

The usual Android hiccups.

Direct APK installs are normal outside the Play Store. These are the messages people hit most often.

Go to the download page
Android says the APK cannot be installed

Check that the phone runs Android 7.0 or newer and has enough free storage. Then allow installs from the app you downloaded with (your browser or file manager) in Android settings. Download the file again if it was interrupted — a partial APK cannot be installed.

The download says “temporarily unavailable”

The download service could not reach the latest release. Try again in a few minutes, or open the GitHub release page and download the APK from there. If the page has no APK for the newest release, use the previous release while a build is being published.

The app installs but will not open

Restart the phone and try again. If it still fails, note the phone model, Android version and the exact message, then open an issue. Do not delete the app if you have unsaved data — ask for help first.

Will updating delete my business data?

Installing a newer signed APK over the existing app normally keeps the app data. Make an encrypted backup before any update anyway, especially before switching phones or resetting Android.

Can I install BMS on a Windows PC?

Not yet. A Windows preview exists, but no installer has been published. Do not use third-party download sites — when the installer is ready it will appear on the download page and the GitHub release page.

Backups & data

Move the business without losing it.

Everything lives in the app on the device. A backup is the difference between a lost phone and a lost business.

Create an encrypted backup

Settings → Data & Backup

  1. 1Open Settings → Data & Backup.
  2. 2Choose Encrypted backup, then Save backup or Share.
  3. 3Set a passphrase when asked. The same passphrase is required to restore.
  4. 4Store the .bmsbackup file somewhere separate from the phone.
Keep the passphrase safe. The backup is encrypted with it, and it cannot be recovered if forgotten. A backup you cannot open is not a backup.

Restore on a new phone

Settings → Data & Backup → Restore from backup

  1. 1Install BMS on the new phone and complete the first-run setup.
  2. 2Open Settings → Data & Backup → Restore from backup.
  3. 3Choose the .bmsbackup file and enter its passphrase.
  4. 4Review the record counts, then confirm. The restore replaces the business data on that device.
A restore replaces customers, suppliers, items, sales, payments and ledger records on the device. The sign-in and App Lock setting are kept.

Export a workbook

In Settings → Data & Backup, choose Excel workbook, then Save Excel or Share. The 12-sheet workbook opens in Excel or a compatible spreadsheet app.

Protect the device

The working database is not encrypted at rest. Use a phone screen lock, enable App Lock, and keep backups somewhere that is not the same phone.

Exports are readable

Excel files are not encrypted. Treat them like a paper ledger: share them only with people who should see the numbers.

Common tasks

Find the right screen, faster.

Short routes into the feature that does the job.

Record a sale

Walk-in or credit, with an invoice.

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Collect a payment

Recover against an open balance.

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Add or receive stock

Items, purchases and batches.

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Check low stock

Reorder before a shelf runs empty.

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Plan a delivery route

Ordered stops and collections.

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Read your reports

Sales, credit ageing and ledger.

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Export to Excel

A 12-sheet workbook to save or share.

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Print an invoice

A4, A5, 80 mm or 58 mm paper.

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Frequently asked

The questions we hear most.

Offline use, devices, data, pricing and printing — answered plainly.

Does BMS work without the internet?
Yes. Sales, inventory, customers, credit, purchases, routes, reports and invoices all run on the phone’s local database. You do not need a connection, a server or an account to use the app.
Which devices can run BMS?
BMS Mobile runs on Android 7.0 or newer, including phones with 2 GB of RAM. BMS Desktop is being ported to Windows 10 and 11 (64-bit) and is currently in preview.
How much does BMS cost?
The core app is free for small businesses, with a soft guideline of monthly revenue under PKR 5 lakh. There is no card, trial timer or per-invoice charge. Optional Cloud Backup and Enterprise features are planned paid upgrades.
Is my business data safe?
Your working database stays on your device. BMS supports app lock, encrypted .bmsbackup transfer files and A4/A5/receipt printing. The working database itself is not encrypted at rest, so protect your phone lock and keep backups. Excel exports are readable by design.
Can I move my business to a new phone?
Yes. Create an encrypted .bmsbackup file on the old device and restore it on the new one. The file is authenticated and does not include device credentials or app-lock settings.
Do I need to create an online account?
No. First launch asks for a business name, an administrator username and a password. Everything is stored on the device.
Is the Windows version available?
A preview build of BMS Desktop exists and is being completed. No Windows installer has been published yet; the Android app is available today. The Windows app will use the same database format as BMS Mobile.
Can I print receipts and invoices?
Yes. BMS prints to A4, A5, 80 mm, 58 mm and custom paper sizes, depending on the printer you use with the device.
Does it support barcode scanners?
The Android camera can scan barcodes and QR codes. Manual code entry works on devices without a camera. Hardware keyboard input is also handled for compatible scanners.
What is BMS Enterprise?
BMS Enterprise is a separate, centrally hosted version for teams and multiple branches. It adds roles, audit logs, tenant isolation and a back-office client. It is in development and not required for the mobile or desktop apps.

Still stuck?

Reach the people who build it.

BMS does not have a call centre. Support runs through the project’s issue tracker and technical documentation, where the answer stays useful to the next person.

Open an issue

For a bug, an install problem or a question that is not answered here. Include the phone model and Android version if you can.

Go to the issue tracker

Read the docs

Technical documentation for the project, including the mobile app, the desktop client and the server.

Open documentation

Report a security issue

Please avoid opening a public issue for a vulnerability. Follow the security policy so it can be handled responsibly.

Security policy

Support is handled through the project’s GitHub tracker. If you cannot access it, contact the person or supplier who provided your BMS build.