Banking apps seem to be a motif among things that don’t play well with privacy ROMs. My bank’s website does everything I could want out of it. I think I might be ignorant to something.

  • What about banking apps is especially compelling?
  • How often do banks put must-have features behind an app?
  • And should I be concerned that banks might move away from offering services through browsers?
  • wintermute@discuss.tchncs.de
    0·
    11 months ago

    My bank’s app has way less functionality than the web version, but it’s used as a second factor to auth some operations, so I have to use both.

  • MTK@lemmy.world
    0·
    11 months ago

    My bank doesn’t have a website and it makes me want to kill them.

    It’s crazy that it’s even legal to only have an app

  • CrypticCoffee@lemmy.ml
    0·
    11 months ago

    I’m in the UK. I do not use them. I can login via website, and use text as 2FA. I do not need to use it out of the house but have that option if I want.

    I pay via bank debit card.

    I would be surprised if they app locked features. It would exclude elderly and probably be illegal.

  • kiara@lemmy.ml
    0·
    11 months ago

    I just use the progressive web app on phone, works fine for my bank

    • shortwavesurfer@lemmy.zip
      0·
      11 months ago

      Can’t do anything about mobile deposits, but for notifications, you could get the notifications emailed to you and your email app has push notifications.

      • hydration9806@lemmy.ml
        0·
        11 months ago

        Bold of you to assume my email app has push notifications

        • A sad Proton user using a de-Googled device
      • lazynooblet@lazysoci.alEnglish
        0·
        11 months ago

        I wouldn’t want bank notifications emailed to me. Maybe a notification that I have a notification, but no real content. Email is incredibly insecure.

      • MotoAsh@lemmy.world
        0·
        11 months ago

        I mean, they could offer it through the browser. All modern browsers have more than enough hooks and permissions control to do something as simple as take a couple pictures and make a basic request to a back end.

        Though making nice things costs money, so…

        • shortwavesurfer@lemmy.zip
          0·
          11 months ago

          Oh, of course they could do so, but they won’t do it because they want you to use their app. They want you to use their app because they control it and can mine data from it more so than on a web browser. Take Cime, for example. It has all kinds of Google trackers in it.

        • adarza@lemmy.caEnglish
          0·
          11 months ago

          i worked on someone’s laptop recently that was set up for mobile deposits via web browser. they also had a bank-provided scanner, too, that worked with it. so it is possible, and it is being done.

      • QuadratureSurfer@lemmy.worldEnglish
        0·
        11 months ago

        Depends on the bank and what kind of notifications you want.
        Some banks only allow certain types of notifications to occur through the app.

  • rar@discuss.online
    0·
    11 months ago

    2FA must be done through the damn app. It’s TOTP (six digit) but locked behind god knows what. I asked for alternatives and they looked me like I was a caveman.

    • seaQueue@lemmy.world
      0·
      11 months ago

      That would tempt me to dump a backup with adb and rifle through the app data to find the seed

    • morph3ous@lemmy.world
      0·
      11 months ago

      When they give you that QR code for the 2FA app, print it out and file it away. That is the seed.

    • Brickfrog@lemmy.dbzer0.com
      0·
      11 months ago

      Same here, mobile check deposit and Zelle are literally the only things I’ve ever needed a bank app for.

      I used to never use Zelle for anything but too many friends/family want to use some sort of app for exchanging money & that’s usually what we settle on. And my old landlord wanted rent paid via Zelle so that was another thing that forced me to install a bank app for Zelle purposes.

      Mobile check deposit is a requirement when dealing with a bank without any locations nearby. In practice I only need to use that once a year or so, checks are kind of rare nowadays unless you’re a business owner with clients/customers paying with checks.

    • seaQueue@lemmy.world
      0·
      11 months ago

      Zelle is sketchy even when compared to other cash transfer apps. They do a lot of freezing people’s money. Don’t use them if you have any other option.

  • RaoulDook@lemmy.worldEnglish
    0·
    11 months ago

    I’ve never used a mobile banking app. Been using smartphones since they became generally available. I don’t need any payment apps and I generally don’t do anything important on my cellphone except for communications.

  • solrize@lemmy.world
    0·
    11 months ago

    I don’t use them and haven’t missed them. I see one of my local branches has ripped out its outdoor ATM’s though. Wonder if that’s related to moving stuff to apps.

  • liliumstar@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
    0·
    11 months ago

    The only time I’ve willingly used a banking app is when they lock out my VPN IP. In those cases the app still usually works for whatever reason. So far, I haven’t found any functionality missing from the webapp, but I’m also dealing with brick and mortar institutions.

    I would be concerned as they will eventually probably move to a phone app first ecosystem, however it will probably take a while. Some people are still only using in person and phone banking (where you call them and punch in numbers).