Android 9

googler

lindabea said:  ...do I read this thread correctly that in the event that the banking app stops working due to an outdated OS, the only solution is a new phone to run a banking app.  If that's the case. I think it's utterly disgraceful that we are not able to upgrade the OS.     

Yup. 

Banking app says "you need (say) version 7 of the OS"

Go to App store or Play, try to download version 7, computer says No. "Your device can only upgrade to version 6. No further."

Go shopping for new device which has version 7, 8 or 9....

And it's not just the banking apps. 

debitcardmayhem

lindabea said:

Neil_Jones said:

outtatune said:

The_Fat_Controller said:

I had to get a new phone recently as my bank required Android 8 or above for their app.

Keep an eye on requirements !

In those circumstances I'd be getting a new banking app, or a new bank, rather than a new phone.

at some point you will run out of banks then, as the minimum standard these days for said apps appears to be Android 7.  Santander, HSBC, Lloyds, Halifax are all minimum Android 7.  metro is Android 8.  Virgin Money drops to Android 5 but is pretty much the exception to the rule.

If the bank uses text messaging for log on/authentication purposes then any old phone will do, but unfortunately if you want the goodies of the modern mobile apps, it ain't gonna happen on an old phone.

Nationwide app also requires a min of Android 5, so that gives me hopefully, a few more years before needing to replace a perfectly good phone.  On that subject though, do I read this thread correctly that in the event that the banking app stops working due to an outdated OS, the only solution is a new phone to run a banking app.  If that's the case. I think it's utterly disgraceful that we are not able to upgrade the OS.     

Aaaah but is that the fact that the bank is being lazy for not ensuring backwards compatibility, or the hardware manufacturers improving their stuff for the consumer? Probably a question for another thread

Neil_Jones

lindabea said:

Neil_Jones said:

outtatune said:

The_Fat_Controller said:

I had to get a new phone recently as my bank required Android 8 or above for their app.

Keep an eye on requirements !

In those circumstances I'd be getting a new banking app, or a new bank, rather than a new phone.

at some point you will run out of banks then, as the minimum standard these days for said apps appears to be Android 7.  Santander, HSBC, Lloyds, Halifax are all minimum Android 7.  metro is Android 8.  Virgin Money drops to Android 5 but is pretty much the exception to the rule.

If the bank uses text messaging for log on/authentication purposes then any old phone will do, but unfortunately if you want the goodies of the modern mobile apps, it ain't gonna happen on an old phone.

Nationwide app also requires a min of Android 5, so that gives me hopefully, a few more years before needing to replace a perfectly good phone.  On that subject though, do I read this thread correctly that in the event that the banking app stops working due to an outdated OS, the only solution is a new phone to run a banking app.  If that's the case. I think it's utterly disgraceful that we are not able to upgrade the OS.     

That is a by product of the way Android works.  Its not like Apple where they control the whole production cycle, Android is done on a per manufacturer basis.  Many devices don't get any updates at all from what they shipped with.

But on the other hand, if the bank supported (for argument's sake) as far back as Android 2 and something happened because of a security hole discovered in a long discontinued support wise version of Android that saw your bank account emptied, then who's fault would it be?  The customer for using a really old software base?  The bank for supporting such an old software base at all?

Its the same principle as running, say, Windows 98 and then complaining nothing you can buy today works on it.  Well of course it won't, its 25 years old.

googler

Neil_Jones said:

Its the same principle as running, say, Windows 98 and then complaining nothing you can buy today works on it.  Well of course it won't, its 25 years old.

No, it isn't. 

Anything loaded on Win98 in the past will continue to work. 

Apps loaded onto phones and tablets in the past cease to work due to the actions of either the app or OS developer

400ixl

googler said:

Neil_Jones said:

Its the same principle as running, say, Windows 98 and then complaining nothing you can buy today works on it.  Well of course it won't, its 25 years old.

No, it isn't. 

Anything loaded on Win98 in the past will continue to work. 

Apps loaded onto phones and tablets in the past cease to work due to the actions of either the app or OS developer

Yes it is, if the server hosted back end is updated then the locally installed application may well stop working. That is exactly the same for the phone.

If an app on a phone is installed and no update taken then it will work if all local, but if it needs a back end like banking then that could well stop working.

googler

So you're only referring to installed programs which have a "server-hosted back end" ... ?

The rest (most all of them) will work fine. 

RumRat

It's purely a security issue. As the Android versions fall further behind, eventually they cease to get security updates. This is why the banks insist on only using versions that have supported security updates.