Recommendations for alternative bank - HSBC requiring phone app

Nasqueron

GeoffTF said:

Nasqueron said:

Banks typically stop access when the system OS is no longer supported by the manufacturer, typically 5-6 years with Apple and better Android devices, one phone every 5-6 years is normal, it happens with all devices as a phone that old isn't secure and is a risk to use

I do not know of any bank that does that. Anyway, security updates just reduce the risk, they do not eliminate it.

Except for literally all of them? Check any banking site and it'll tell you the minimum version they support

"Anyway, security updates just reduce the risk, they do not eliminate it."

Strawman - I didn't say they eliminate it, I said that when an OS stops being updated it's a security risk. 5-6 years of support for a phone is not a huge expense, not like you need one every year

Nasqueron

GeoffTF said:

Here is a typical report for anyone who thinks that mobile banking has no risks:

"Swiped. Inside London's phone theft epidemic", File on 4 Investigates

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m002jsqv

No computer system is completely secure, and that is particularly true of one that you carry around with you.

Typical report - literally states it's targeting people walking around with phone and banking app unlocked and opened, like walking around with your wallet open and waving around... Not like it's difficult to avoid by.... news flash... have your phone locked and don't use it in public while walking

Doesn't mean anything, biometric security is incredibly secure vs say SMS codes

clairec666

GeoffTF said:

Nasqueron said:

Banks typically stop access when the system OS is no longer supported by the manufacturer, typically 5-6 years with Apple and better Android devices, one phone every 5-6 years is normal, it happens with all devices as a phone that old isn't secure and is a risk to use

I do not know of any bank that does that. Anyway, security updates just reduce the risk, they do not eliminate it.

No banking apps would install on my last phone, because it was running an old version of Android.

Nasqueron

clairec666 said:

GeoffTF said:

Nasqueron said:

Banks typically stop access when the system OS is no longer supported by the manufacturer, typically 5-6 years with Apple and better Android devices, one phone every 5-6 years is normal, it happens with all devices as a phone that old isn't secure and is a risk to use

I do not know of any bank that does that. Anyway, security updates just reduce the risk, they do not eliminate it.

No banking apps would install on my last phone, because it was running an old version of Android.

Using a phone over 6 years old is a security risk because the software isn't having security patches, hence banks don't want to risk their software being compromised and yuou losing money, it's akin to leaving all your doors and windows open at home. You can get an Android 14 (full, not Go) phone from Argos for £100 which will have security to at least Feb 2027. A Samsung A15 5G will have 5 years of security updates albeit it's a year old already

Section62

Nasqueron said:

clairec666 said:

GeoffTF said:

Nasqueron said:

Banks typically stop access when the system OS is no longer supported by the manufacturer, typically 5-6 years with Apple and better Android devices, one phone every 5-6 years is normal, it happens with all devices as a phone that old isn't secure and is a risk to use

I do not know of any bank that does that. Anyway, security updates just reduce the risk, they do not eliminate it.

No banking apps would install on my last phone, because it was running an old version of Android.

Using a phone over 6 years old is a security risk because the software isn't having security patches, hence banks don't want to risk their software being compromised and yuou losing money, it's akin to leaving all your doors and windows open at home. You can get an Android 14 (full, not Go) phone from Argos for £100 which will have security to at least Feb 2027. A Samsung A15 5G will have 5 years of security updates albeit it's a year old already

So not a new phone every year, but a new £100 phone every 16 months?

Versus a credit card-sized device the bank gives you for free?

clairec666

Nasqueron said:

clairec666 said:

GeoffTF said:

Nasqueron said:

Banks typically stop access when the system OS is no longer supported by the manufacturer, typically 5-6 years with Apple and better Android devices, one phone every 5-6 years is normal, it happens with all devices as a phone that old isn't secure and is a risk to use

I do not know of any bank that does that. Anyway, security updates just reduce the risk, they do not eliminate it.

No banking apps would install on my last phone, because it was running an old version of Android.

Using a phone over 6 years old is a security risk because the software isn't having security patches, hence banks don't want to risk their software being compromised and yuou losing money, it's akin to leaving all your doors and windows open at home. You can get an Android 14 (full, not Go) phone from Argos for £100 which will have security to at least Feb 2027. A Samsung A15 5G will have 5 years of security updates albeit it's a year old already

Yep, I don't have a problem with this, I was just pointing out to @GeoffTF that banks do stop apps running on older devices

GeoffTF

Nasqueron said:

GeoffTF said:

Nasqueron said:

Banks typically stop access when the system OS is no longer supported by the manufacturer, typically 5-6 years with Apple and better Android devices, one phone every 5-6 years is normal, it happens with all devices as a phone that old isn't secure and is a risk to use

I do not know of any bank that does that. Anyway, security updates just reduce the risk, they do not eliminate it.

Except for literally all of them?

Not at all. See the Nationwide footnote here for example:

"To use our banking app, your device must be running Android 7.0 or higher..."

https://www.nationwide.co.uk/ways-to-bank/banking-app/

The last security patch for Android 7.0 was dated August 2019:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Android_version_history

The last security update for Android 7.0 was more than 6 years ago. Android 7.0 was released in August 2016, so it only received security updates for 3 years. Nationwide is happy for its customers to use 9 year old budget phones with its app. Not many mobile phones survive more than 9 years, so Nationwide is not being very restrictive. It was much the same story for the other banks that I looked at.

booneruk

Section62 said:

Versus a credit card-sized device the bank gives you for free?

That's a bit of a flawed comparison. Can you set up a standing order with a card? Cancel a direct debit? View your balance without going anywhere? I can't phone my friend with a credit card, or install social media apps Etc etc.

GeoffTF

Nasqueron said:

clairec666 said:

GeoffTF said:

Nasqueron said:

Banks typically stop access when the system OS is no longer supported by the manufacturer, typically 5-6 years with Apple and better Android devices, one phone every 5-6 years is normal, it happens with all devices as a phone that old isn't secure and is a risk to use

I do not know of any bank that does that. Anyway, security updates just reduce the risk, they do not eliminate it.

No banking apps would install on my last phone, because it was running an old version of Android.

A Samsung A15 5G will have 5 years of security updates albeit it's a year old already

The A15 is two years old, so it has security updates for 3 years at most. That is not much if you are expecting a 7 or 8 year life for the phone. The A17 is on sale now. The 4G version costs £169. Here is what a review says:

"The Galaxy A17 4G will receive updates until 2031, i.e. for six years from launch, and new versions of the operating system will be available for this period. However, Samsung restricts this on its website with the addition "up to" and other legal clauses. So you can't fully rely on this great promise."

https://www.notebookcheck.net/Samsung-Galaxy-A17-4G-smartphone-test-Unusually-well-equipped-budget-phone.1146414.0.html

You are paying out a lot of dosh for a shaky promise, and the other manufacturers' promises are worse for reasonably priced phones.

GeoffTF

booneruk said:

Section62 said:

Versus a credit card-sized device the bank gives you for free?

That's a bit of a flawed comparison. Can you set up a standing order with a card? Cancel a direct debit? View your balance without going anywhere? I can't phone my friend with a credit card, or install social media apps Etc etc.

I am still using a desktop PC that is more than 13 years old. It runs the latest version of Linux Mint very well. You can buy old PC's for very little money. It is amazing what people throw out.