Android - banking apps and general security issues

elsmandino

Hello.

I use my Android phone for most things but have always avoided using it for banking apps, due to security issues.

As a general rule, am I being paranoid?  I know lots of people that use their phone for financial transactions and appear to have had no issues.

Are there any precautions/actions I should take to keep my phone as secure as possible - e.g. is it worth installing dedicated protections software?

dts197

Put simply, yes you're being paranoid. You log into the banking apps securely, just like you would on iOS.

JAy3001

Just make sure you are running the latest version of android that your phones supports, make sure all your banking app are set to auto update and finally put as much protection on as you can ie finger print login, pin code boot protection.

Also as an extra you could enable android's lost phone feature or Samsungs version which, if you loose your phone you might be able to remote wipe the device.

The banking apps i use are so incredibly handy, not just in speed but in features. 100% better than online banking, although you will still need to use this for some features.

MarkyPancake

I doubt a reputable financial company would release their banking app on operating system that wasn't secure.

JAy3001

Indeed. These apps will lock down very quickly if something seems iffy about your system, such as using beta firmware (even when direct from your provider) will lock you out of finger print authentication and will not function at all if you are rooted or any root software is detected.