Hello guys,
usually applications for smartbanking are written for android.
How can I even download it to my phone ? I do not have google play store, and smartbanking applications are not on apk pure site.
How do you solve such issue ?
br
Since Sailfish 4.3 the Android image has been signed, so will work with a lot more banking apps that previously wouldn’t work and complained of an unlocked bootloader. In the UK I use both Lloyds and Santander banking apps successfully on Sailfish. Some banking apps are available on Aurora store, a non google store front to Google Play apps. Aurora store works well on Sailfish. If you can’t get what you want thete you can always search for and download the apk file direct from the internet, but always make sure you’re getting the genuine app you need and not a fake.
4 Likes
By using my phone the correct way : Without banking apps and all the related data on my phone! 
3 Likes
I don’t even like to do banking on my computer.
IMHO it was ok when enough un-busy people were waiting for our demands at the bank desk.
But still, why should one not want to do banking on his phone?
Like during long travels or while waiting for hours at… the bank?
Me neither but that is the only computer that sometimes sees my banking stuff via a browser that auomatically dumps it’s Cache & History when I close it!
+1 
Because one app can see the data of another app and there were already enough cases of “evil apps” that harvested such data!
Many banks offer a website for online banking that also may work on a phone. No Android app needed.
I have to admit if my bank would try to force me to use an app I would change the bank.
5 Likes
Yes as Steve said, your only safe-ish option is to download Aurora Store (from FDroid) and look for your banking app from there (unless your bank offers a direct official apk from their website).
2 Likes
Most banks want to use a phone for 2FA though.
1 Like
I do use the Android 2FA apps of several banks on my XA2+, they work without issues.
2 Likes
Which ones, just for the benefit of future users?
They’re all German banks: Sparda, Consorsbank and DAB. Consorsbank and DAB seem to be based on the same Software and operated by French bank PNB Paribas.
Because one app can see the data of another app and there were already enough cases of “evil apps” that harvested such data!
[/quote]
[/quote]
I’d imagine banking apps on phones are pretty safe. Millions of people use them everyday and, certainly in the UK, the banks would be responsible for any losses due to their own app malfunctioning or failing to be secure enough to properly protect their customers’ accounts. No bank is going to risk the huge, and these days global, reputational and financial damage that would result from their banking app being found to be insecure. Any failures would be all over the global media, internet, etc in literally seconds. As for banking on a web browser, I don’t know if that would be more secure. Any bank would have control over its own app, but not a web browser designed and coded by someone else - and if that web browser did something naughty, either by design or buggy coding, then that wouldn’t be in the bank’s control, or their fault would it?
I don’t know if it’s more secure but if it does mean I don’t have to fire up AD for weeks at a time I’m all in.
1 Like
They could send an email* then. Would work with any browser and any computer. I don’t understand this fixation on Android apps by some companies.
*Some stupid banks send SMS instead of email, means I had to use a SMS to eMail gateway, but well…
1 Like
Well, SMS was considered insecure and in fact it is. If you know how it is possible to catch the 2FA SMS and so hack into the account. Same can probably done with mails, as mails are propably on same level of security. Consider a (non-PGP-encrypted) mail as a postcard. Providers did some effort to encrypt transport, but nevertheless, I’d say mail is insecure as well. For 2FA many banks use apps that they consider more secure. I can’t tell, if this is true, but it is at least possible to do it that way.
1 Like
Is there anything else I have to do (or that I should not do)? Because I have SF 4.3 and my apps still complain about it.
Do they complain because of your phone being rooted or about missing Google Services for example? Maybe you want to make a bug report about that precise app so the devs could have a look at it.
I’m more concerned about losing access to my account because of some misbehaving app (or stolen phone) than about some hypothetical hacker that may go through all the trouble hacking my email system.
Speaking as someone who already lost two SFOS phones to crime I’d say, no, I won’t center my whole life around a small mobile device that can break or be stolen at any given moment.
2 Likes
Very true indeed. But I just tried to explain, why the banks probably decided to go the app-path…
Banks will do anything to annoy their customers, that’s what they do 
2 Likes