Ulster Bank App on Kit Kat does not work

dulpit

Hey all,

Just a heads up, I got 4.4 on my HTC One GPE yesterday, the Ulster Bank app has now stopped working (no text/etc is displayed on screen at any stage, you can log in though).

I'm pretty certain there were similar problems for previous new versions of Android, which is rather irritating. Hopefully it'll be resolved asap.

Ste-

Have you notified them ?
Might help them to know that it doesn't work on 4.4. so they can get working on it.

dulpit

Ste- wrote: »

Have you notified them ?
Might help them to know that it doesn't work on 4.4. so they can get working on it.

Tried to find an email address on their site, no joy. Will ring them after work instead.

pizzahead77

dulpit wrote: »

Tried to find an email address on their site, no joy. Will ring them after work instead.

Why not post the feedback on Google Play? The developers get feedback through that and you'll also whether others are reporting it too.

dulpit

From the google play app page:

Description
We are sorry to hear some of our customers are experiencing problems with the app on the new Android 4.4 (KitKat) OS. We will be issuing a new release in the next few weeks that will help solve any incompatibility. Thanks for your patience.

advertsfox

Same thing happened with the update to 4.3 I remember, usually pretty quick to resolve it

godtabh

A few weeks to fix it? Thats a bit of a joke

Mo14

^ I tweeted and emailed them about this when I got my N5 on the 6th - got the same 'working on it' reply. Still waiting, not good at all.

dulpit

I don't understand either why compatibility would break, I would have assumed this would only really be an issue if you go backwards (i.e. switch from 4.3 to 4.2 or 4.1)

Dudda

Same thing happens SkyGo every time Android upgrades. I think they do it to ensure they can test the apps security with the latest version encase something has changed before people start using it. SkyGo usually have an update out in about 10 days.

100gSoma

Dudda wrote: »

I think they do it to ensure they can test the apps security with the latest version encase something has changed before people start using it.

That's exactly what it is. It's unfortunate, but only affects a very small number of customers on the very latest Google phones or Roms.
I was without it for weeks after the Jellybean upgrade myself, and again now on my Nexus5.
It's disappointing, but I am pretty sure they need to security test the app with the new version of Android (which they don't get access to early obviously).

I had been told by the Mobilebanking team that they plan to get it released this week! The email is mobilebanking [at] ulsterbank.com

100gSoma

The 4.4 update is currently planned for week beginning 9th Dec.

[source] Mobile Banking Team in Ulsterbank.

Going to be a long week then.

Mo14

I just rang the mobile banking helpdesk, and they told me the app would be updated in early January! I hope 100gSoma is right, and not the chap I was talking to.

100gSoma

Soke to the guy again today Not good news. The recent update of Kitkat 4.4 to 4.4.2 means the release will need to be reviewed again.
The guy I spoke to said the release could be pushed till January now.

To say I am disappointed is a huge understatement. Over the holiday period with no easy access to track funds. Logging into the website via the phone (on the move) is just not convenient.

This is the 2nd time now UB have let me down after an Android update. Do AIB and BOI suffer such issues with their apps? Is this across all banks?

laoisfan

I can confirm that I can access my banking on-line using BOI's app on my Nexus 7 (2012) running KitKat (updated to 4.4.2 this morning).

dulpit

Pain in the hole this is. Surely it can't take that long to review?

100gSoma

dulpit wrote: »

Pain in the hole this is. Surely it can't take that long to review?

No. It shouldn't. I work in Software QA, and they should be able to turn around on this a lot quicker. It is more compliance and security testing rather than a re-write of the whole app or the addition of new features etc. Then again, UB are starting to show a bit of a pattern in all matters IT related unfortunately. It's not their forte.

dulpit

100gSoma wrote: »

No. It shouldn't. I work in Software QA, and they should be able to turn around on this a lot quicker. It is more compliance and security testing rather than a re-write of the whole app or the addition of new features etc. Then again, UB are starting to show a bit of a pattern in all matters IT related unfortunately. It's not their forte.

It also seems that they prioritise the Natwest/RBS apps ahead of the Ulster Bank ones.

Not cool...

100gSoma

yeah, they absolutely prioritise issues based on number of affected customers. That's standard though I imagine.
So it looks like no way to easily manage funds over the xmas which really sucks. stone age.

cython

dulpit wrote: »

It also seems that they prioritise the everything Natwest/RBS apps ahead of the Ulster Bank ones.

Not cool...

Fixed that for you, based on the general pattern around Ulster Bank IT incidents

100gSoma

I can't change my review on the app until I can get it installed. The only reason I am waiting to install it, to absolutely SLATE them...
Total farce. 2 months now. Typical of UB though. :pac:

Dudda

This delay is annoying me a lot. Hope it's not too much longer a wait. Emailed them this morning and got a reply about half an hour later.

We are aware of issues with our app on Kit Kat. We have advised the fix is nearly ready to go, so the next release should be soon but we haven't been given an exact date as yet.
If you need to access your accounts on your mobile you can use Anytime Internet Banking on your device.

Apologies for the inconvenience.

EverydayMuffin

Got the same email but after complaining about RBS and NatWest having their issue resolved within the first month I was told the following;

"Ulster Bank is part of the RBS Group but we do not have the same code for all systems as RBS and Nat West so don't always get the same updates at the same time."

100gSoma

They are absolutely useless.
Still no app. early January they said. I was in contact today and they asked what device I was using. As if it was my fault for using an unapproved device. sure enough the reply was, we don't support the Nexus 4 or Nexus 5 etc.
I nice easy way out for them. I suppose when the S4 gets 4.4 it will be harder to use that as an excuse.
I asked why the other banks don't seem to have this issue with their apps. "uh.. we cannot comment on other banks apps". Of course not. Let your customers do it instead. muppets.
The head of mobilebanking should be sacked for repeatedly allowing this to happen.

Google will have updated Android again by the time these jokers get their app sorted!

100gSoma

Deleted User wrote: »

Google will have updated Android again by the time these jokers get their app sorted!

Unfortunately...This is absolutely right. There is an incremental update for KitKat due in the not too distant future. Certainly in the summer/autumn timeframe.

UB need to change their app development process. It seems like they need to rewrite the app entirely for 2-3 months every time there is an update.
I have not known ANY other app that breaks and stops displaying correctly after an android update. They need a new lead developer who understands the process and can create apps that are not knocked out for months after an android update.

I could understand 2 weeks downtime if they needed to add 4.4 as a "valid" OS to the app code, and then security check/test the app. However, even BOI and AIB don't suffer this kind of outage.

2-3 months is a joke. I've already moved two accounts, and I've been onto, Marketing, Communications, Mobilebanking, Jim Brown, and my branch manager to highlight the seriousness. i.e. you will lose customers if you cannot provide an app which is the most convenient way for people to manage their budgets and accounts.

They don't care. Why? Less than 2% of all Android devices are on 4.4. That's probably the line their Dev Manager is giving senior management.
Forget the fact that this 2% are the ones with new devices and possibly money to spend. hmmm... I don't know. 2% of android users. pah... who cares. When the Galaxy S4 gets pushed 4.4 it will be more like 5-10% of users. At that point they will have a fix in.

lord lucan

Finally updated today. As many have said in this thread,woeful service from ulster bank. I'm not one for knee jerk reactions but this episode has infuriated me no end and I'm going to jump ship and find another bank.

I change my device at least once a year and am always running the latest iteration of android so I'm not willing to lose weeks every year of no mobile banking app because UB can't be arsed.

dulpit

lord lucan wrote: »

Finally updated today. As many have said in this thread,woeful service from ulster bank. I'm not one for knee jerk reactions but this episode has infuriated me no end and I'm going to jump ship and find another bank.

I change my device at least once a year and am always running the latest iteration of android so I'm not willing to lose weeks every year of no mobile banking app because UB can't be arsed.

Agreed, I'm tempted to jump to Permanent TSB, except work pay through Ulster Bank which means I get paid slightly quicker than others.

Grr..

smackyB

They couldn't even get the update right first time around!

http://www.broadsheet.ie/2014/01/14/almost-there/

5starpool

It is telling me now service unavailable. Stupid Ulster Bank.

I can't find it now but the picture they had on their website to show that they had an app on iphone/android/blackberry had a picture of a windows phone, not an android one. You could tell by the windows logo on the phone where a home button would have been on android model of that phone. It was one of those HTC ones a while back that had very similar hardware for android and windows.

It's my fault for believing "Henry the Hippo"'s lies back in 1986. Bleeding "grooming".

100gSoma

I have the same issue as Lord Lucan. I update my device every time a new Nexus device is released. Therefore I spend at least 2 months of every year unable to use the UB app. This time it was over Xmas period when I really needed to watch my incomings and outgoings. That infuriated me too!

The only good thing about this is that I can now update my comment on the play store to slate them! I could not update my comment from 4 stars because you need to have the app installed to do it. Duly installed, and duly given one star and slated for their brutal I.T. skills and repeated failures every time an Android update is released. Not learning anything obviously.

Carrollman

App now working on 4.4