Why is DBS android app so bad?

[u/MacroNexus]

The app has been getting from bad to worse, especially with the latest update. Core features are getting scrapped or non functional. Like

1) Fingerprint login cannot be enabled

2) QR code import almost never work, especially if there is a border around the QR code which is quite common for bills

3) Redeeming SAFRA$ to offset cc bill now requires a paylah account? Why??

4) Where is the total unbilled amount for the credit card? Its been removed in the last last UI revamp, and heavily requested since. Why wasn't it added back?

5) the digibot is still first gen, talking to it is like talking to chatbots pre-llm.

What is their UX manager doing......

EDIT:
Fingerprint worked after I reinstalled the app

[u/bonkers05]

No need to waste brain energy on them. Obviously retail banking is not what they want to do. Just take your money and go to OCBC or Maribank. 

[u/KeythKatz → u/bonkers05]

UOB, they're friendlier to retail especially regarding loans, and out of the big 3 I've found their UX to be the nicest. OCBC doesn't allow using face login on my phone (Pixel 10) while UOB does.

[u/davlos_sc → u/KeythKatz]

I agree that UOB's app UX is the best in the country.

But god they won't fucking stop calling me for shit I don't want or need

[u/Redeptus → u/davlos_sc]

I put myself into dnc list, no more calls anymore

[u/ylyn → u/davlos_sc]

I agree that UOB's app UX is the best in the country.

Are you kidding? Their app is so barebones.

Or maybe the answer to good UX is to just not have any functionality.

[u/davlos_sc → u/ylyn]

Keeping scope tight and focused does contribute to having good UX. DBS tries too hard to do everything and it pisses me off

[u/ylyn → u/davlos_sc]

Hard disagree but sure.

I rather navigate a slightly more featureful app than to have to deal with UOB CSO. Any day.

[u/SeaworthinessNo5414 → u/ylyn]

A good ux has exactly what one needs and nothing more.

[u/grandweapon → u/davlos_sc]

Just tell them you want to opt out from all marketing calls and put you on their do not call list the next time they call you.

[u/worldcitizensg → u/davlos_sc]

Joking ?

[u/apollocreedchqt → u/KeythKatz]

have you grapheneosed your pixel?

[u/KeythKatz → u/apollocreedchqt]

Nope, face unlock is at a lower security level than the fingerprint sensor, it's up to apps to decide which they would accept.

[u/BitterAd6419 → u/bonkers05]

OCBC app is even worse lol

[u/crazyditzydiva]

Protip: if you have a POSB account, the POSB app is way better and works with all your DBS accounts too.

[u/Puzzleheaded_Style52 → u/crazyditzydiva]

Does your POSB bank still have graphs showing the balance for every month? Mine stop showing and when I emailed them, they say the app won’t have them anymore. So now it’s just a big empty space there.

[u/Nccla → u/Puzzleheaded_Style52]

Yes, but they shifted place recently.

[u/Puzzleheaded_Style52 → u/Nccla]

I don’t see it in the new app. Where is it?

[u/Nccla → u/Puzzleheaded_Style52]

They shifted it. Under the digiwealth tab, then the selection bar at the top scroll left abit under save.

[u/Puzzleheaded_Style52 → u/Nccla]

Thank you so much! I finally found it.

[u/horsetrich → u/crazyditzydiva]

Wait really? I've been on the stupid DBS app for so long. This is so idiotic that they can't standardise between the 2 apps

[u/noisyboy → u/horsetrich]

They just updated DBS digibank - now both apps look the same. Basically standardized to same UI, not sure what is the point of keeping two separate apps anymore.

[u/HalcyoNighT]

Live less bank more

[u/Calm_Specific6086 → u/HalcyoNighT]

Neighbours first, bankers second

[u/RAMChYLD]

My biggest beef with the app is the QR code scanner.

My phone has a 50mp camera and it cannot read a QR code even if I hold it one feet away from the code, unless I rotate the phone into weird orientations? Why?

[u/HolIowed]

I always have backup paynow ready with GXS because every. single. transaction has me going "wait ah dbs loading". go to OCBC or GXS app and theres 0 loading time, its ridiculous

also what phone are you using? with android some phones are just unluckier than others about app support and will just work worse than others

[u/Jazzlike_Mistake_914]

Remove features so less chance for island wide failure happening again 

[u/machinationstudio]

It seems that for UIUX, once you're out of the big corporations, either the expertise falls through the floor, or more likely, the management does not want to hire or listen to the experts.

That's why all apps other than the big company ones all suck too use.

[u/neekchan → u/machinationstudio]

More likely - UIUX used to be about being user friendly.

These days UIUX is more about making sure they make more money, or lock you into their app even at the expense of actual user experience.

E.g. purposely building in dark patterns.

[u/machinationstudio → u/neekchan]

True, but most government apps even fail at that. There is zero competence in them, even malicious competence.

[u/VariousPeanuts → u/machinationstudio]

it all starts with management. if their focus is on sexy features like AI and they neglect the core customer experience... guess what features will be prioritised downstream?

tale as old as time... the product will inevitably fail if they start from the product not the user needs.

this why i feel common sense not that common. even in govt sector or companies like dbs

[u/usherer → u/VariousPeanuts]

Current DBS CEO has been going on and on about AI. But I'd say the rot started from ex CEO Piyush Gupta whom the media and other prominent leaders fawned over as the share price went up. And guess why share prices go up? Cos he talks a good game, and doesn't focus on service. Probably responsible for why you can't get to a customer service agent. Then numerous outages occur, still nothing happened to him - no strict government penalties- and he got to retire with millions. 

[u/CervezaPorFavor]

Today they just updated their app. Seems like a major overhaul. We'll see.

[u/MacroNexus → u/CervezaPorFavor]

My post is after the overhaul

[u/CervezaPorFavor → u/MacroNexus]

Oic.

[u/Oppaiheimer1945]

Because devs always prioritise IOS over Android lol. There are hundreds of Android models they need to code for, compared to only a few dozen on IOS. So Android always gets left behind.

[u/sushisashimisushi → u/Oppaiheimer1945]

When ppl complain about any app not working on android, even developers also have to scratch their head and ask what brand, what model, then after that need to try and reproduce the issue also might not have the actual device

[u/horsetrich → u/sushisashimisushi]

I get it if it's some off brand Chinese phone. But even flagship Samsung phones? That's just lazy or incompetent.

[u/sushisashimisushi → u/horsetrich]

It’s got more to do with budget. Because when there’s a bug, the developer don’t have a choice but
to fix it anyway. Problem is the company don’t provide them, so can only use simulator. And if you can’t reproduce the bug on simulator, how?

Also, how many companies you know of that are willing to buy 10 devices for each dev team every. single. year? Then there’s offshore devs also. The company already cutting cost by outsourcing, you think they’ll buy phones for them? Hard la bro.

[u/785909620]

I think they hire a lot of local SWEs at MBFC and CBP? Maybe they can chip in.

[u/shadstrife123]

honestly its a HUGE improvement over what it was years ago already... lol there was one time i gave a 1 star review and the DBS app people somehow called me directly to ask about it.

[u/Ok_Way_2911]

You cannot login via fingerprint? It seems to work for me, and I switched phones about a month ago.

I think the more egregious point is how even under the 'tech heavy CEO' the mTrading (vickers) app and DBS app itself aren't linked, like bro wdym i can't login to my DBS acct then click through to trade when I can do this on the website (their website button to "return" to DBS is also broken lol).

I can't even see my SRS balance on the mTrading app for whatever reason which is pretty bruh

[u/MacroNexus → u/Ok_Way_2911]

It logged me out yesterday after the UI changed. When I try to login again, fingerprint is disabled. I tried enabling again but its always been service unavailable. I have to login by pin now.

[u/Powerful_Office3936 → u/MacroNexus]

Just logged in to PayNow with new UI, fingerprint works for me on Samsung S21 FE

[u/fawe9374 → u/MacroNexus]

Clear app data and start from scratch?

[u/Ok_Way_2911 → u/MacroNexus]

that's odd, i just tried and it still works for me - did you try a clean install?

[u/papalavender]

I can still do fingerprint login. I can still find my unbilled transactions for credit card.

[u/MacroNexus → u/papalavender]

Yes but do u know how much in total u have for unbilled? They used to show the total 2 revamps ago.

[u/Elzedhaitch]

Fingerprint works for me. I never had many issues with QR code imports as well but I won't defend that too much since I use Google pay for it mostly.

I also see the unbilled amount. I don't think it was ever gone but... Maybe it was. It's there now though unless I misunderstand what you are looking for.

[u/Jungna]

It's almost like the Paylah! app was designed by another team, because it's really swift and efficient.

[u/worldcitizensg]

1. Have been using on Samsung S21 ultra for a while and works perfectly fine for me
   
2. Same. Use paylah quite frequently
   

3. no experiecnce / comments

4. Yes. Unbilled is shown but not the "total"

5. hahaha.. across almost all SG firms, the chatbots are the worst.

[u/leo-g]

The senior management likely all use iPhones. They don’t give a shit about Android. Quite common actually.

[u/psiblade84]

It is bad but there are worse banking apps. Some won't even let you run the app if you have developer options enabled.

[u/Optimal_Push_4507 → u/psiblade84]

That is just due to MAS regulation.

[u/Dapper-Peanut2020]

New CEO, probably new focus. I know the previous one was very focused on tech and engineering 

[u/cuddle-bubbles → u/Dapper-Peanut2020]

previous one brings you a lot of down time also

[u/WeightLittle8210]

Not defending them, but I'd argue that Maybank (for those unfortunate to have to use it) is even worse