365 online second level authentication issues

OK, so having had to process a couple of payments today, some comments about the way that second level authentication operates are appropriate.

As it stands right now, it is a total pain to work with, because of the unfriendly manner in which it has been implemented on the mobile device. I know that there's no such thing as a standard device where mobiles are concerned, so there are problems with having a system that works for as many users as possible, but I cannot see any valid reason for using the 365 app on the mobile device in the way that it has been used, unless you have embedded additional security checks in to the process, and as presently implemented, to say that it is user unfriendly would be putting it mildly.

The first issue is that depending on what the mobile is doing, there is no clear path to receiving the notification. If the phone is in screen save mode, and has media sound muted, there's no awareness of the receipt of the confirmation. Then, and this is even more frustrating, having got the notification, the mobile app shows a notification number on the icon, and on opening the app, its then necessary to go into the additional security option to get the authentication message on screen to approve it. It's slow to open, and not completely clear if the update has been completely received or not so it can take several attempts before the swipe is possible. On processing the swipe, it then say that the app on the mobile will close in a few seconds. 

That's the next issue, the app on the phone does NOT close, and depending on how long the next transaction on the laptop takes to process, there are problems, in that if there's a bit of work involved in doing something like set up a new payee, the authentication message is delayed, as a result of a timeout on the mobile app, which then means closing the mobile app, and reopening it to enable the security message to be received, and the steps required to get to that point are not intuitive, and require a reasonable knowledge of Android, in order to get to the system screen that enables closing the app, logging out does not close it.

I had four different things to process today, create 2 new payees, and then send funds to them, and with the interuptions of having to make multiple steps on the mobile, it's tedious in the extreme to do, because of the appallingly bad user interface on the mobile side of things.

Another annoyance is that having completed the 4 items I needed to process, I still have a front screen notification on the mobile of an action required, but the actions have been completed, if I go into the mobile app, it tells me there are no actions pending, or the SCA notification has timed out and cannot be used. It then takes quite a few actions to yet again get rid of the banking app on the phone.

As presently structured, the interface is clunkly, and badly implemented, and needs some dramatic updates to make it user friendly. I've been involved with on line computer systems since the early 1970's, and programmed quite a few, so I have more than a passing idea of what makes a good or bad user interface, and bluntly, this hybrid system that's been introduced ranks as one of the worst I've had to deal with in a very long time. 

Specifically, it needs to really close the app if it says it's going to, not just minimise it, as that can (and does) cause time out issues when processing more transactions.

As a future upgrade, the user needs to have the option to defer authentication processing in the online site, so that a sequence as I had today can be chained, yes, it will then need all of the items to be individually authenticated, but it would be a LOT less hassle to tell the system at the end of the last of the batch, enter authentication system, and then process all of the authorisations after one entry into the mobile system, the present system is just too cumbersome. The other option would be to send the authentication notifications if the user signs out of the online app without specifically actioning the queue. 

And yes, to clarify, my reason for using the laptop to do most of the processing is that using a 2 x 2 keyboard on a mobile is just to unfriendly, the laptop at least has a sensible full size keyboard, and the ability to see the bigger picture, (literally) when doing things like creating a payee. 

Bank of Ireland's future depends on on line banking, and getting this right is fundamental to that process, right now, there are a number of potential show stoppers that if not resolved have the potential to drive customers away. It is unfortunately that simple.


If the developers want to talk in more detail, I'm prepared to give them feedback, right now, they seem to be in serious need of it, given the problems that are very apparent.

Best regards

Steve