Bank of America has announced a series of improvements for its mobile banking app along with Apple Watch compatibility. The updated version will feature fingerprint and Touch ID sign-in.
Bank of America caters to more than 48 million consumers and business entities within the United States territories and 35 other countries. Almost 65 percent of its clientele are active in online banking and more than 37 percent do their transactions through mobile devices.
To strengthen mobile and digital banking security, Bank of America has announced a couple of new features integrated in the updated version of its mobile banking app for both Android and iOS. The revamped app highlights fingerprint and Touch ID sign-in that will add further layers of protection to the existing ones.
"We continue to deliver enhancements that provide our customers a more seamless and secure banking experience," stated Michelle Moore, head of digital banking at Bank of America. "This is another example of how we are helping our mobile and online banking users simplify their financial lives."
The fingerprint and Touch ID sign-in can only be used on devices that support the new features. Aside from extra security, however, the current improvement, which allows users to log in to their accounts with just their fingerprint, is also more convenient than typing in passwords and verification codes. Furthermore, Bank of America states that the new system integration was built according to the Fast Identity Online (FIDO) standards.
Aside from the new login methods, the app's landing page, as well as the "Accounts Overview" page, were redesigned for a more "personalized, seamless experience." Quick link titles, which include "mobile check deposit," "appointment scheduling" and "new account opening," were added for faster access to the features. A new section, "What's New," was also added to educate the customers about the functions they can use.
Another new addition is the "Security Center," which lays out more tools for Bank of America clients to manage the security of their accounts. This allows users to tailor verification and login security measures based on how secure they want the measures to be. It also provides the account holder with the settings for account activity monitoring and notification feed.
Bank of America's announcement came in bundled with the mobile banking app's compatibility with the Apple Watch. With the wearable compatibility, users can check account balances and recent transaction histories of their checking, investments, savings and credit card accounts with just a flick of the wrist. The smartwatch will also be fed with real-time alerts regarding a linked account's activity. The app is only compatible with iPhone 5 and later models which must be running iOS 8.2. or later versions.
