I hadn’t used Monzo for a while and made a transfer today after many months … and I woke my newborn up while my phone was on DnD! I couldn’t believe a banking app behaves like this.
This … it’s also in the name “do not disturb”, something that expected sounds aren’t famous for 
The Monzo app already has OS notifications for all actions, with sounds that can be configured (or silenced) by anyone to their liking and choice. There is no point to in-app sounds whatsoever. Please just remove them and rejoin the professional apps club, which is virtually every other banking/money app out there. I mean, it’s banking, not tiktok (though I’m not sure even tiktok has uncontrollable in-app sounds).
It’s about the user’s perspective, not the OS’s. As a UX developer, this is clearly a bug from at least 2 standpoints. It also breaks basic UX design rules. Moreover, just because the OS allows something doesn’t mean it’s not a bug, or that it’s a good idea. The OS allows all sort of stupid things. We also seem to have wildly different definitions for how a banking app “should” behave. You probably meant “as the devs intended” which is actually unknown (unless you’re the Monzo product manager responsible for this “feature”?) – dev intentions are littered with oversights.
First, Monzo issues both OS notifications and (uncontrollable) in-app sounds for the same actions, e.g. outgoing bank transfer. That’s a UX bug outright. OS notifications can be configured with sound and are entirely under the user’s control. The design choice to do both is a big no-no.
Second, the sound is not user-initiated, but forced upon by the application without providing any control. Non-media apps delegate sounds to OS notifications or to app settings. Unexpected sounds are meant to observe DnD, silent mode, and volume controls. Designing a non-media app with sounds not initiated by the user to override any of those OS level modes is another big no-no. It’s about the user’s perspective, not the OS’s. The OS allows all sort of stupid things. Claiming it’s not a bug but a feature working as it should would reflect even worse on the Monzo devs and app.
Should I be thankful or resentful that the Monzo devs didn’t choose to open a 10 seconds video clip popup blasting Taylor Swift when sending money and calling it a property of the core money sending action … while also issuing an OS notification with sound?
I already regret typing so much for something so obviously wrong … but hopefully the Monzo devs see this and accept the feedback.
p.s. I see a few other UX changes that made the app more cumbersome to use, e.g. too many taps and scrolls to send money to someone; it used to be better streamlined. Perhaps prioritize that experience over sounds?