I’m currently on a 2 month stint in India, just before I left I switched to an old handset which doesn’t support Monzo. I get why this is and just accepted it as the cost of the price of taking an old phone that I didn’t mind losing/breaking while I’m away.
However I also have an Acer Chromebook with me that supports most apps but unfortunately not Monzo. This was a bit more surprising as this is a brand new bit of a tech and I’m disappointed that I can’t get monzo working on it.
I thought both of these setbacks would be manageable once I realised I can still check my balance using the emergency option online to be sent a secure email link. However, my problems really started when I tried to withdraw cash from an ATM and it failed every time. Fortunately I have another card which I have been able to use to get cash and have since seen the monzo video on enabling the magnetic strip on the card for 24 hours in order to get cash from Indian ATMs.
As per the rest of my post as I do not have access to the app via my chromebook I can’t enable the mag strip, ergo I can’t use my card to get cash! As this was the whole reason I signed up to Monzo in the first place this is very disappointing. I have made one transaction using my card in a gift shop but as you might expect most of India still uses cash so if I can’t use an ATM this isn’t going to get me very far.
Is there any chance of getting the app on a chromebook soon?
If you put your Chromebook into Dev mode you will be able to install any apk. You could then download the Monzo APK and install. I’m sure I’ve seen one linked in the forum or you could try apkmirror.
Also if you end logging in on someone else’s phone you can message them and they can extend the 24hrs that the magstripe ATM withdrawal stays on for so you don’t need to keep logging in if I remember correctly.
The app isn’t configured to download on Chrome OS via the Play Store as @robsug says only way is if you’re willing to put your chromebook in to dev mode and side load the app in from an unofficial mirror. Monzo don’t upload the app to any mirrors so you’d be relying on someone else doing it and not interfering with the integrity or safety of the app.
Thanks everyone! I’m not sure about putting my Chrome book into Dev mode, I don’t know how to do that and I’m tentative to mess with the settings while I’m away and without easy access to help. As Andy says it might affect the integrity of the app so I’m not going to do that.
Here’s hoping Monzo get the app working fully and properly on the chromebook soon. In the meantime, I’m back to my old Visa card for cash withdrawl
I would like support on ChromeBooks as well, this will very likely just be some requirement in the app manifest, eg requirement for phone would mean it wont be available on a Chromebook. If you set all the requirements as optional then it should work on any device.
