Support for old versions of the app

Monzo Chat
1

I know Monzo issue a new version of their app most weeks but does anyone know how long Monzo typically support older versions of the app before users are forced to upgrade?

2

I don’t know the answer, but I also don’t see why you wouldn’t just update to the latest version.

As far as I know Monzo have still never dropped support for a previous iOS version and I think the app even still works on iOS 9?

1 Like
3

I dislike updating apps more then I need too as I often find that I dislike or am negatively impacted by changes or new features introduced by developers.

I know in the past, there have been occasions where Monzo have made upgrading to a new version mandatory for specific reasons but was wondering if there was any policy or experience (excluding thes those)

4

A lot of times though features and changes don’t even happen by app-update it’s just a flick of a switch on Monzo’s side and it’ll start rolling out whether you update the app or not.

You’re not safe from updates even by not updating the app :rofl:. It’s part and parcel with Monzo having a pretty great app with plenty of features.

3 Likes
5

I understand but there’s a few reasons why that’s not a good idea. Mainly security flaws and the fact that a change at their side may affect how that service interacts with a legacy version - and fundamentally break your experience

I don’t work for Monzo but I do develop app’s - typically Dev’s tend to support a certain backlog of iOS releases rather than specific app versions. E.g. ensuring the app functions with iOS 11,12 but not before etc.

Also supporting older apps causes technical debt, i.e resource on making it work on an old version of iOS for a smaller base over ensuring it’s fully compatible with the main release so I’d be surprised if Monzo offer much support for older app versions tbh, maybe two versions behind as a total guess?

3 Likes
6

I can’t imagine Monzo want to support older apps, it will make their life as developers much harder and there is simply no reason for it. The App Store is designed to keep people up-to-date as much as possible. So there often aren’t that many older versions out there. I doubt they say “We support versions X Y Z”. Its probably more a case of XYZ still work as a we are yet to bring in a change that would break them.

2 Likes
7

I can’t remember but it will get to a point where Monzo won’t let you log into your account without updating (you’ll see an error screen stating this).

It’s a risky game to play. Not only for security, but you don’t want this to happen when you’re out and about and/or needing to make a payment.

I’ll keep digging to see if I can find the post with the timeframe and the screenshot :slight_smile:

1 Like
8

There is no fixed rule, from time to time we increase the minimum supported version, mostly when we introduce a major change and want/need all users to have it (for example the new home screen re-design last year) or when there is a security issue that we want to address ASAP.

10 Likes
9

Surely you’re more likely to notice big changes to the user experience if you resist updating apps until you are forced to? If you just set the phone to update automatically in the background most changes are imperceptible.

You can’t hold onto old features forever if the app developer doesn’t even support them any longer.

2 Likes
10

With some apps, I don’t like changing for the reasons previously mentioned.

With Monzo, its also partly as they seem to do less QA then others i.e. shipping versions with known bugs

11

I hardly think they ship versions with known bugs. :roll_eyes:

3 Likes
12

I guess you realise bugs can slip through testing/only become obvious post release? Monzo were pretty fast at fixing and updating these to be fair to them

13

I totally understand this point of view. But in terms of a “buggy” or broken app experience, you’re MUCH more likely to face that by using an outdated version of the app than by a fresh release.

And don’t forget, when a new version of the app ships, it’s not actually “new”. It will have been tested in house, and shipped to beta testers (of which there are loads of real users) who pick up on most of the bugs.

But even if some slip through, they’re quick at fixing them. So my advice is: new is safer than old.

3 Likes
14

Yes, of course.

My impression is that if something is identified at Test flight stage and it’s not critical, Monzo won’t change/fix that version but will wait for a future one to fix it.

15

All developers have to make that decision. It’s a tough call sometimes :pensive:

2 Likes
16

I still don’t think developers intentionally release with known bugs, but we can disagree of course :slight_smile:

What’s more likely is that if it is a small impact, but the next update will fix it along with a major upgrade, then it will be left. Otherwise it’s technical debt building up - you spend time and money fixing it now only for it to be fixed by another piece of work a few weeks later.

That’s how development works, unfortunately. Sometimes you have to make a hard (but right) call

17

In any software test test there is always that criticality measure of any issues found - does it affect this release or can we hold a fix off until next time.

We do it on aircraft systems on months long release cycles so I fully expect a bank with a short. weekly release schedule to do exactly the same.

5 Likes
18

This topic was automatically closed 180 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.