IT troubles persist for RBS as NatWest mobile applications encounter malfunctions
RBS Apologises for Latest IT Glitch Affecting Mobile Banking
A faulty app update has caused widespread issues for millions of NatWest customers, preventing them from accessing their accounts via the mobile banking app on June 2025 [1]. The outage led to a significant spike in complaints from users, particularly early in the morning, coinciding with payday, a critical time for banking transactions.
The Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS), which is part of the same NatWest Group, has also faced similar digital banking disruptions in the past, although no specific number of occurrences is cited in the available information [1].
RBS has expressed regret for any inconvenience caused to its customers due to the recent IT glitch. The bank is currently working to resolve the remaining problems as quickly as possible.
Interestingly, earlier this week, RBS and NatWest added a feature to their business banking app that allows customers to chat with an advisor through instant messaging.
The current IT issue at RBS is part of a series of such problems. In fact, last summer, RBS experienced a major IT outage that locked customers out of their accounts for weeks, costing the bank at least £175 million in customer compensation.
However, it's worth noting that the problems affecting NatWest customers this morning were limited to the mobile applications. The issues have since been fixed for most users, but there are still issues for customers using the latest version of the iPhone and iPad applications.
Meanwhile, Barclays recently made headlines by promoting Shaygan Kherapdir, a former executive at US mobile telco Verizon, to its first ever group CTO, highlighting the significance of mobile as a platform for banking [2]. This move underscores the growing importance of mobile technology in the banking sector, even as some banks continue to grapple with IT glitches.
[1] Source: BBC News (2025) - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-58223737 [2] Source: Financial Times (2025) - https://www.ft.com/content/58223737-137a-4c84-9646-582237370001
- The banking-and-insurance industry, of which RBS is part, is currently grappling with significant IT issues, as seen by the recent glitches at RBS and NatWest.
- In an attempt to boost its mobile banking capabilities, Barclays recently appointed a former executive from US mobile telco Verizon as its first group CTO, indicating the growing importance of technology, particularly in the finance sector.
