AIB: New Insight-Driven App Signals Shift to Smarter Banking

Allied Irish Banks (AIB) has launched a redesigned mobile banking app – what it’s calling its “most significant change to its mobile channel in over a decade”.

The phased rollout, beginning at the end of June, is part of a strategic shift towards delivering a “complete financial experience” that goes beyond transactional banking.

The move comes as customer behaviour is constantly and consistently changing.

AIB’s research shows that 76% of adults in Ireland check their banking app multiple times a week, though 47% rarely use it for financial insights – a discontent that highlights the broader industry challenge that high engagement does not necessarily translate into financial empowerment.

AIB’s response? A platform designed to bridge that gap, combining usability, insight and security within a single ecosystem.

Customer-led design at scale

The new app is the result of an 18-month development process grounded in customer collaboration, testing and pilot programmes. 

This approach informed everything from navigation to feature prioritisation, ensuring alignment with real user needs.

“This new AIB app is a major step forward in digital innovation and security for our customers, providing the convenience and accessibility of best-in-class banking they can trust, via the phone in their pocket,” says Geraldine Casey, Managing Director, Retail Banking at AIB.

Chief Operating Officer Graham Fagan tells FinTech Magazine exclusively: “The app is designed with our customers. 

“We’ve spent a lot of time on customer research and benchmarking where we wanted to get to – which we have more than achieved. 

“We've tested with customers all the way through, so it really feels like it's been designed in a very collaborative way.”

Importantly, AIB continues to position digital alongside physical and human channels. 

With 170 branches and ongoing investment in in-person support, the bank is maintaining a hybrid service model that reflects customer expectations – 94% of whom say access to human support remains important.

Closing the insight gap

A central pillar of the app is enhanced personal finance insight. 

While checking balances (72%) and making payments (56%) dominate usage today, deeper engagement remains limited.

The new app introduces categorised spending, merchant-level detail and tailored insights based on user behaviour. This means that customers can set budgets and track patterns, enabling more informed financial decisions.

This directly addresses a confidence gap identified in AIB’s research, where 31% of consumers report low confidence in managing their finances and 24% cite long-term planning as a key frustration.

By embedding insights into everyday interactions – rather than treating them as standalone tools – AIB says it is aiming to make financial planning more intuitive and accessible.

Security and trust at the heart of infrastructure

When it comes to AIB’s new app, security is positioned as foundational rather than additive. 

It integrates passkey authentication, card controls such as freeze functionality and what AIB describes as “best-in-class cyber security technology”.

“Trust is the foundation of our relationship with our customers and one of the key ways that trust is earned is through technology that is secure, resilient and consistently reliable,” Graham says.

“This new app represents a step change in how we build and deliver capability for our customers, moving from point-in-time delivery to a platform engineered for continuous evolution. 

“It allows us to enhance the experience for our customers at pace, respond more effectively to their needs and continue to raise standards even further over time. 

“A core priority throughout has been ensuring that this innovation is underpinned by the highest levels of security, resilience and customer protection, reflecting how we manage technology, cyber and fraud end-to-end.

“Ultimately, the new app strengthens our ability to deliver reliable, secure banking for our customers every single day.”

Platform thinking and future roadmap

Underpinning the app is a cloud-based, modular architecture designed for continuous delivery. 

This enables faster deployment of new features and iterative improvements – key to maintaining competitiveness in a rapidly evolving fintech landscape.

Graham exclusively tells FinTech Magazine: “We've built a digital engagement platform that sits beneath the app that is designed to enable us to continuously add to it quarter on quarter as we go forward.”

Upcoming enhancements include:

• Tools for children and parents, including simplified onboarding and financial oversight
• Savings “pots” to support goal-based planning
• Expanded everyday banking capabilities, including mortgage management
• This platform approach signals AIB’s intention to transition from periodic product updates to an always-on innovation model.

Competing in a multi-app ecosystem

With 55% of consumers using multiple apps to manage their finances, AIB is also competing against a fragmented ecosystem that includes fintech challengers and specialist tools.

Its strategy is not to replace every external service, but to consolidate core financial management into a trusted primary interface – anchored in security, brand recognition and integrated support.

Geraldine says: “It’s simple to use, always improving and built with enhanced security, so customers can spend, save and plan with clarity, confidence and control.”