Citi’s brand-new iPhone application takes a significant step forward in further streamlining mobile banking with the integration of Touch ID and Apple Watch.

The Citi Mobile App for iPhone in the United States has been completely redesigned to take advantage of new technology as well as address customer feedback and changing behaviors. While Citi previously offered a separate app for use with the Apple Watch, this is the first time the smartwatch experience has been integrated into the bank’s main app.

“At Citi we regularly listen to and incorporate customer feedback, but that has never been more the case than with this new Citi Mobile app,” said Melissa Stevens, global dead of digital for consumer banking at Citi. “During its development, we engaged in an extensive review of customer opinions and behavior, and it is the new features we added as a direct result of that exercise that I’m most excited about.

“For example, when we launched Citi Mobile Snapshot to allow pre-login access to key account information last year, customers signed up for it in far greater numbers than we predicted,” she said. “Since then, we heard from them that they also wanted easier access to all of the app capabilities, so we enabled the use of the Touch ID feature on iPhones.

The simple life
According to Citi, its customers want mobile banking that is fast, easy and makes their lives simpler.

To meet address this need, Citi last year launched Citi Mobile Snapshot, making it the first major U.S. bank to give customers pre-login access to account information.

Building from this capability, the app now uses Touch ID to enable customers to login with a touch of their finger and provide faster access to transactions.

The combination of Snapshot for easy viewing and Touch ID for easy transactions supports customers’ desire to bank wherever and whenever they want.

Smart banking
The new Citi Mobile app will also integrate with the Apple Watch. Available features include recent transactions, account balances and push notifications.

In March, Citi announced the first banking app for Apple Watch, which required customers to download a separate app to access their accounts on the watch. Now, the Citi Mobile app powers the Apple Watch.

The Citi app and features a brand new look and enhanced navigation.

One new feature enables customers to add and modify bill payees in addition to making payments. Previously, this was possible only through Citibank Online.

The app also now better leverages the iPhone’s camera to offer an auto-capture feature within Mobile Check Deposit for improved image clarity.

Easy payments
Additionally, customers can opt to receive real-time push notifications of charges over a pre-set amount to help keep track of spending.

Other enhancements include the ability to search and view historical transactions directly in the app, a new ATM finder that saves previous searches and a new Make a Payment button so credit card payments can be started from Snapshot mode.

“Customers appreciated being able to pay bills on the go with Citi Mobile, but increasingly they wanted to be able to add and modify payees, so we built those features,” Ms. Stevens said. “We heard that having multiple menus was confusing and cumbersome, so we consolidated them into one and streamlined the design.

“And we enabled the app to work with Apple Watch so that Citi customers need just one app for all of their mobile banking needs,” she said.

Final Take
Chantal Tode is senior editor on Mobile Commerce Daily, New York