Dutch ethical bank ASN stops working on Android phones without Google

Customers of the Dutch bank ASN who run GrapheneOS, a privacy-focused version of Android without Google's apps, say the bank no longer works properly for them. In a public user thread, one person reports that Wero payments from ASN fail on these phones. Triodos and N26 payments still go through.

What users report

Wero is a payment service that, according to commenters, is replacing iDEAL, the long-standing Dutch online payment method. One user tried paying with ASN several times in a week and it failed. Another confirmed that Triodos works and N26 works. Triodos reportedly fixed its app after an earlier complaint by adding GrapheneOS's signing keys, which are digital IDs that prove an app is genuine.

The thread is messy. In 2022, some users said ASN's main banking app worked fine without Google software. Others said logging in needed Google Play Services, Google's background software. Its separate mobile payments app did not work for anyone in the thread.

The company response

A user asked Wero's operator, EPI, whether a Google check called the Play Integrity API is a hard requirement. EPI replied that it focuses on "the most widely used mobile banking platforms and devices." Some users call that unacceptable for payment infrastructure and plan to complain to financial regulators.

What is not known yet

The material does not say whether ASN or EPI will change anything. It also does not confirm whether Google's check is required, or whether any regulator complaint has been filed.