Just a few weeks after Apple rolled out a brilliant new account balance upgrade to UK iPhone users, we now know exactly which major banks support the new feature, and it’s good news all around.
With iOS 17.1, Apple has added a new feature for UK users that will show all of your bank balances and transaction history right within the Apple Wallet app. It’s all thanks to the UK’s Open Banking API, hence why it’s not available in the U.S.
Apple explains that the new feature lets you “connect your account to the Wallet app to view your debit or credit card balance, full transaction history, and more.” That same support document, updated this week, now lists all of the UK banks that support the feature, and it looks like the only major player not on the list is Starling.
“In the U.K., cards currently eligible for this feature are issued under the following brands: Barclays, Barclaycard, First Direct, Halifax, HSBC, Lloyds, M&S Bank, Monzo Bank, NatWest Bank, and Royal Bank of Scotland,” Apple explains in the update, first spotted by MacRumors Friday.
A brilliant new tool
As a UK iPhone user, I’m thrilled with this update. Logging into banking apps can often be a massive pain, even with the advent of Face ID as a verification method. This obviously serves a security purpose, but being able to glance at my monthly spending and transactions on the go within the Apple Wallet app is a huge breath of fresh air and one I can’t wait to try.
Fortunately, the steps are quite simple, and you can get a full look at how to see your bank balance in Apple Wallet on iOS 17.1 in our guide.
Without a similar API provision across the pond, it’s impossible to say when something like this might arrive in the U.S., for now, UK users can enjoy a rare feature arriving first on its shores.
