The current sorry state of Windows Phones is no longer a secret, as more and more developers abandon the platform to focus entirely on Android and iOS, and now it looks like Australian banks are doing the exact same thing.
Both Westpac and Commonwealth Bank are dropping Windows phones for a reason that's not hard to understand, and users have no choice but to stick with the mobile version of the sites or migrate to Android or iPhone.
First of all, CommBank confirmed in a tweet that “Windows phones are not compatible with the CBA app”, but “we have the CommBank app for iPhone and Android”.
This is an answer that most developers who abandon the platform offer their users, so it doesn't come as much of a surprise, especially since the majority of banks are deeply committed to supporting Android and iOS apps.
And the same goes for Westpac, which recently said in an email response that Windows apps would stop working, recommending instead a switch to a rival platform or pointing the browser to its mobile internet service.
“We are contacting you to inform you that from 30 April the Westpac Live Mobile and tablet apps will no longer be supported or available for download from the Microsoft store. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause and thank you for your banking with Westpac,” the email states.
This may only be sad news for Windows Phone users who wanted to stay on the platform until mid-2019, when support ended, but it seems that sooner or later switching to Android or iOS is something everyone has to do.
Microsoft has already confirmed that no new features and devices running Windows 10 Mobile will be released, and the platform is currently in maintenance mode, with security updates being released until July 2019.
