BBVA becomes the first bank in Spain to add a dark mode to its app
BBVA customers in Spain can now choose how they would like to view app content. The bank has added a dark mode option to the app in Spain, which eases navigation and lessens eye fatigue by lowering brightness. The new option will especially help the visually impaired. In addition, the dark theme helps save smartphone battery usage.
This new app feature, which offers an improved digital experience and further customization, is easily activated via the ‘Set theme’ tab in the side-menu of the ‘Settings’ section. For customers who have dark mode configured on their device by default, dark mode will be activated on the app directly. With this option, available in version 12.10 of the app, users will see text and other visual elements in white on a black background.
Dark mode activation decreases blue light emission, which causes eye fatigue related to mobile devices, also known as Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS). With this improvement, BBVA takes a step forward in the accessibility of its app, making it easier to read for people with visual impairments and lessening the visual fatigue that smartphone use can cause. In addition, dark mode improves nighttime reading and reduces the impact on eyesight. This option also reduces smartphone battery usage.
“As with other functionalities, at BBVA we wanted to continue innovating to offer the best possible customer experience. Adding a dark mode came about in partnership with many of the bank's teams, including the Design team, who strive to be at the forefront of the latest trends. From the outset, project development focused on customer needs. Customers were actively involved in shaping this new development," said Raúl Navarrete, Head of the Mobile Channel at BBVA Spain.
The BBVA app in figures
BBVA's mobile banking app in Spain ended 2022 with 1,186,069,287 logins, an increase of 15 percent over the previous year. This translates into nearly 99 million visits per month. December was the month with the highest number of logins, with more than 107 million.
In 2022, BBVA customers' most common transactions were to send a Bizum mobile payment, order a transfer or view account activity.
All the improvements and updates added throughout 2022 led BBVA's app in Spain to become one of the best-rated mobile banking applications on the market, with a 4.32 out of 5 rating on Android and a 4.49 on iPhone. BBVA's tool currently has more than 800 functionalities available.
BBVA's mobile banking app is constantly evolving
New developments include options to adapt BBVA's app to senior citizens. The bank has enabled a simplified view option so that, at a single glance, seniors can quickly perform basic account queries, send mobile payments via Bizum, or request an appointment at a teller's desk or with their personal account manager. In addition, in this version the font size is 20 percent larger to improve readability.
BBVA has also adapted its app for minors. From early November 2022, young people between the ages of 14 and 17 can check their account balance, top up their smartphone, withdraw cash using their password or send a Bizum payment (with parental consent). These transactions are authorized by the parents with the opening of the minor's account.